I live in West Virginia and am not a student of WLU but I am a concerned individual and I would like to ask that you please take a few moments of your time to read over the following letter.
I recently read an online article by WHSV-TV about a proposed ban on e-cigarettes at WLU and I would like to be a voice of reason, make a statement, and further request that this ban be postponed until further research regarding the facts about e-cigarettes is conducted by yourself (et. al.).
I would also like to state that this Great Country was founded on the principals of being a Democracy and as such, the student body should be afforded the Constitutional Right to have a voice in this matter, that it not be a one sided vote to ban, and an enactment of the Board of WLU based solely on unsubstantiated or otherwise potentially incorrect, information currently at hand.
With all due respect, and no offense to WLU, its Board members, or affiliates; this form of ban anywhere, shows that there may be a poor understanding of and/or lack of education on a given subject, which in this case is E-Cigarettes.
Many of the statements, findings, and other (mis)information available is untrue (dependent upon source), unprecedented, and often the product of uneducated ideas and statements bearing no factual scientific evidence as there are numerous Medical Professionals who claim that e-cigarettes are a much less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes. It is further claimed by some of these professionals that e-cigarettes can be, and are in many cases, helping people to quit using tobacco cigarettes. The fight to get people to quit smoking due to serious known health risks has been an uphill battle for decades, and now that there is a product available that may be better able to help in this fight, various agencies and so-called health oriented organizations and individuals want to quell its availability and use.
Because consumers have reported that switching to e-cigarettes have allowed them to refrain from smoking, the FDA asserted that electronic cigarettes are a "nicotine cessation treatment" and therefore, claim they are a form of drug. While the FDA had at one time confiscated some e-cigarette shipments, they have not been legally banned. A federal judge recently ruled that the FDA is overstepping its authority and agreed with the AAPHP (American Association of Public Health Physicians) that e-cigarettes are a Tobacco Harm Reduction product. The D.C. Federal Appeals Court subsequently upheld that ruling. The AAPHP has also petitioned the FDA to retract their misleading statements about e-cigarettes and allow them to be marketed as reduced harm tobacco products.
E-cigarettes contain No tobacco and they do not produce smoke, and therefore should not be treated as, or categorized with tobacco products such as cigarettes.
I can attest to the truth about e-cigarettes in the following manner:
I had smoked approximately 1 to 1.5 packs of cigarettes per day for 34+ years and as recently as 8 months ago, learned about e-cigarettes when a former in-law showed me the (brand) he was using. Because of the price of that particular brand, I was not able to afford one to try.
As of October 1, through a neighbor, I learned that a local vendor was selling them near my home and decided to find out more.
On October 13, 2012 at 3pm, I bought a "Starter Kit"... As of today (Nov 23, 2012), I have not had a single cigarette. I have been 1 month and 10 days Smoke Free, and per calculations, have avoided 1,233 cigarettes and have saved $185.00, and if that isn't enough incentive...
My benefits have included: No more coughing (which I used to do all day long), better breathing ability, improved endurance due to better breathing ability, no more wheezing at night from lung congestion, no more nasty smoke smell in my home, no more ashtrays and mess, I don't have to worry about anyone (including myself) getting burned, everything tastes and smells better, my girl friend no longer experiences smoke related allergies like she did when I was smoking in the house, I am not spending a fortune on cigarettes, and more. But the best thing of all - I can interact with my 3 year old son for more than 15 minutes and not become exhausted.
Now for a little education that, as a "School of Higher Learning", you should welcome and appreciate.
Although nicotine is an addictive stimulant, nicotine is not a drug. It is an organic compound found to occur naturally in a variety of food sources, food plants, and tobacco and is quite similar to the caffeine in coffee. Also, with the lower nicotine level e-liquids available, people who choose to do so, may be able to eventually wean themselves off of nicotine.
E-cigarettes emit Vapor, not Smoke.
Smoke is the "chemical" reaction of combustion brought about by burning various products. The smoke from a cigarette contains more than 4000+ known chemicals, the majority of which are known to cause/contribute to cancer of the mouth, throat, and lungs, causes/contributes to COPD, Emphysema, Heart Disease, and many other very serious, and often irreversible, health related issues.
Vapor is the physical "State" change of a liquid to a gas (e.g., steam from a hot shower or cup of hot coffee). The Vapor produced by an e-cigarette contains no such harmful chemicals as the liquid is not burned, it is vaporized.
