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The e-cigarette scam

By | August 5, 2010, 12:27 PM PDT

There’s a hot new tech trend in the “tobacco” world, and on the Internet.

It’s called the e-cigarette. It’s a battery-powered tube that mixes a nicotine cartridge with propylene glycol, delivering it in a controlled way while you suck on the end (as you would tobacco).

The cartridges come in different strengths, and can come in different flavors.

Makers of the e-cigs, like Cilini, claim in Internet ads the product has social advantages. Publicly, they’re touted as a way to get off cigarettes, like nicotine lozenges or patches.

So why have they also been made in flavors like cookies-and-cream, strawberry and banana? This caused California attorney general (and gubernatorial candidate) Jerry Brown to run some of them out of that state this week.

On the federal level, e-cigarettes exist in a nether world of deregulation. Right now nicotine lozenges and patches are available over-the-counter, although they’re regulated as drugs.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, signed into law last year, gives the FDA three years to think about what to do, not only about e-cigarettes, but lozenges and patches and all the rest. The UK is moving toward an outright ban on e-cigs.

Nicotine is the active ingredient in tobacco, and is highly addictive. Anti-smoking activists call it as addictive as crack. (This is not news.) Imagine if someone were trying to sell your kids banana-flavored heroin in a vial they could suck (instead of having to chase the dragon), and you get some idea of how anti-smoking activists think about e-cigarettes.

Yet e-cigs are easier to buy online than textbooks. There are slick-looking reviews (the picture above comes from one), distributors call them “a healthier alternative,” and the makers brag you can use them anywhere.

The Google has 12.9 million links to e-cigarettes, and the first of those links that’s negative, an FDA list of concerns, was the 51st I found in a search just now. (There’s a video from that link above.) To all intents and purposes the market for these things is wide-open.

The reason you don’t have versions of this technology for cocaine, heroin or THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) is because those particular substances are banned as dangerous drugs. Nicotine is just as dangerous, but because the tobacco industry has fought so hard in Washington for so long it’s not yet treated that way.

Just so you know that if you decide to addict yourself to these things today, the FDA may make you quit them in 2012. And that won’t be easy.

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Dana Blankenhorn

About Dana Blankenhorn

Dana Blankenhorn was a contributing editor for SmartPlanet from 2009 to 2010.

Dana Blankenhorn

Dana Blankenhorn

Contributing Editor

Dana Blankenhorn has written for the Chicago Tribune, Advertising Age's "NetMarketing" supplement and founded the Interactive Age Daily for CMP Media. He holds degrees from Rice and Northwestern universities. He is based in Atlanta.

Follow him on Twitter.

Dana Blankenhorn

Dana Blankenhorn

Dana Blankenhorn has been a technology reporter since 1982, a business reporter since 1978, and a writer for as long as he can remember. His Schwab IRA has a few tech stocks in it, most notably some Intel and Applied Materials bought over 10 years ago. But the vast majority of his tiny fortune (emphasis on the word tiny) is invested in mutual funds. He presently writes for no one else but ZDNet, SmartPlanet and himself. But if you've got an opportunity let him know. If he takes the gig he"ll first add it to this disclosure page.

He writes for SmartPlanet and is not an employee of CBS.

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+2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Obviously you have a one-sided, biased opinion about E Cigarettes.

If you want a more balanced perspective, you may want to continue your research? Here are a few suggested sites to get you rolling:

http://www.tobaccoharmreduction.org/faq/ecigs.htm

http://www.acsh.org/healthissues/newsID.1821/healthissue_detail.asp

http://www.aaphp.org/special/joelstobac/2010/20100402AAPHPEcigLegisStatemnt.pdf

http://www.casaa.org/

http://www.ecassoc.org/

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

http://www.truthaboutecigs.com/

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

I suppose you would have the flavorings banned from some other common vices like: Alcoholic Beverages, Fancy Espressos, and Ben & Jerry?s to name a few; we wouldn?t want to entice the children into using these! While we?re at it, we had better insist that nicotine gum not be available in those kid friendly flavors (it is) would we.

Try again, you can do much better!
Posted by ezmoose
5th Aug 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Sigh...what ever happened to Good Honest Journalism?

Instead reporters care little for Facts, and the Truth. They prefer to copy cat propaganda and feed it to the masses. Do a little research!

The writer of this article to should be completely and totally ashamed of himself for producing utter and complete BS that He didnt even have the intelligence to think up himself.
Posted by Rameybl
5th Aug 2010
+4 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Sir,
I advise you to get your facts straight.

Nicotine, although addictive, is not harmful. The harm from cigarettes comes from SMOKING them. Inhaling any combusted material is unhealthy. In fact, nicotine itself is no more harmful than caffeine. The are both stimulants. To say that e-cigarettes should be banned because they are addictive is ludicrous. In that case, should we ban alchohol, gambling and shopping? While we are at it, let's ban oxygen, as it can be harmful depending on the circumstance.

