E-CIGARETTES
Are they safe? Will they help smokers quit?
E-Cigarettes that allow the user to inhale a vapor produced from cartridges filled
with nicotine, flavor and other chemicals. E-cigarette companies
promote them as both alternatives to traditional cigarettes and
tobacco cessation tools.
What are E-Cigarettes?
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
e-cigarettes are combination
drug-device products designed to deliver nicotine or other substances to a user in the form
of a vapor.
1
FDA does not consider e-cigarettes to be tobacco products.
E-cigarettes are not traditional cigarettes. They are typically composed of a rechargeable,
battery-operated heating element, a replaceable cartridge that may contain nicotine or
other chemicals, and an atomizer that uses heat to convert the contents of the cartridge
into a vapor, which is then inhaled by the user.
2
Some e-cigarettes contain nicotine, a highly addictive drug
3
.
Safety and Cessation Concerns
There is
currently no scientific evidence about the safety of e-cigarettes. In initial lab tests,
FDA found detectable levels of carcinogens (nitrosamines) and toxic chemicals, including
an ingredient used in anti-freeze, in two brands of e-cigarettes and numerous cartridges.
FDA determined that users could potentially be exposed to these chemicals.
4
This contradicts manufacturers’ claims
5,6,7
that their products are
safe alternatives to tobacco.
E-cigarettes have not been
approved by the FDA for use in smoking cessation. No
evidence exists to show they help people quit smoking.
8
More research on e-cigarettes is needed to determine
what ingredients they contain, how
they are being used, and what effect they have on users.
Marketing and Youth Access Concerns
Despite the fact that e-cigarettes have not been shown to be effective tobacco cessation
tools and are
not FDA approved, some distributors are marketing them for smoking
cessation.
9
In one study, FDA found that some e-cigarette cartridges claiming not to contain nicotine
actually did.
10
Government agencies and medical organizations, such as the FDA, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have also expressed
concern that
electronic cigarettes could increase nicotine addiction and tobacco use in
young people.
11
E-cigarettes are often made to resemble cigarettes and
available in flavors that may appeal to youth. E-cigarettes may also lead youth to try traditional cigarettes or other tobacco products, which are known to cause disease and premature death.
12
Many nicotine refill bottles or cartridges are not adequately packaged to prevent children’s
access or accidental ingestion of toxic amounts of nicotine.
There is no scientific
evidence that e-cigarettes
are safe or that they can
help smokers quit.
ACS CAN’s Current Views
ACS CAN strongly supports FDA’s assertion that e-cigarettes
should be regulated as drugdelivery devices and not as tobacco products. We support the authority of the FDA to take action to protect and advance the public health to the full extent of the law.
ACS CAN
supports including e-cigarettes in new smoke-free laws or amendments to
existing laws. However, since FDA does not consider e-cigarettes to be tobacco products,
they should clearly be defined as different from tobacco products and addressed separately in
the law.
Regardless of the marketing tactics that ecigarette companies use, ACS CAN
supports
restricting the sale of e-cigarettes until they are approved by the FDA and evidence shows
that these products are not harmful.
Laws that only prohibit sales to minors do not go far enough to protect public health.
Recent FDA Action on E-Cigarettes
In September 2010, FDA began enforcing
its authority to regulate e-cigarettes as
combination drug-devices and issued
warming letters against five electronic
cigarette distributors for making
unsubstantiated claims and marketing
their products illegally. FDA requested
that the companies in violation of the
law correct their violations or stop selling
their products within 15 working days.
References
1
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA and Public Health Experts Warn About Electronic Cigarettes. July 22,
2009. Available online at
FDA and Public Health Experts Warn About Electronic Cigarettes.
2
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. E-Cigarettes: Questions and Answers. September 17, 2010. Available online
at
E-Cigarettes: Questions and Answers.
3
National Institute on Drug Abuse. Tobacco/Nicotine. Available at
Tobacco and Nicotine - Drugs of Abuse and Related Topics - NIDA.
4
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes Conducted
by FDA. July 22, 2009. Available online at
Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes Conducted By FDA.
5
The E-Cigarettes Shop. Electronic Cigarettes - A Healthier Alternative to Smoking. Available online at
Electronic Cigarettes – A Healthier Alternative To Smoking.
6
ECigarettesUSA, Inc. ECigarettes…a healthier alternative to cigarettes. Available at
http://www.ecigarettesusa.com/.
7
The Safe Cig. Electronic Cigarette FAQs. Available online at
Contact | The Safe Cig | For All Your Electronic Cigarette Needs.
8
World Health Organization. Marketers of Electronic Cigarettes Should Halt Unproven Therapy Claims. September
19, 2008. Available online at
WHO | Marketers of electronic cigarettes should halt unproved therapy claims.
9
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Acts Against 5 Electronic Cigarette Distributors. September 9, 2010.
Available online at
FDA acts against 5 electronic cigarette distributors.
10
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes
Conducted by FDA. July 22, 2009. Available online at
Summary of Results: Laboratory Analysis of Electronic Cigarettes Conducted By FDA.
11
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA and Public Health Experts Warn About Electronic Cigarettes.
12
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Warns of Health Risks Posed by E-Cigarettes. July 23, 2009. Available
online at
FDA Warns of Health Risks Posed by E-Cigarettes.
