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Welcome to another Friday edition of the e-cigarette news roundup. Like every Friday, you’ll find the news items I’ve been following throughout the week. This week features a fairly mixed bag of stuff with no blockbuster news items like there was the past couple weeks. It is worth noting that prohibition groups have finally paved the path to get kids to use e-cigarettes so the groups can finally be right about something.
$2.3 Mil. Study to Uncover the Obvious
The University of Illinois at Chicago is embarking on a study to learn more about e-cigarettes. According to a news report on WGN, the university has a couple million dollars to figure out why people use e-cigarettes. Let me say that again. The university is going to spend $2,000,000 in a study to find out why people use e-cigarettes.
Chicagoans help on electronic cigarettes study
Robin Mermelstein, UIC health behavior researcher: “We know very little about e cigarettes. They are increasingly popular. So there is a desperate need for us to learn more about why people are using them, what they’re getting out of them and what people think about them.”
University of Illinois at Chicago health behavior researcher Robin Mermelstein and her team have been awarded a $2.3 million federal grant to investigate how young adults use alternative smoking products.
That’s a lot of dough to spend to discover what people tend to shout from the rooftops once they switch to e-cigarettes. The study will also include Snus users as well, so I’m sure that adds more to the price tag. The rest I guess they’ll spend on coffee and bagels for the research team.
Forbes Lobs Softballs at NJoy President
Forbes is known for its in-depth reporting and important articles. It apparently does its share of fluffy ones too. Sure, it’s nice to see the media not bashing e-cigarette companies, but these questions are beyond puff.
NJOY: The E-Cigarette That Aims To Snuff Out Smoking
MEB: That explains the rationale behind the electronic cigarette category as a whole, but how is NJOY different and preferable?
AB: Most electronic cigarettes on the market can’t deliver on this promise. To get there, you need a product that is the closest possible approximation to a combustion cigarette – in appearance, performance and flavor.
That’s why NJOY is more than a generic electronic cigarette with a brand name slapped on it. From the beginning, we set out to develop proprietary products that come ever closer to being full-fledged substitutes for combustion cigarettes. Products that look like cigarettes, are the same size, offer performance and taste that can live up to everything that traditional cigarettes ever promised.
It’s like the interview was written by a PR department. Granted, this was a piece on marketing in the business section so the point isn’t so much about the controversy or regulations, but it’s
California Town Mulls Move to Ghettoize e-Cigarette Stores
I reported one town has put a moratorium on new dedicated e-cigarette shops recently. A couple towns over in Temple City, they are considering zoning restrictions for stores selling e-cigarettes. The restrictions would prevent anyone operating vape shops within 1000 feet of schools and other places. This is the same restrictions placed on strip clubs and similar establishments. Some local yokels say that doesn’t go far enough and want to see a longer distance put between vape stores and anywhere kids could possibly hang out.
Temple City considering zoning restrictions for e-cig shop
Collin Spencer, owner of Temple City’s OG Smoke Shop, said some people have an “outdated” outlook on e-cigarettes and mistakenly think his store is trying to “convert good, Christian youth.”
“That’s a ludicrous chain of thought to say that e-cigarettes cultivate violence or crimes,” Spencer said. “I don’t think it’s ever been proven that cigarette smokers are prone to violence. They’ve always been treated like normal members of society.”
So, one has to wonder why there’s a zoning restriction considered for shops that sell e-cigarettes alone. What about other establishments that sell e-cigarettes? Maybe they should prevent gas stations, grocery stores, pharmacies and other businesses for opening anywhere near children.
Rhode Island Governor, Prohibitionists Succeed in Making Nicotine Available to Minors
Groups such as the American Lung Association have won a victory in their efforts to keep e-cigarettes available to kids when the governor of Rhode Island vetoed a ban on sales to those under 18. The groups claim that such laws to protect kids in the interim will somehow circumvent any regulations that might come down from the FDA. This is apparently some sort of plot by the tobacco industry to prove they aren’t trying to lure kids.
R.I. Governor Chafee vetoes e-cigarette ban for those under 18
PROVIDENCE — Governor Chafee has vetoed legislation prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 from purchasing e-cigarettes and other “vapor products” that heat liquid nicotine into a smokable vapor.
The American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, and other health advocacy groups, had called on Chafee to veto the measure.
