Aircraft Ban on Electronic Cigarettes

The Obama administration and federal regulators with the Department of Transportation are now trying to pass a ban regarding use of electronic cigarettes on aircraft.  This would include any and all domestic flights and any flight coming in or out of the United States.  The reasons they give for the proposal are that electronic cigarettes have not been proven safe and that it will confuse passengers who smoke traditional cigarettes.
Ray Story, CEO of the TVECA, Tobacco Vapors Electronic Cigarette Association, told the Associated Press, “Everybody knows that when you are smoking on an airplane that’s an absolutely a no- no. But this is not smoking. This is vaping, The Transportation Department is asking for something that makes zero sense because this product emits nothing, I don’t think the masses have been educated enough to know this isn’t smoking.”(Lowy, 2011)
 The TVECA thinks that the administration should educate the public on electronic cigarettes, instead of banning the use of a product that emits no second hand smoke and could ultimately help smokers.  Electronic cigarettes have been in the lime light lately with the FDA trying to ban importation into the United States.  Currently, only two companies can import into the United States at all without worry of their shipments being seized. 
 The TVECA will encourage electronic cigarette companies to bring to light the usefulness of their products and conform to FDA regulation.  The TVECA also would like to see more scientific research that electronic cigarettes are not safe as so many people have claimed them to be.  The facts are, electronic cigarettes have real uses for the public and the TVECA wants to bring out scientific data showing that electronic cigarettes are a better alternative to the 4,000 chemicals that are included in tobacco cigarettes.

Lowy, J (2011) Ban proposed on electronic cigarettes on planes.  Retrieved September 14, 2011 from: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hLJZ3B9DhGlmn-onXVrSJRHGHiJg?docId=ebcb85871a304eb4aaaa0d0976c3a09

Research of the Electronic Cigarette

Some more research studies have been ongoing in an effort to show the positive effects of the electronic cigarette.  In this study, 88% of users of the inhaler said to have irritation of the throat and mouth compared to 22% using the electronic cigarette.  This study was done in New Zealand and had committed adult smokers participating using a 16 mg nicotine inhaler, 0 mg nicotine cartridges for the electronic cigarette and 16 mg nicotine cartridges for the electronic cigarette.  This study has produced positive results for the electronic cigarette as a smoking cessation tool.

The 16 mg electronic cigarette cartridges reduced the desire to smoke more than the 0 mg nicotine cartridges and the inhaler.  Blood was drawn to see the amount of nicotine in the blood after using the devices with the 16 mg level and was found to have only 10% of the amount of nicotine that would normally come out of a traditional cigarette.  This is significant because it is reducing the actual amount of nicotine that the body is absorbing while helping with the nicotine cravings. 

 We will keep you updated as more information regarding this study and future studies come available.

Hon Lik

The inventor of the electronic cigarette, Hon Lik, took his invention, that he made in 2003 and made it a reality.  With so many people looking for an alternative, he had a dream and made it into a reality.  Millions of people around the world, have now switched to the electronic cigarette.

Hon Lik smoked 2 to 3 packs of cigarettes a day before his father, also a heavy smoker, died from lung cancer.  This is when Hon kicked the habit.  He wanted to find an alternative to traditional cigarettes, which inspired him to create the electronic cigarette, which he gave a prototype to his father before he died. 

Hon has since changed the name of the company he opened into Ruyan, which means “like smoke”, and has been pushing in a big way for U.S. markets.  Many companies now sell the devices in the United States.  Electronic cigarettes are being frowned upon by the FDA. ” They have not been tested for safety”, is what the FDA is saying.  We do not know as of yet if the electronic cigarette is safe, but we have the right to have a better alternative to traditional cigarettes. 

Electronic cigarettes are not smoking cessation devices, they are marketed as an alternative to traditional cigarettes.  Electronic cigarette companies want them to be regulated as tobacco products, since the nicotine is derived from tobacco, while the FDA is determined for them to be regulated as drug delivery device combinations.  The fight is ongoing.  NJOY is one company that has sued the FDA for holding shipments and is the front runner in the fight for regulation.

FDA Smoke Screen

The FDA warned consumers about the electronic cigarette, saying that it is not a proven safe alternative to traditional cigarettes.  With this warning, they said that they are trying to ban the sale and use of electronic cigarettes in the United States.  There are over 1 million electronic cigarette users in the U.S.  So why does the FDA want to ban them?  They want to classify them as drug delivery devices, which in turn will ban them until they can be proven safe. 

