1) FDA smoke screen on e-cigarettes in Washington Times by Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health

2) American Association of Public Health Physicians writes on behalf of Electronic Cigarettes to the Incoming Director of the FDA by Joel L. Nitzkin, MD, MPH, DPA
Chair, AAPHP Tobacco Control Task Force and Kevin Sherin, MD, MPH, FACPM, FAAFP
President, American Association of Public Health Physicians

3) Disingenuousness of the FDA’s Press Conference is Concerning; FDA and Anti-Smoking Groups are Committing Medical Malpractice on a Massive Scale by Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health

4) FDA’s drug and e-cigarette warnings counterproductive by Jeff Stier, associate director, American Council on Science and Health

5) Technical Review and Analysis of FDA Report: “Evaluation of e-cigarettes” by Janci Chunn Lindsay, Ph.D. from Exponent Health Sciences

6) An Interview With David Sweanor on the E-Cigarette, Tobacco harm reduction, snus and other issues from E Cigarette Direct out of the UK

7) The FDA Crusade Against E-Cigarettes by Brad Rodu, Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville, holds an endowed chair in tobacco harm reduction research, and a member of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center at U of L

8) Prominent Public Health Physicians and Tobacco Researchers Expose Double Standard in the FDA’s Recent Study of Electronic Cigarettes and Challenge the FDA’s Alarmist Attitude Toward the Devices by Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and Joel L. Nitzkin, MD, MPH, DPA, Chair AAPHP Tobacco Control Task Force and Brad Rodu, Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville

9) Electronic Cigarette Association Letter To Congress by Matt Salmom, former Congressmen and President of the ECA

10) American Lung Association Asserts that E-Cigarettes are Designed to Promote Cigarette Smoking; Can Anti-Smoking Groups’ Reasoning Get Any More Absurd? by Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health

The articles above do not necessarily represent Instead’s position or opinion and no opinions within these articles should be taken as claims to the health, safety, or use of the electronic cigarette. As we have stated many times in the past, the most healthy thing to do is to quit smoking, period. The electronic cigarette is an alternative for long time smokers who have not been able to quit. It is not healthy or safe, but simply an alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes.

Today has been a whirlwind as far as press is concerned. First, we started off the morning, waiting for the feed from the E-Cigarette featured on the Early Show on CBS. Then it came. Our jaws dropped to the floor as we watched a doctor and two news anchors literally spew lies from the set. Needless to say, we do hope that the watching public takes some time to further educate themselves on the electronic cigarette as obviously, the CBS Early Show has no desire to do any research.

The acting by the hosts Julie Chen and Harry Smith were most definitely “Big Brother” worthy and it was very apparent that they are non-smokers who wish the habit did not exist. But even more amazing than this were the comments made by Dr. Jonathan Whiteson, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Medicine, with NYU.

When asked if electronic cigarettes are safe, he responds with “we don’t know, but we don’t think so?” Ok. Why do you not think so? Data? Have you run your own tests? There have been three separate liquids tested and all of them were found to contain ingredients that are approved and safe world wide.

Yes, we agree that more testing can and should and will be done on both the vapor and the liquid itself. However, all results so far are positive. Isn’t it time that you as a doctor maybe use some of that e-cigs “magic” and do some testing of your own? We would definitely love to hear your professional diagnosis on this. Certainly not your personal opinion.

Furthering on his safe argument, he then goes on that the electronic cigarettes are “unregulated, certainly not FDA approved and Made in China”. Here is all we need to say about this: The Committee on Energy and Commerce just completed a hearing on the salmonella outbreak plaguing our food supply. What we also find interesting is that in 2007 and 2008, the FDA notes that 12 times Peanut Corp tested positive for salmonella, yet they shipped anyways.

And recently, Keith Ledger died from using Ambien. Granted, there is more to this story, so please follow the link, but it proves that not everything approved by the FDA is safe. Finally, the FDA has some issues internally where the scientists allege mismanagement at the Agency. According to a letter obtained by CNN from the FDA scientists, “The agency is “fundamentally broken” and “failing to fulfill its mission”. Is it possible the FDA has too much power and not enough control?

The salmonella outbreak also proves that American manufacturing and processes can be just as bad as Chinese processes. The persons responsible for the melamine in the milk fiasco plead guilty and brought to very harsh, yet swift justice. We will see what happens to the American business responsible for the contamination and those who obviously covered up the 12 instances of positive testing.

As far as his comments that some companies are marketing to adolescents: We are on the Internet 24 hours a day. We research the daylights out of our products, our competitors products, and see just about every article there is to see. We have come across websites that do offer these as a smoking cessation device (even though we take a different opinion), but we have never, ever run across anyone who has ever suggested even with color scheme, that the electronic cigarette is for adolescents. That is simply, a shameful, boldfaced lie.

So… enough about bad journalism. Here is some great journalism! It deserves its own post so we will provide you with a link so you can see what a good article is supposed to look like. This article was written by Audra Ang with the Associated Press, and is a very well researched bit of writing. Chinese e-cigs gain ground amid safety concerns.

We always enjoy good articles, that are well written and researched.  It was a wonderful surprise today to run across an article written by a non-smoker, Helen Thompson for NewScientist Magazine titled Electronic Cigarette:  A Safe Substitute?.

One of the biggest applause’s should go to Thompson for contacting Dr. Murray Laugesen of Health New Zealand, the leading researcher undertaking the questions and concerns that arrise from the use of the electronic cigarette.  He has done not only a clinical study on a brand of cartridges, but he has also conducted the only clinical trial of the electronic cigarette to date.  As far as we are concerned, any journalist who is not aware or does not attempt to contact Dr. Laugesen has not done their job thoroughly, as he is a certified scientist who has hands on knowledge of the electronic cigarette.