They said the bill represented a “stalking horse” for tobacco and e-cigarette companies that want to exempt the growing industry from the regulations and taxes imposed on traditional tobacco-based products.
It actually is a plot to prove the e-cigarette and tobacco industries aren’t trying to lure minors with e-cigarettes because they know they’d get shut down in a heartbeat if they actually did try to entice kids to use e-cigarettes. Unfortunately, that doesn’t neatly fit into the tobacco industry’s role as a monster. By ensuring e-cigarettes are available to kids, prohibitionist groups can continue to claim kids are being targeted.
Does Big Tobacco's Moves Reveal Sinister FDA Plans?
MSNBC ran a package on e-cigarettes recently. The story was predominantly about how e-cigarette companies and tobacco companies are trying to position themselves ahead of FDA regulations (and getting in as much advertising time as possible). Several companies were featured both large and small. In general it was an interesting read. But, the reason for the sensational headline above can be found at the end of the article in a quote from RJR.
E-cig sellers jockey for market position before FDA issues regulations
“The FDA recognizes that we do have the right … to advertise on TV,” said David Howard, spokesman for R.J. Reynolds Vapor, the subsidiary selling Vuse. But, he added, “in our television ads you will not see people using the product.”
In addition, Vuse will not be marketed online. Howard said that decision was a function of not having enough security to ensure that the products were being sold only to adults—a concern that reflects recognition that the FDA will be regulating e-cigs as tobacco products.
“Therefore, we are marketing them as tobacco products,” Howard said.
What makes me wonder if this is some kind of prophecy is that Big Tobacco has a seat at the table with the FDA. So it’s possible they may know what’s going on, or they intend to use their lobbying machine to try and destroy online sales and the lion’s share of competition against their product. After all, RJR has tried to do exactly that at the state level recently.
Another eCig Battery Explosion Reported in TX
A Texas news station reported that a man was injured several months ago when a charging eGo battery exploded. According to the report, the man’s hand was injured as he was holding the battery at the time. The battery was on the charger for about two hours before it went thermal. Besides suing the manufacturer, the victim also spends time scaring people straight at gas stations. Although most of those ecigs are disposable, so charging isn’t really an issue there.
Sherman man’s e-cigarette explodes while charging
“We want to recover our losses. Most of all, we want the consumer to know that this isn’t as safe a product as they market it to be,” Sloan said.
As for the Sloans, they say they’ll never try another.
“Every time I see someone buying one at a gas station or anywhere, I let them know that you know, be careful because they can explode,” Sloan said.
It seems like there are more and more of these stories. I doubt it means ecigs are becoming more problematic, but rather there are more people using them so freak events like this are bound to happen more frequently. e-Cigarettes use lithium batteries, which are unfortunately inherently unstable.
Health Department Publicly Pats itself on Back for Toothless Accomplishment
In what might be the biggest public display of self-affection since Pee Wee Herman, an editorial showed up in the Star News website. In the piece, the Hanover, NC health department was praised for getting a resolution passed. The resolution was to tell the FDA they should regulate e-cigarettes. Naturally, this is non-binding since even with our somewhat dysfunctional federal government, the tail doesn’t wag the dog that hard.
Editorial – The public needs to know if e-cigarettes are safe
Now it wants to get out in front of any health concerns that might arise from the use of e-cigarettes. The resolution adopted last week carries no legal weight, but it asks the Food and Drug Administration “to enact strict regulations overseeing the sale and use of e-cigarettes and to conduct research on the health impact to persons using e-cigarettes and those who come into contact with vapors emitted by such devices” – a sound request.
In related news, I made a statement earlier today that it was very hot outside. I should be given a public service award.
Pharma-linked Researches Publish Suggestions for FDA eCig Regulation
An article just published in the online version of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) outlines some things the FDA might want to consider when it finally gets around to regulating electronic cigarettes. The authors disclosure statements highlight a lot of drug company ties, but many of the things mentioned in the report are fairly reasonable. This includes things like admitting e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking, and that the FDA should consider if the levels of chemicals in vapor are actually high enough to be a problem, rather than their still existing. Don’t think it’s all sunshine and roses, they still ride the denormalization train, and it seems like there is some downplaying of the positive research that’s currently out there.