Do the "Cigarette Test" for yourself - you know - the one they did years ago blowing smoke through a handkerchief - I did it and the reality will surprise you as it did me...
Cigarette Smoke leaves a nasty brown, sticky film in the cloth, the major composition of which is Tar. E-Cigarette vapor leaves behind only a clear, water based fluid with minute traces of glycerin (natural sugars) that dries clean within a few minutes.
Cigarettes contain more than 4000+ known chemicals.
E-Cigarette liquids contain Five organic compounds.
These compounds include:
1) Propylene Glycol, U.S.P. (PG) - an organic compound naturally found in many foods, including almost all food flavorings, and is used in asthma inhalers and other medicines. U.S.P. stands for "United States Pharmacopeia" and signifies that a product is safe for human consumption in foods and other applications.
2) Vegetable Glycerin - an organic sugar compound naturally found in many food sources.
3) Food Flavorings - many of which are natural, and are generally used in making candy and other foods. Many of the food flavorings used in the making of e-liquid also contain no food colorings.
4) Distilled Water (sometimes)
5) Nicotine - an alkaloid compound found in tobacco, tomatoes, some hot peppers, and other consumable plants.
In a study conducted by CSA (ClearStream-AIR project), a 60 m3 closed-room was used for the experiment. Two sessions were organized, the first using 5 smokers and the second using 5 users of e-cigarettes. Both sessions lasted 5 h. Between sessions, the room was cleaned and ventilated for 65 h. Smokers used cigarettes containing 0.6 mg of nicotine while e-cigarette users used commercially available liquid with nicotine concentration of 11 mg/ml. The study measured total organic carbon (TOC), toluene, xylene, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), nicotine, acrolein, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), glycerin and propylene glycol levels on the air of the room.
The Results:
1) During the smoking session, 19 cigarettes were smoked, administering 11.4mg of nicotine (according to cigarette pack information).
2) During the e-cigarette session, 1.6 ml of liquid was consumed, administering 17.6 mg of nicotine.
3) During the smoking session the study found: TOC=6.66 mg/m3, toluene=1.7 µg/m3, xylene=0.2 µg/m3, CO=11 mg/m3, nicotine=34 µg/m3, acrolein=20 µg/ml and PAH=9.4 µg/m3. No glycerin, propylene glycol and NOx were detected after the smoking session.
4) During the e-cigarette session the study found: TOC=0.73 mg/m3 and glycerin=72 µg/m3. No toluene, xylene, CO, NOx, nicotine, acrolein or PAHs were detected on room air during the e-cigarette session.
Thus, essentially and in reality, cigarette second hand smoke is shown to contain and distribute high levels of harmful chemicals and nicotine, while e-cigarette "second hand vapor" is shown to only produce a fractionally safe amount of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) and "0" Nicotine. Therefore, you cannot even be affected by nicotine in the air from being in close proximity to an e-cigarette in use.
This study alone is proof that e-cigarettes are safe for use and for use around others.
The main reason behind the march against e-cigarettes is predominantly coming from huge pharmaceutical corporations and the FDA who approve, endorse, and market smoking cessation products that simply do not work and often end in the smoker returning to cigarette use.
When coupled with the fact that millions of sufferers with smoke related health issues must seek medical care in regards to those issues, it stands to reason that the medical and pharmaceutical industry would want e-cigarettes banned because they pose a threat to the massive profits being generated from medical care and from keeping "approved" products that don't work on the market.
Its well documented that currently available NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) treatments for smokers, such as patches and gums, are largely ineffective, with only a mere 7% success rate after 12 months of use. This is largely due to the fact that most smokers arent just addicted to the nicotine; they are addicted to the actual habit and ritual of smoking a cigarette.
In Closing -- E-Cigarettes are a much safer alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes. Vapor is Not Smoke. Banning e-cigarettes simply because they are a source of nicotine delivery is a step to banning food sources that naturally contain nicotine. Nicotine is similar to caffeine and therefore, banning a nicotine product in claiming it is a drug is a step to banning Coffee because caffeine would likewise be considered a drug. Banning e-cigarettes and taking them from those who wish to avoid 4000+ harmful and dangerous (proven) chemicals is in essence, forcing them back to the habit they would like to give up and is akin to pushing them toward using expensive and ineffective methods to rid their use of traditional cigarettes.
Personally, I wish they would have had this years ago... maybe my mother would still be alive today and not have developed emphysema and COPD (which I was likewise diagnosed with in 1994) from her 2.5+ pack a day habit.
Thank you for your time.