The FDA wants you to stick to what they know, and that is the traditional cigarette.  They say that they know the effects of cigarettes and there is no proof that the electronic cigarette is a safer alternative.  Smoking causes over 450,000 deaths a year.  Why would the government, whom is so concerned about health and safety, try to ban something that can reduce the health risks of the millions of Americans that smoke and are addicted to nicotine?  This is just baffiling. 

The FDA is making statements that are distorted and misleading.  They used to use sound science to back up these statements, but are not doing that in this case.  Traditional cigarettes are lethal because of the smoke that the user inhales.  There are over 4,000 chemicals in a traditional cigarette, 250 are harmful to humans and 50 cause cancer.  The electronic cigarette does not have all of these harmful ingredients.  There is liquid nicotine, water, flavoring, and either propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin, which are food additives, that make up what is inhaled by the users of electronic cigarettes.

For items such as gums and patches that are used as “quit smoking aids”, there is less than a 15% success rate on these products.  While they are FDA approved aids, they do not have the same effects as the electronic cigarette.  More studies need to be done on the devices, but some are underway and hopefully more will be in the future.

Helpful or Harmful

There is a lot of controversy on whether the electronic cigarette is helpful or harmful.  The FDA has made reports that the electronic cigarette cartridges contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals.  But what they do not report is that they are at levels that are seen in approved stop smoking aids.  Smoking Everywhere and NJOY cartridges were the ones tested by the FDA. 

But many people that have switched to the electronic cigarette consider them safer than traditional cigarettes that contain over 4,000 chemicals, tar, and emit second hand smoke.  There are many “vapers” that swear by their electronic cigarette saying that they have “quit” smoking traditional cigarettes using the devices.  You can see them on all the forums regarding electronic cigarettes. 

While some people have used them to get off of nicotine all together, some have no intention of quitting nicotine and use the electronic cigarette because they say it is better for you.  Electronic cigarette companies agree.  Many are in business just for this reason.  Are they really helpful or are they harmful?  Right now they have not been proven to aid in stopping smoking, at least in trials and studies.  New Zealand is preparing a trial right now about the use of the electronic cigarette as a stop smoking aid.  It will be about a year before we actually have results to that affect.

Electronic Cigarettes are Helping People Smoke Less

Electronic cigarettes are being used not only by users that completely make the switch, but also by people that are looking to smoke less.  Many e-cig users start out by purchasing a starter kit and exploring what they can do with it.  For some, making the switch is easy.  For others, it is more difficult.  But regardless, people are not only switching over completely, but are steadily cutting their cigarette consumption drastically. 

Not only are electronic cigarettes helping people smoke less, they are saving thousands of dollars that they would have been spending on cigarettes with the electronic cigarette.  After an initial investment ranging from $50 to $125, the refill cartridges and e-liquids are cheaper than traditional cigarettes.  Taxes are rising on cigarettes, in New York a pack of cigarettes are reaching $11 each.  Much higher than refill cartridges that range from $2 to $3 a cartridge or e-liquid at $6 for 5 ml. 

There are still a lot of skeptical people that want more research of the effects of electronic cigarettes and debate on if electronic cigarettes really help people stop smoking traditional cigarettes.  Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, the electronic cigarette has water, flavoring, some with nicotine, but you can also get no nicotine, and either propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin.  These are food additives that are approved by the FDA for consumption. 

While there is still more research needed into the electronic cigarette. Users are urging the government to not ban them.  They do not want to go back to combustible traditional cigarettes.  Sign all petitions that you can.  Do not let your voice go unheard.  Write your congressman and be involved.  Every American has the right to have an alternative to traditional cigarettes.  Everyday electronic cigarettes are becoming more and more visible in the public light.  Let us keep it there.

Electronic Cigarette Trial

New Zealand is now on top of the game with a trial for electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation device.  They are doing a controlled 6 month study determining if the electronic cigarette can be used to quit smoking.  This is revolutionary as most electronic cigarette users have cut down dramatically or quit using the devices.  The study is still in the set-up phase and the participants were selected after taking out ads in the paper and other media promotions. 