The Regulatory Challenge of Electronic Cigarettes
Several potential sources of population harm require research and subsequent weighing of individual benefit vs population risk. These include uptake of e-cigarette use by nonsmokers, who may later become cigarette smokers or long-term nicotine addicts; promotion of dual use of e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes, such that use of e-cigarettes undermines quitting cigarette smoking; undermining the denormalization of cigarette smoking, because e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes and their use in public would give the appearance that cigarette smoking behavior is more acceptable; and exposure to a new source of air pollution in places covered by smoke-free policies.
Even though there are a few things I don’t agree with, it’s nice to see a little less hyperbole than usually surrounds these things. Alas, I’m unsure if the FDA will actually consider any such things when it does come out with regulations.
Oklahoma to take Another Bite at RJR-Penned eCig Bill?
Oklahoma was one of the early states to attempt to pass legislation heavily influenced by RJR’s lobbying machine. On the surface, the bill was to prevent youth access to e-cigarettes, and make sure they were taxed at a lower rate than traditional cigarettes. So far, so good, until they also tried to kill online and independent sales by forcing all e-cig sales to go through a tobacco wholesaler. It looks like the state is going to try again despite a pretty resounding defeat. One tobacco watchdog group explained things pretty simply.
E-cigarette regulation and taxes once again on the front burner at the Capitol
Doug Matheny of tobaccomoney.com said the claim that an FDA regulation could lead to a dramatic state tax hike is a “scare tactic.”
“It’s one of those classic examples of the tobacco industry – and I do believe the tobacco industry is behind this – to make legislators feel like they have to do something – they have to act,” Matheny said. “And actually they don’t need to at all in Oklahoma.”
A simple bill to restrict youth access to e-cigarettes should take less than one page, but the design here is about expanding markets for nicotine, not reducing smoking, Matheny said.
As much as I hate being lumped in with tobacco, if the guy replaced nicotine with Big Tobacco, I think it’s pretty spot on. Oh, and don’t worry, the American Lung Association is still in favor of keeping e-cigarettes available to minors.
Idaho Paper Attempts to Break Record for Most Anti-eCig BS per Square Inch
I’ve seen a lot of prohibitionist propaganda in this gig following e-cigarette news around the web. This article that popped up in the Idaho Press-Tribune might just take the cake as far as the number of unsubstantiated claims per article. The author, apparently a doctor attempting to drum up business for his medical practice, states such fun “facts” that e-cigarette companies are advertising their products as a “safe and effective” treatment for smoking and that nicotine causes cancer.
Are e-cigarettes really a healthier alternative
Other marketing promotes the e-cigarette as a smoking cessation product, but are they any less addictive? In extremely large doses, nicotine can cause severe nausea or vomiting. In small doses, nicotine may increase blood pressure and, in rare cases, can be fatal to those with heart conditions. Cigarettes that deliver well less than a lethal dose of nicotine, and many times, less than the e-cigarette, over time can weaken the immune system and cause fatigue and other maladies. A number of recent studies link nicotine itself to various cancers.
According to recent studies, doctors who make up studies are 5 times more likely to kick puppies.
Update: if the link above hits a paywall, try using the Google cached version here.
Ireland to Go Through Review Before Pseudo-Banning eCigs
Ireland’s Health Minister announced that the agency will engage in a review of e-cigarettes before making any recommendations to classify e-cigarettes as medicinal. The announcement follows the UK and then the EU deciding to classify e-cigarettes as medical products. This will of course result in a de facto ban on the devices as very few companies will be able to meet the intense burden required for medical products.
Review to examine if e-cigarettes should only be sold in pharmacies
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) would then decide, on the recommendation of Dr Reilly, whether the e-cigarettes would be licensed.
A spokeswoman for the IMB said yesterday it is waiting for a recommendation from the department.
It comes as the European Parliament voted to classify e-cigarettes as a medicinal product, meaning they can be prescribed by doctors to help smokers cut down or quit.
Ireland has not been overwhelmingly receptive to e-cigarettes, so I’m not sure if this review is anything more than some kind of kangaroo court that will ignore the positive science and spout some WHO nonsense about propylene glycol suddenly being evil.
Seemingly Clueless Philippines Medical Association wants eCigs Banned
Parroting a recent WHO website aimed and demonizing electronic cigarettes, a medical association in the Philippines is calling on that country’s leader to enact a ban. Interestingly, the local FDA’s announcement that they don’t support the devices actually do constitute a ban. But then again officials can’t be bothered to tell the difference between cigarette smoke and vapor.
