Electronic cigarette warning
I have not heard of “electronic cigarettes” but I would be rather skeptical of claims that they are an “effective smoke cessation tool”. Lest they make their way here from China, do take note of this warning from the WHO:
WHO | Marketers of electronic cigarettes should halt unproved therapy claims
“The electronic cigarette is not a proven nicotine replacement therapy,” said Dr Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General of WHO’s Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster. “WHO has no scientific evidence to confirm the product’s safety and efficacy. Its marketers should immediately remove from their web sites and other informational materials any suggestion that WHO considers it to be a safe and effective smoking cessation aid.”
The typical electronic cigarette is made of stainless steel, has a chamber for storing liquid nicotine in various concentrations, is powered by a rechargeable battery and resembles a real cigarette. Users puff on it as they would a real cigarette, but they do not light it, and it produces no smoke. Rather, it produces a fine, heated mist, which is absorbed into the lungs.
Developed in China in 2004, the electronic cigarette is sold there and in numerous other countries, including Brazil, Canada, Finland, Israel, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Marketers of the electronic cigarette typically describe it as a means to help smokers break their addictions to tobacco. Some have even gone so far as to imply that WHO views it as a legitimate nicotine replacement therapy like nicotine gum, lozenges and patches.
But WHO knows of no evidentiary basis for the marketers’ claim that the electronic cigarette helps people quit smoking. Indeed, as far as WHO is aware, no rigorous, peer-reviewed studies have been conducted showing that the electronic cigarette is a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy.
We all should always exercise caution with such claims.
Manufacturers must be responsible and not just going out for profits.
Thanks to Malaysian Medical Resources for higlighting this current development.
Hope to hear further from medical experts and authority about this in this column.
Regards,
KB
Sound doesn’t logic. Is any evident can judge the electronic is harmful ?
your article cannot be valid. please read more before comment.
Clinical trials have now been carried out in New Zealand by Dr Murray Laugeson of Health New Zealand.
The test found that the E-Cigarette tested was:
“…very safe relative to cigarettes, and also safe in absolute terms on all measurements we have applied. Using micro-electronics it vaporizes, separately for each puff, very small quantities of nicotine dissolved in propylene glycol, two small well-known molecules with excellent safety profiles, – into a fine aerosol. Each puff contains one third to one half the nicotine in a tobacco cigarette’s puff. The cartridge liquid is tobacco-free and no combustion occurs.”
View this following report:
http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/extra%20info/e-cigarette-safety-report.pdf
Regards
BARRY LEE
If you read the post carefully, it has to do with claims about these “smokeless cigarettes” being effective as “means to help smokers break their addictions to tobacco” i.e. an effective nicotine addiction therapy. These are claims which need to be substantiated with clinical trials. Marketing claims before clinical evidence is not what responsible companies should be doing, hence the WHO warning.
Nicotine delivered by any means including the “e-cigarette” is still a drug, so there are some precautions/contraindications as listed here
Non smokers. Nicotine-naïve non-smokers using the 16 mg version may possibly experience the same effects as first-time smokers. They may cough and gag at the throat. Inhaling into the lungs can cause nausea, dizziness and vomiting. Non-smokers should use only the 0 mg strength.
Pregnancy As this device can deliver nicotine, it is contra-indicated in pregnancy, unless the woman has not been able to quit smoking by other means.
Cardiovascular disease. Nicotine in high dose may trigger heart beat irregularities.
Children or adults. The Ruyan V8 e-cigarette is difficult to unscrew at the mouthpiece-end). Children would be at risk of nicotine poisoning if they put the unscrewed cartridge in their mouth, just as if they swallowed cigarettes or tobacco, or any nicotine product.
Let us agree that smoking can harm our health. But, it’s not right for anyone to comment that “e-cigarette” is not safe or safe.
What we don’t understand on the subject matters is, “why WHO can comment that “e-cigarette” is not safe just because no evidence to address that matters “SAFE”? So WHO says that it shall be removed from the market.”