The program is 8 weeks and participants will either get nicotine patches and either 16 mg or no nicotine cartridges for the electronic cigarettes.  Over the 8 weeks participants will receive support phone calls, 3, to find out their progress and for encouragement.  Their goal is to have participants smoke free for 6 months.  They will be doing randomized testing to determine carbon monoxide in their breath.  Other outcomes include seven-day point prevalence abstinence,  nicotine withdrawal at seven and 28 days,  treatment compliance, adverse events, acceptability and cost effectiveness. 

We are all looking to New Zealand to lead the way in electronic cigarette testing.  As of June 2010 they now have the funding needed in order to do the testing.  We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

Second Hand Smoke

There are many dangers from smoking.  Second hand smoke is just as dangerous as first hand smoking traditional cigarettes.  Why then do people put their loved ones and the other people at risk?  Cigarette smoke causes all kinds of diseases.  There are over 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes, 250 are dangerous to humans and 50 cause cancer.  It is one thing to put yourself in danger from smoking, it is another to endanger someone else, especially children that do not have a say in what their parents do.  Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke may suffer from brain development, poor lung development, long-term bronchitis, and severe and persistent asthma.  People exposed to second hand smoke have a 30 per cent higher risk of contracting lung cancer. They can also suffer from breathing difficulties, bronchitis and emphysema. They are also at risk of tuberculosis, heart disease, hardening of leg muscles, stomach, mouth, nose, throat, oesophagus, ovarian and uterine cancers.  A recent study found that non-smokers who were exposed to a lot of secondhand smoke were 50 per cent more likely to suffer from psychological distress.  So what can smokers do to reduce these risks for the people around them?  The electronic cigarette is the answer.    It emits a water vapor that quickly dissipates in the air.  No more ashtray breath and smell on your cloths, but most importantly, there is no second hand smoke.

Smoking Bans

Many states are adopting a state wide smoking ban.  This includes any public place like resturants and bars.  Some even include hotels.  What can people do?  Try the electronic cigarette.  You can smoke them virtually anywhere because they are not included into the smoking ban.  There are 28 states that are now “smoke-free”.  Adult smokers find themselves in the situation of going outside, not being able to “smoke” at work, and in the winter months, freezing outdoors.  The electronic cigarette gives them the freedom to smoke where they want, when they want.  They still get the satisfaction of nicotine, without all the harmful effects, there is no smell, no tar, no carcinogens, and no second hand smoke.

Electronic cigarettes also save you  money.  With an average of $2 a cartridge that lasts between 1 to 2 1/2 packs of traditional cigarettes, many people are quickly seeing the benefits of the electronic cigarette.  So why are so many non-smokers and the FDA in an uproar?  No one really knows for sure the intentions.  The FDA is saying that the electronic cigarette is not safe, but there is not one ounce of proof that they are not safer than traditional cigarettes.  Traditional cigarettes kill people everyday.  There is not one death from the e-cig.  People report that they can breath better, that their taste buds have returned to normal, along with a lot of other benefits.  There may be no scientific evidence as of yet that the electronic cigarette is safe, but they are in the works.  The FDA is trying to block research of the electronic cigarette.  They want the devices classified as drug delivery devices.  They want to be able to spend millions of dollars for testing, but some electronic cigarette companies can do it for less than $100,000.

Electronic Cigarettes and You

According to the World Health Organization there are at least 1.1 billion people in the world who smoke, so why do so many people take the risk?  Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that is found in tobacco.  Many teens who start to smoke intend to quit, but that doesn’t always happen.  Teens that pick up a cigarette as an experiment are prone to falling into the addictive cycle.  Many that continue to smoke into adulthood are now looking back and wishing that they never started.  The electronic cigarette gives adult committed smokers all the joys of smoking without all the hazards that smoking brings.  The electronic cigarette gives off a water vapor that the user then inhales.  Many smokers are turning to electronic cigarettes because of this reason. 

More and more electronic cigarette companies are making their debute.  Envy Electronic Cigarettes is one of the oldest and most respected electronic cigarette companies around.  Envy is found in gas stations and tobacco shops across the country from Alaska to Florida, even in Hawaii.  Support the electronic cigarette.  Find petitions online and sign them to tell the government that you do not want to see the electronic cigarette banned.  So many states are trying to adopt legislation to ban them and we need to stand up for our rights.  We have the right to have an alternative to traditional cigarettes that kill over 400,000 people every year.