Doctors want PNoy to ban e-cigarettes
The FDA says it has not registered any electronic cigarette products and will not register them as health products.
PMA national treasurer Benito Atienza says the FDA advisory against e-cigarettes is actually a ban, but it is not being enforced because the FDA has limited resources.
“It is disappointing to see in enclosed public places people who smoke e-cigarettes and expose the people around them to second-hand smoke,” Atienza said.
What’s so interesting is that the Philippines has a thriving vapers community that has pumped out some serious innovation in the technology. They also happen to be in one of the most backward thinking countries around when it comes to electronic cigarettes.
Article on Workplace Vaping Claims Many Vapers Want FDA Rules
Medical site MedCity News ran an article about people freely vaping at work. The article gave some nice coverage to the North Texas Vapers and some other groups, focusing mostly on workplace attitudes about e-cigarette use. Many vapers admitted they fly under the radar while others have workplaces that openly allow use. Naturally, the prohibitionist viewpoint was also presented, along with an interesting twist.
So much for workplace smoking bans? E-cigarettes, vaper policies and its impact on healthcare
Vapers who mix their own or buy liquids from specialized dealers and online sources know what they’re inhaling, Wright said. It is a vaporized solution of water, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerin, food-grade flavoring and nicotine in strengths that typically vary from about 18 milligrams to zero, he said.
But many vapers are just as interested in FDA regulation of e-cigarettes, said Spike Babaian, president of the National Vapers Club. The group has concerns about the health of its members who have consumed an unregulated product “and we hope that the FDA will expedite the process of proposing safety regulations for e-cigarettes in the interest of public health,” she said.
I’m not sure if that’s a misquote or what. I know that many people would like to see quality control in place, but virtually no one thinks that the FDA is the right agency to do it.
Expert Warns of Dangers of eCigs (to Pharma Profits)
Meanwhile in Scotland, the Herald published an article with a scandalous headline about e-cigarette claims being dangerous. The expert based his claims around the idea that there’s no studies on how effective e-cigarettes are for helping people to quite (despite the existence of such studies). Apparently, since e-cigarettes aren’t made by drug companies, the claims that e-cigarette companies make of people quitting can cause problems. That is if e-cigarette companies were allowed to actually make such claims.
Tobacco expert challenges ‘dangerous’ claim e-cigarettes help smokers quit
But Hastings said allowing unproven claims about their ability to help smokers quit was “really dangerous”.
“The great risk is people start to think about these things like they are a silver bullet, and then it doesn’t work,” he said. “They are at best disappointed – at worst they are completely demotivated and think, ‘I can’t give up’. It is a phoney promise if they aren’t very helpful in aiding people to stop smoking – and we don’t know whether they are or not.
He does make a good point. After all, the solutions on the market that have been proven effective don’t have the problem of disappointed people when they fail. Well at least not for the 7% of people who manage to be successful long-term.
Globe Columnist Uses Fracking in Bad eCig Analogy
A columnist for the Boston Globe recently penned a piece in the opinions section in the site. In what is surely a move to get more traffic to the article, the author likened e-cigarettes to fracking. Apparently, the idea is that the companies say how good it is, but of course it’s secretly doing really bad things. The same idea applies to e-cigarettes which, of course, must be some sort of secret tobacco plot to keep people smoking and to hook innocent kiddies.
E-cigarettes: the new fracking
But the marketing is hardly altruistic, from cartoons where the smoker gets the buxom gal, to ads where e-cigarette smokers puff away to rock music, to the flavoring of many of the e-cigarettes. The FDA has banned fruit flavors from tobacco cigarettes that attracted underage smokers, but the e-cigarette world is full of flavors such as Chocolate Thunder, Peach Schnapps, Cherry Crush, and Tahitian Punch. One company markets Butter Rum and Cinnamon Apple Crumble flavorings by saying, respectively, “Go back to childhood,” and, “Remember mom’s homemade apple pie?”
Can these sweet-tooth evocations really be for middle-age smokers who want to quit?
Yes. Yes they are.
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Originally posted: e-Cigarette News Roundup 7-19 – Enemy of the Good
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