There are a couple of misguided beliefs about e-cigarettes I would like to discuss. Although some is speculation, much of this opinion piece is based on research and law.
Myth 1: It doesn’t matter if an e-cigarette contains nicotine or not, they will be regulated the same.
Busted? Currently the FDA is fighting in Federal Court to regulate the e-cigarette as a new drug. But without a drug in it, it can’t be a new drug. Many speculate that the FDA will loss and it will be regulated as a tobacco product. But without nicotine, no part of the unit or liquid would be derived from tobacco, thus excluding it from being a tobacco product.
Myth 2: Without Nicotine, the e-cigarette is useless.
Busted? A recent study by Dr. Eissenburg found:
“In spite of delivering no measurable nicotine, both electronic cigarettes tested in this study reduced ratings of “craving a cigarette” and “urge to smoke” and increased subjective ratings of product acceptability (e.g., “satisfying,” “taste good,” “pleasant”). These results are consistent with anecdotal reports from long-term electronic cigarette users and support the notion that electronic cigarettes may provide an alternative, perhaps a substitute, to cigarette smoking in some cases.”
Please note that further testing is needed to determine nicotine intake with differing nicotine levels, time of use, and proficiency of users.
And this study found that the many smokers may want the action of smoking as much as the nicotine itself.
There are many ways to get nicotine including Nicotine Replacement Therapies such as nicotine gum, patches, inhalers, and lozenges as well as smokeless tobacco products such as snus and chew.
But only 1 product, regardless of nicotine, mimics the action of smoking; the electronic cigarette. If you just want nicotine, there are many forms. If you want the action of smoking, try an e-cigarette with or without nicotine, as we offer both.
Myth 3: Electronic Cigarettes are banned in Canada
Busted? Health Canada stated in it’s press release to stakeholders,
“In the absence of evidence provided by the sponsor establishing otherwise, an electronic smoking product delivering nicotine is regulated as a New Drug under Division 8, Part C of the Food and Drug Regulations.”
But without nicotine it would not fall under Division 8, Part C. If you live in Canada there are companies selling e-cigarettes and offering wholesale electronic cigarettes.
True enough. But my own experience is that vap-ing instead of smoking tobacco made it possible for me to cut down on cigarettes by 30-40%! I think that’s significant, and I also think that E-Cigarettes (like e-smoke or smoketip, for instance) should be considered safe by the FDA. They’re safer than tobacco, that’s for sure.
In my experience, the “action” of smoking is as important – if not more so – than the actual intake of nicotine. While the expression “I need a cigarette” has been widely adopted by people experiencing stressful situations, I’ve found that there really is no significant reduction in stress to be gained through smoking. Rather it’s a kind of ritual (and for many over the decades a social ritual – just look at Hollywood films of the 1940s, particularly those with Bogart or Bette Davis). So e-cigarettes allow the user to continue that action/ritual perhaps without the harmful intake of tobacco smoke. Those chain smokers who may be addicted to the nicotine itself are probably unlikely to find this vap-ing satisfying.
But for those of us who grew up with the cigarette break, the cigarette with coffee, etc. the use of e-cigarettes can truly be a viable alternative. In fact, with or without any controversy, it would be comforting to know that the FDA is not completely influenced by these myths, which are obviously self-serving to the industries they protect. It seems to me that it’s a very strange kind of indirect prohibition, which isn’t likely to lead to better public health. I find it disturbing, in fact, that the FDA (or any agency of the federal government) would spend further time, resources or energy on a product as modest as this one. Poison? Drug? I don’t think so. But while we American consumers can easily obtain truly harmful products, why take aim at this almost completely harmless one?
It will be banned until they can find a way to get their hand in the cookie jar. Dont kid yourself….they arent concerned about our health but how much money they are going to loose when we stop buying their cigarettes and the cancer centers stop having so many people coming in for a 30,000 dollar scan for cancer. We are nothing more than a source of income for them. Of course they are going to fight it. We all know there is nothing worse than cigarettes. Yet they fighting the better alternative. Hmmm makes you think…..they might want to keep your 300.00 a month for your pack a day addiciton.