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Accusations that the FDA was being influenced by big tobacco began to circulate with the first FDA statement questioning the safety of electronic cigarettes. The statement was based on an extremely small non-scientific test and claims made were that various problems “might” be encountered by users of e-cigarettes.

For forty years the public has been informed about the dangers of smoking tobacco. That is when the first warnings were placed on cigarette packs yet our current pack warnings are among the weakest in the world. Only last year was the FDA sufficiently concerned about tobacco to move to regulate the products. In a magnanimous statement, big tobacco said they welcomed regulation and oversight by the FDA. Of course they did. It was a smart move by a company that could influence the regulations and make it more difficult for competing products to reach the public.

After various expressions of concern, the FDA banned importation of e-cigarette supplies from China. The ban was imposed in 2009 affecting the world’s biggest exporter of e-cig supplies. When announcing the ban, the FDA claimed concern that underage users would be tempted by flavored e-liquids and become addicted to nicotine. No proof or studies were offered as evidence for this concern.

In a decision handed down by a Federal Judge on January 15, 2010, the FDA was ordered to lift the import ban that affected electronic cigarettes. The FDA was criticized for aggressive efforts focused on turning a recreational product into one designated as a device or drug that could then be regulated out of existence.

Pointing to the newly established tobacco division created within the FDA to regulate tobacco, the judge stated that the same regulations could be applied to electronic cigarettes and supplies.

Responding to the court decision brought a charge from the FDA about “health issues” surrounding e-cigarettes. It appears the youth argument didn’t sway the court so a new “reason” was presented. Tobacco companies stand firmly behind the FDA efforts to eliminate electronic cigarettes. What could be better than to have a government agency strike down your competition?

One great outcome for tobacco companies would be allowing the FDA to set separate standards and restrictions for e-cigarettes. This would significantly increase the cost of buying e-cigs and refill supplies. Currently, tobacco products can’t compete in price with alternative electronic products.

Pharmaceutical companies, big tobacco and the FDA have a relationship that calls for further scrutiny after this court decision. Tobacco provides billions of dollars to government coffers from taxes at federal and state levels. The regulations attempted by the FDA seem clearly designed to protect the market share of big tobacco. Would tobacco companies be in favor of electronic cigarettes if they have been involved in offering such a product as an alternative to their tobacco? In the confusion caused by the defeat suffered in the tobacco trials of the late 90s, it’s likely big tobacco did not realize the competition electronic cigarettes would present.

The unusual steps taken by the FDA have created their own controversy about the focus of this government agency. The FDA has never proposed banning tobacco products to protect the health of the public. Traditionally, the FDA issues statements and warnings and takes action only after conducting full scientific testing. In the case of the FDA vs electronic cigarette manufacturers, the FDA has ignored testing to develop standards and instead has focused on finding reasons to ban a product that is arguably safer than the product it may eventually replace.

Mary Kay Rivers is an acclaimed expert on all aspects of e-cigarettes. Her publications about the history of electronic cigarettes and about the best electronic cigarette have become well-known.

The e-cigarette industry launched the Electronic Cigarette Association to provide a platform to speak for the producers, distributors and retailers of electronic cigarettes. The trade association was formed in 2009 in Washington, D.C. and is funded through donations and by the members. The ECA answers questions about e-cigs, provides accurate information and focuses on public relations.

The ECA provides a collective voice for both e-cigarette providers and organizations by publicizing accurate information and providing the tools necessary to opinion leaders, policy makers and the news media. By instituting a code of conduct that is industry wide, the ECA hopes to reassure the public and legislators about the safety and purpose of electronic cigarettes.

E-cigs have been under attack by big tobacco and big pharma since their introduction in 2003. The lobbyists for those industries have focused pressure on legislators and the FDA in an effort to ban the products. The limited research conducted by the FDA is an example of the ability of the lobbies to influence our government agencies. The Electronic Cigarette Association was formed to fight back against attempts by tobacco companies and big pharmaceutical concerns to spread misinformation to the public.

The e-cig is presented as a safer and cheaper alternative to tobacco products in the information disseminated by the ECA. Users are encouraged to share their stories about tobacco and e-cigs and urged to contact legislators and argue against any ban of the product.