A few highlights from the article are even John Britton, a lung specialist from University of Nottingham, UK, and chair of the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group, who is skeptical of the electronic cigarette, ends by stating that “If it turns out that they deliver to the bloodstream an amount of nicotine comparable to a cigarette, are acceptable to smokers and are safe, then the potential health benefits to smokers trying to quit are huge”.

Dr. Laugesen also noted in Thompsons article that “All pointers so far show the device is safe.  Whether it will be a successful smoking cessation device in the future depends on whether governments wrap it in cotton-wool regulations or allow smokers to buy it with a modicum of reasonable safety checks.”

So props to Ms. Thompson for putting the tobacco harm reduction philosophy down on paper and offering a real journalistic overview of the electronic cigarette.  To read her full report, please click on the link above.

The electronic cigarette is perfect for those who wish to continue smoking without the second hand smoke.  Is it safer?  Dr. Laugesen thinks so.  We believe that one thing is for certain, there is no second hand smoke so the effects on those around the smoker are definitely diminished.  More testing is still needed to be done on the actual vapor when it is released upon exhalation.  The vapor consists of minimal water and propylene glycol, same as that in fog machines used for theatrical performances.

But, as many are finding out, the safety is something you have to weigh for yourself.  By reading the many different posts we have offered, we hope you can come to your own conclusion.  Weigh what you know, feel and think about tobacco cigarettes and then weigh what is available for the electronic cigarette.  What is best for you?  What do you feel is your next step as a smoker?  Are you willing to change your brand to electronic knowing what you do know as fact against tobacco cigarettes and what is possiblity with the e-cig?

Other Electronic Cigarette News Posts

We wanted to address the report found on CBS News regarding the Electronic Cigarette as being an illegal product that cannot be sold.

As we noted in our recent post The Electronic Cigarette as a Homeopathic Drug, it is Instead’s belief that the device itself should not be held at customs because it is in fact a vaporizer and vaporizers appear to be legal.

The electronic cigarette has been sold in the United States for over two years now.  Up until this point, ATF has decided that they do not wish to regulate the e-liquid and the FDA has not wanted to get involved as well.  Now, all of the sudden they do?  It is interesting that millions are flocking to the e-cig and we can only come up with one reason as to why this nonfactual report would be aired:  The anti-smoking campaign is furious and the pharmaceutical companies have most likely noticed a drop in their profits when it comes to NRT’s.

Now, it does not help that some marketers are claiming this is a quit smoking product.  It is not a quit smoking product.  It is a smoking alternative.  It allows people to switch from a tobacco cigarette to something else.

Industry wide, Safe Cig has been warned to change their content on their website and to stop advertising them as a quit smoking method.  It sends the wrong message to the powers that be.  However, we would like to note that Jon from SafeCig has stated that Stephanie Stahl did not even show up for her interview with him and sent a stage hand to do her work.  There’s some good journalism integrity for you.

As far as the claims by the American Cancer Society and these not being tested, that is simply untrue and false statements should be ignored.  As we noted in our post Clinical Trials and Testing of the Electronic Cigarette, there have been tests done of a variety of different e-liquids and they have been found to be safe.  In fact, in one report, Dr. Laugessen even states that the electronic cigarette is a “safer alternative to tobacco cigarettes”.

Also, with the statement that the “problem is the vapor you see has not been proven safe”.  This statement is correct.  HOWEVER, the second hand smoke from a tobacco cigarette HAS been proven UNSAFE and therefore, if it can be sold legally, then there is absolutely no reason a smoker cannot make the determination for themselves that the vapor is better than tobacco smoke.

We find it extremely interesting that such a hoolala is being made over a product that is actually moving millions of people world wide from tobacco and pharmaceutical products.  The only thing we can come up with is that the “big boys” aren’t getting their dimes and they are less than happy.

For those of you not familiar with CBC, CBC is owned by the Canadian government and the central news source for Canada.  Being that we have strong ties to Canada, we watch a bit of CBC when we get the chance.

Over the New Year, CBC featured the electronic cigarette and the news report was very well done.  A group of health researchers in Edmonton, Alberta, sat around and tried various forms of the electronic cigarette and electronic cigar.  Their responses were highly comforting.  This is not the first report that has been made that has qualified health officials or researchers saying that yes, the electronic cigarette may be untested, but it is a smoking alternative that people can get on board with.

Dr. Carl Phillips of the University of Alberta, notes that “nicotine itself is not a bad thing… it is similar to coffee drinking… caffeine.  It’s the smoking that’s so bad and kills people and that’s why we are focused on what we call tobacco harm reduction.  Try to allow people who want to use nicotine to do so without dying from inhaling smoke.” Later, he goes on to say that there is “very good scientific research that smokeless tobacco is low risk.”  He does note that there is “little evidence or testing on vaporized nicotine on the lungs” however, with the electronic cigarette the user receives “vaporized nicotine and relatively innate gases as opposed to cigarette smoke which is a devils brew of molecules and poisonous gases.”

With more and more health professionals and researchers finding the electronic cigarette to be promising, the electronic cigarette will become the new smoking alternative of the future and something we are proud to help you transition too.  It may be better for the environment, better for those around you and hopefully, far better for you too. Future testing will tell.

Canadian Customers:  If you are looking for the Canadian e-cigarette store, visit Electronic Cigarettes Canada.

So are you ready to throw out that last pack of analog cigarettes, sit inside and enjoy a smoke for a change?  Get the spouse to leave you alone about your horrid little habit?  Currently, we offer the Instead electronic cigarette as well as theInstead electronic cigarette with ELiquid. 

Happy Vaping!