SLATE: Should I be ostracized for smoking electronic cigarettes?

[jamie]

Should I be ostracized for smoking electronic cigarettes? - Slate Magazine

Where There's E-Smoke …
Should I be ostracized for smoking electronic cigarettes?
By Emily Yoffe
Monday, April 6, 2009

 

[D_Struct]

I stopped reading when she said "I'm not a smoker".

 

[TropicalBob]

Typically brilliant writing that I expect from Slate. Not exactly what the cheerleaders here will applaud, however.

"It stuns me people would so willingly accept the word of manufacturers from an unregulated industry, claiming their product is safe and pure when they won't tell us what's in it and haven't done the most basic studies."

That is the most articulate statement from WHO I've yet read.

Thanks for posting the link. Slate is a Big Gun among media now.

 

[dc2k08]

hmm, they are using an acronym I once used and in a turn of phrase similar to how I once used it. Damn - I wish I'd trademarked that $$$

WHO calls them an "electronic nicotine delivery system," or ENDS, and unless the manufacturers can prove that their products are safe and effective, WHO is going to want to see an end to ENDS

I think WHO named our devices for us in that mail Alain posted over on e-cigtest:
Though I prefer "electronic nicotine delivery system" or ENDS.

Will our means justify our ENDS?

 

[Nuck]

Its actually a pretty funny article over all.

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

"It stuns me people would so willingly accept the word of manufacturers from an unregulated industry, claiming their product is safe and pure when they won't tell us what's in it and haven't done the most basic studies."

This doesn't say much for us.... And we wonder why non-smokers sometimes look at us like second-class-citizen-junkies. The lengths we go to feed our addiction (without the guilt of feeling like we're killing ourselves) certainly do look a little ridiculous to "outsiders".

 

[Chevron07]

I thought we do know what's in it? PG, Nic, and flavoring. Am I missing something?

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

I thought we do know what's in it? PG, Nic, and flavoring. Am I missing something?

These are the main ingredients but the purity of the ingredients can't be verified as there are no current safety standards. Also, there are bound to be other chemicals from the nicotine extraction process plus whatver chemicals are used to give us all the wonderful flavors. At the end of the day we have no idea all that we're actually inhaling... What makes it worse is that many of the companies are completely unknown. We may know our supplier, but where do they purchase from? ...At the end of the day I think there are a lot more unknowns than certainties.

 

[Boston George]

your forgetting the Dihydrogen monoxide...

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

your forgetting the Dihydrogen monoxide...

funny....

 

[Chevron07]

your forgetting the Dihydrogen monoxide...

Well done. I had to look it up.

Anyway, I thought one of the manufacturers or suppliers did do a basic chemical analysis and there weren't any surprises when it came to trace elements. Every other product gets away with "artificial flavoring".

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

Anyway, I thought one of the manufacturers or suppliers did do a basic chemical analysis and there weren't any surprises when it came to trace elements. Every other product gets away with "artificial flavoring".

Yeah... on they're juice (meaning the manufacturer had only their own juice tested).... With no regulations all e-juice is different. Just because a test came back negative for one juice doesn't mean that it would for the hundreds of different juices and flavors you can buy off the internet. And we don't usually inhale artificial flavoring.... (at least I don't) so its bit of an unknown...

 

[Boston George]

Moreover, you really need random batch testing to ensure quality control. The factory may get a bad batch of one of the base components making a fluke toxic batch of cartridges.

I have no idea what the minimum standards are in china. However, I have yet to hear anything about serious quality control from any manufacturer.

Although, I know Ruyan has released a number of tested done on their products. Have any other manufactures done the same?

The myth that an FDA label will make these things safe is a bad one. Not that I am saying an FDA label wouldn't be nice, just that it wont save me if the product accidentally gets full of lead, anti-freeze or mercury

 

[dEFinitionofEPIC]

Moreover, you really need random batch testing to ensure quality control. The factory may get a bad batch of one of the base components making a fluke toxic batch of cartridges.

I have no idea what the minimum standards are in china. However, I have yet to hear anything about serious quality control from any manufacturer.

Although, I know Ruyan has released a number of tested done on their products. Have any other manufactures done the same?

The myth that an FDA label will make these things safe is a bad one. Not that I am saying an FDA label wouldn't be nice, just that it wont save me if the product accidentally gets full of lead, anti-freeze or mercury

True. Accidents happen. But I'll take knowing that there are at least some safety standards over it just being a crap chute....

 

[jamie]

I stopped reading when she said "I'm not a smoker".

I hope not, really. She writes those columns under the banner of the "Human Guinea Pig", trying all kinds of things and reporting on her experiences. Her work isn't hackery.

TB is correct, they are well above average over at Slate, especially their innovative column ideas like HGP. I've been reading them for... sheesh, probably a decade.

SLATE Dept: Human Guinea Pig

 

[strayling]

I'm sure the doom-mongers will believe her without question when the author of this article claims that the e-cig tastes foul and gave her bad breath and headaches. This is a throwaway novelty story, and a poorly researched one at that.

 

[TropicalBob]

It's not an article. It's a column. Big journalistic difference. There's not on-the-one-hand, on-the-other-hand demands for columns. She goes forth, she experiences, she writes. And I can assure that when I began e-smoking the vapor tasted like foul air in a room where a cigar test smoking had been conducted. It tasted awful. I've found better liquid since.

Your being dismissive of this column as a "novelty story" is truly regrettable. That judgment says more about you than the author's work.

 

[strayling]

Thanks for the correction on terminology, but I still think this was a novelty piece and not really to be taken seriously. She was, IMO, aiming for humour more than fact and that's fine as long as the reader doesn't take it too seriously. As for what my opinion says about me, well, innocent as charged.

I wonder what flavour she was using? My first experience was that the vapour smelled kinda nice.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

I thought we do know what's in it? PG, Nic, and flavoring. Am I missing something?

No. You aren't. It was a bashing remark against the Chinese. (As insinuated by the MSG remark... but as someone extremely allergic to MSG who can't eat 90% of American made foods because of it... I will tell you the ecig DOES NOT contain MSG or I would seriously be dead).

However, it was a very cleverly written article.

 

[strayling]

However, it was a very cleverly written article.

The gradual change from wide-eyed enthusiasm at the novelty of e-cigs to finding reasons to dislike them was neatly handled and it was quite funny. It'll certainly put off anyone who doesn't already smoke analogs and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'll stick with my assertion that it's not worth taking too seriously though.