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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.

Many smokers have chosen electronic cigarettes as a new lifestyle product that is both healthier and environmentally responsible. Streamlined and easy to use, the best e-cigarettes are rapidly gaining acceptance by the smoking public. The lack of odor and messy ashtrays and the ability to ingest nicotine without offending those around you are prime benefits. The health benefits to non-smokers who have been exposed to second hand smoke for decades is huge.

The warnings on U.S. cigarette packs, according to David Hammond of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, are among the weakest in the world. The first warnings were added to packs in 1984 mentioning only major diseases associated with smoking and have had few changes since that time.

Smoking used to be viewed as a sophisticated activity. Cigarette ads on billboards displayed the macho Marlboro Man and the independent Virginia Slims woman as role models for stylish, forward thinking individuals. The wrinkles and coughs smokers experience was not part of the commercials and no mention was made in ads when the Marlboro Man died of lung cancer.

E-smoking provides the nicotine boost tobacco smokers crave without the associated stench left on clothing and furniture and provides the boost in a way that is socially acceptable. E-cigs are readily available for sale and provide a variety of flavor and nicotine strength without breathing in toxic substances.

A list resulting from reports by the major cigarette manufacturers such as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and Philip Morris reveals the U.S. Department of Health lists 599 additives present in cigarettes. It’s true that many of the additives have been well tested and approved as food additives. However, they were tested and approved as additives ingested orally. They have not been tested for changes or risks that occur when the additive is burned and inhaled. Chemical properties change during the burning process and 4,000 chemical compounds are released from one burning cigarette.

Public attitudes toward tobacco have been greatly influenced by the recent focus of society on healthier lifestyles and living in an environmentally friendly way. The health benefits of regular exercise is not conducive to smoking tobacco an hour later. Choosing organic and unprocessed foods for a nutritious diet makes little sense if your meal is followed by inhalation of hundreds of chemical additives and toxins.

The electronic cigarette came under attack from the time it was introduced to the public in 2003 as an alternative to tobacco smoking. It is almost comical that big tobacco and big pharma lobbyists call for a ban on electronic cigarettes due to “safety issues”. The FDA expressed its own reserves about e-cigs in a clear bow to pressure from the powerful lobbies.

Tobacco smokers are arriving at their own conclusions. The weight of evidence pointing to serious health risks combined with the high cost of the products due to recent tax increases has led many dedicated tobacco smokers to choose the alternative of e-cigs. For the first time smokers have found a new lifestyle product that will provide the pleasure of smoking without the risks and costs of tobacco.

Mary Kay Rivers has become a true expert on all aspects of e-cigarettes. Her publications about the role of the electronic cigarette association or about the best e-cig are very famous.

A well used ashtray was a prominent feature on every office desk twenty or thirty years ago. Ten years ago there might be a non smoking sign displayed on the wall but the supervisor would quickly produce an ashtray from his desk drawer for any visitor asking to smoke and would close the office door and indulge in a smoke himself on occasion. Today a request to smoke in a place of business would expose you to a sharp “no” and critical looks from those around you.

In an attempt to satisfy employees, some companies maintain both non-smoking and smoking break rooms. More commonly you will notice a small group of smokers huddled near a business entrance for a quick nicotine fix. Removing tobacco means reducing the risk of fire and provides a cleaner area in which to work. A workplace without second hand smoke and foul odors is a better work environment.

Most smokers no longer complain when they are required to leave the building to smoke. They often find the need to defend themselves against non-smokers who complain even when workers are smoking out of doors. This has led businesses to establish outdoor smoking areas with seating and protection from the sun. These areas are often a feature of businesses with sufficient outdoor space to permit separating the smoking area from the business entrance.

Workers who frequently leave their desk for a quick smoke are costly to the bottom line of any business. Work is not being done and phones are not answered. Though the absence may be only for a few minutes additional time is lost as the employee recovers his focus after returning from a break. Creative offers were well accepted when businesses began to offer aid designed to help workers stop smoking. Counseling sessions, free drug prescriptions and free nicotine replacement patches and gums were popular initially with employees. Cash awards were very popular.

The tens of thousands of dollars spend by businesses to help employees stop smoking was effective in the beginning. Workers jumped at the chance for free counseling and free nicotine replacement products to help them quit. As time went on, the only smokers left were those who were highly addicted or who had no desire to quit their tobacco habit. Allowing the use of electronic cigarettes at the workplace could be an answer to the problems posed for employers by determined cigarette smokers.

People around you are not affected or harmed in any way by the vapor of an electronic cigarette. The ceilings and walls do not become coated with the tar residue of tobacco and rooms are not filled with foul odors. Smokers can fill their need for nicotine without leaving their work space. Nicotine gums, lozenges and patches have one thing in common. They are invisible to those around you. It will be necessary to overcome negative reactions from those opposed to any type of smoking when requests to add electronic cigarettes to the workplace are made by employees.

E-cigarettes often look like the tobacco version. Just the appearance of a cigarette is enough to cause a negative reaction in non-smokers even though no tobacco is involved. Some e-cigs are shaped like a ball point pen and many are now chosen because they don’t look like a standard cigarette but have unusual and interesting logos and colors. Proposals to add electronic cigarettes in the workplace will need to overcome negative attitudes of committed non-smokers.

The benefits of using e-cigarettes as a tobacco alternative are becoming more widely known and understood. The popularity of the products is exploding and it’s very possible that only a few years in the future e-cigarettes will be totally accepted in the office.

Mary Kay Rivers is an expert in the field of e-cigarettes. Her articles about a smoke-free world or about the best electronic cigarette are very popular.