When a new and innovative product is introduced it is not unusual for competitors to spread false information. Although smoking tobacco products was accepted by our society for decades the serious health consequences of smoking have only been proven in the past few years. It was common for smoking to be linked to sophisticated lifestyles with an emphasis on macho men and glamorous women with tobacco smoke curling from their fingers.

The number of ingredients, additives and compounds in tobacco are now fully understood as are the serious health risks involved in smoking. Public buildings and places of entertainment such as restaurants, theaters, and even bars have banned smoking and the trend toward non smoking public areas is spreading to more public places.

Large companies who stand to lose profits and organizations that want smoking banned in any form have condemned e-cigs. Until recently, there was no alternative to tobacco smoking and many people did not understand their addiction until they tried to quit smoking. Electronic cigarettes provide an alternative to tobacco and is under attack both from those who promote smoking and from anti-smoking legislators.

The first warnings on cigarette packs appeared after the surgeon general declared tobacco as a health hazard forty years ago. The FDA has refused to intervene in regulating tobacco products or additive and has shown no interest in banning the use of tobacco. Electronic cigarettes have been available to the public for only a few years yet the FDA has repeatedly mentioned banning or regulating e-cigs. The Electronic Cigarette Association was created to publicize the truth about electronic cigarettes in the hope that e-cigs will remain available to the public as a safer alternative to tobacco products.

Mary Kay Rivers has become an expert on all facets of electronic cigarettes. Her publications about electronic cigarettes as an alternative or about the best electronic cigarette are very popular.

The debate swirling around the subject of safety of electronic cigarettes has not abated since the products were first introduced. In fact, the flow of misinformation has increased in the past two years fueled by big tobacco companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers and even the FDA.

A trade associate was recently formed to represent the interests of electronic cigarette suppliers and to refute the misinformation about the safety of e-cigarettes. Tobacco companies have issued warnings about e-cigs with a clear intention of eliminating the competition. High dollar lobbyists pushed the tobacco and pharma agenda with pressure on the FDA until that government agency conducted a limited test that was scientifically invalid. Using the unproven conclusions of the testing, the FDA issued several statements about potential health problems that might be associated with e-cigs. The handpicked small sample of e-cigs tested by the FDA had shown trace amounts of a harmful chemical in some of the products tested.

The FDA did not conduct followup testing or test to see if the same chemical was present in tobacco product. Although the statements made by the FDA were not factually incorrect they were also not scientifically proven but were conclusions based on a flawed example.

E-cigarettes contain only twenty ingredients. When the buying public asks “are electronic cigarettes safe” it seems best to point out that tobacco cigarettes contain 599 ingredients that produce over 4000 chemical compounds and additives when burned. Although claims are made by tobacco companies that cigarette additives have been approved by the FDA that is not quite the true picture. Those food additives were tested for ingestion as a food product. They have not been tests for chemical compounds that are created when the additives are burned. The high heat of burning can change the chemical elements of some products.

Tars and additives in tobacco are known to be harmful to smokers but nicotine suffers guilt by association. The smoke from tobacco can cause various forms of cancer of the mouth, throat and lungs. Heart disease can result from smoking tobacco and use of tobacco has been associated with a lowered immune system that may lead to an increase in colds, bronchitis and pneumonia in some users.

When separated from tobacco, studies show nicotine itself does not promote cancer in healthy tissue. Long term use of nicotine has not presented any evidence of detrimental health effects. Nicotine is the property that addicts us to tobacco products. Nicotine is why we smoke but is not considered a risk to health.

Gums, patches and lozenges designated as nicotine replacement products have been freely available in stores for years. Originally, the nicotine patch was only available by prescription but was later approved as an over the counter product. The stop smoking products have not revealed any significant health risks in the years since they were first released.

The Royal College of Physicians states they do not suspect any adverse health effects to result from long term nicotine use. The best electronic cigarettes provide nicotine in a measured delivery that insures the safety of the e-smoker. Understanding that nicotine is the catalyst for smokers leads to understanding the need to provide nicotine in a way that avoids the risks taken when smoking tobacco.

Mary Kay Rivers is an acclaimed expert in the field of e-cigarettes. Her articles “How do Electronic Cigarettes Function?” or about the best e-cigarette are well-known.