Now, there’re claims and clear evidences that smoking real tobacco cigarette can harm smokers and non-smokers too. Real evidences and documented too. What we don’t understand on the subject matters is, “why WHO does not do the same as that it shall be removed from the market and the manufacturer shall cease producing tobacco cigarette?” If WHO already done so, it’s still not remove from the market, then who suppose to do so, FDA???
As far as I can tell, WHO’s statement is about making the point that e-cigarettes are unproven as “safe and effective smoking cessation aids”.
As for the FDA, they have made their stand:
FDA is vigilant about anyone making product claims
FDA acts against 5 electronic cigarette distributor
WHO has a strong stand against cigarette smoking. That is a different matter since cigarette manufacturer’s are not making any claims that smoking is good for your health.
It’s proven that the real cigarette is not safe and the manufacturer’s have no reason to claim smoking is good for health.
So, just because the cigarette manufacturer’s do not make any claims that smoking is good for health, they can continue production and nobody can do anything about it? As you said, “WHO has a strong stand against cigarette smoking.” Why not ban the real cigarette?
Should the Electronic Cigarette manufacturer’s remove all claims on the “SAFE” statements, can they continue production? FDA not going to ban it and act against the 5 electronic cigarette distributor?
Before being skeptical why not study the object first. Just because WHO could not confirm or produce any evidence of the product’s safety and efficacy we are quick to conclude that it should never reach here. I am not a scientist but I can reason perfectly well. The product comprise of individual items – battery, charger, atomizer (heater) and cartridges. The cartridges are filled with a liquid composition and it is not necessary to contain nicotine. It can be used as menthol therapy instead of the bulky apparatus that they used in hospitals. Its filled with hot steaming water and dangerous if not handled carefully. What’s so dangerous about the vaporizer?
The only addictive substance in the liquid is nicotine. If users are able to use it with less nicotine level or non at all, would it not be better than real cigarettes? The trouble is, its name – e-cigarettes. Therefore ignorance are apt to conclude negatively. E-cigarettes is a marketing tool to capture the ‘smoking’ market – the smokers. Some manufacturers have already designed their products into something that do not resemble a true cigarette.
It was a mistake for them to produce the device as a cigarette in the first place. That is why narrow minded people say that ‘a fag is still a fag’. But on the other hand, it would not capture the smoker’s attention.
Apart from perpetuating nicotine addiction, there are indeed health concerns. Another link for reading:
E-Cigarettes Pose a Health Hazard, FDA Warns
The FDA analyzed the ingredients in a small sample of cartridges from two brands of electronic cigarettes marketed by U.S. companies: NJOY, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Florida-based Smoking Everywhere, according to Benjamin Westenberger, deputy director of the pharmaceutical analysis division at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, part of the FDA.
Although e-cigarettes are sold in the United States, they are manufactured overseas, mostly in China.
In one sample, analyses detected diethylene glycol, an antifreeze component. In several other samples, analysts found carcinogens, including nitrosamines, Westenberger noted.
“All of these results indicate an overall lack of quality control,” he said. “These results indicate that these e-cigarettes could have safety and quality concerns.”
I have read those articles and I agree that they do lack control on the manufacturing side. It is the users prerogative to choose which one is safe. They should study the compositions first. Other users in the US have detected it. They went as far as to educated other users how to make their own liquid. For simplicity, liquid can contain glycerin and menthol only and that is a safe inhaling therapy.
I support the control of the influx for harmful drugs. The authorities can prevent them entering into our country but the device itself, batteries + atomizers + blank cartridges, are harmless products. In fact it can be used for other therapy to remedy breathing problem. Yes it could be a therapy for smokers as well.
I have read those articles and I agree that they do lack control on the manufacturing side. It is the users prerogative to choose which one is safe. They should study the compositions first. Other users in the US have detected it. They went as far as to educated other users how to make their own liquid. For simplicity, liquid can contain glycerin and menthol only and that is a safe inhaling therapy.
I support the control of the influx for harmful drugs. The authorities can prevent them entering into our country but the device itself, batteries + atomizers + blank cartridges, are harmless products. In fact it can be used for other therapy to remedy breathing problem. Yes it could be a therapy for smokers as well. It is how far they would go.