I was addicted to cigarettes for over 7 years. Tried the patch, gum, lozenges, cold turkey, wellbuterin, you name it. Nothing worked. Picked up a personal vaporizer 2 months ago, and have not had a cigarette since. No urge at all. In fact, my health has markedly improved. I can breathe MUCH better since making the switch and no longer cough up buckets of phlegm each morning. I no longer smell like an ash tray, and I can taste things I haven't tasted in years.

There are many doctors who have recommended e-cigarettes over traditional cigarettes (including my own general practitioner). The only ingredients are propylene glycol (found in fog machines, tooth paste, and a slew of other ingested items, and generally regarded as safe by the FDA), Vegetable Glycerin (also regarded as safe by the FDA), FDA approved food/candy flavorings, and nicotine. Nothing else. 4 FDA approved ingredients, that's over 3996 less chemicals than a traditional cigarette.

The electronic cigarette has helped THOUSANDS of people quit smoking altogether, where traditional products (which have an average efficacy rate of under 10%) failed.

In addition, there is not a single manufacturer that markets these to children. In fact, what child, even teenager, can afford to purchase a kit at over $100? it was FAR easier for me to give someone a $5 bill as they head into a convenience store to buy me a pack of smokes. As far as flavors? Please....MOST people who enjoy electronic cigarettes use the fruit flavors. Are we second class citizens who only deserve swill because of the choices we have made?

Please, before you publish such nonsense again, do some research, old-school journalism style, you'd be astonished to discover how far down this rabbit hole goes. It's all about money.
Posted by o4_srt
5th Aug 2010
+2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Hey, how about you do an article on plagiarism and the lack of
ability to do your own research. You seem to be well viced in this
area!

j0ker
Posted by ECFj0ker
5th Aug 2010
-3 Votes
+ -
Uh no
There are 19 links in the article to sources, which I read. And I used
other sources I didn't link to. I included link to industry sites, and
sites favoring the industry.

Oh well. Can't please everyone. Won't try to.
Posted by DanaBlankenhorn
5th Aug 2010
+4 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Dana, there really is a story here, you just myopically missed it. You bought the consumer lobbying arm of Big Pharma, the "health" associations spin and you bought the FDA's dog and pony show last year (but didn't look at data).

No sweat off my back, I found the truth over the last year or so. As a 43 year 2-3 pack a day smoker, I had resigned myself to smoke the rest of my life. I tried all the snake oil the Pharma industry offered and twice tried the hypnosis voodoo.

Then I appeased my gf by purchasing a PV (personal vaporiser, another name for an E-cig- I'm sure your research didn't get that far), I dropped to about a half dozen cigarettes immediately. I got stuck there for nearly seven months and started backsliding a bit and did more research, I had heard about Swedish snus in one of those links that could have made you more educated, ordered some and for almost six months I am completely smoke free.

Incidentally, Swedish snus has been proven to be 98-99% safer than smoking, but our anti-smoking/tobacco/nicotine zealots have failed to mention that fact for over a quarter of a century. Makes you wonder what the powers that be really want, but you as a journalist need not look for a real story while bringing together news sound bits. Just the way of the world today.
Posted by rothenbj
5th Aug 2010
+2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
It's not about pleasing everyone...it's about actually doing your research and the blatant lack of integrity in journalism.
Posted by Rameybl
5th Aug 2010
+2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
so because your "research" included perusing sites with an obvious bias (tobaccofreedom.org, americanheart.org), and some retail websites, you are now a subject matter expert?

As I stated before, nicotine is no more dangerous than caffeine. Come to think of it, according to wiki (NOT a generally accepted, credible source of information), caffeine seems slightly MORE dangerous, affecting long term memory, and even MORE severe withdrawal symptoms than nicotine.

Comparing nicotine to heroin is just absurd. Since when are cigarette smokers put on the same field as crack and heroin addicts? I find this school of thought extremely judgmental.

No one is saying that smoking is good, or desirable. In fact, most of us would never have started if we could do it over again. The truth of the matter is, there is a product out there that is giving us our lives back, and you, and many others, are slandering it all to hell without so much as researching BOTH sides of the story before publishing. The links given to you are chock full of information about electronic cigarettes. Please, peruse them before you close your mind, although it seems like it's too late.
Posted by o4_srt
5th Aug 2010
+2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
I think that many folks such as yourself miss the point of e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. There is absolutely no rational reason why anyone should want to stop nicotine users from switching to a product that reduces the risk of disease. We should be encouraging it. I know it might be hard for you to believe, but there are many benefits to using nicotine and for about 25% of the population it is something that helps them in their day-to-day lives. It's like you're saying is that since cars are dangerous, and teens really like them, let's ban them. Instead we make them safer and we use seat-belts. At any time the FDA can start regulating e-cigs as a tobacco product, the simply have chose not to. In a recent court brief, one of the reasons they give is that they feel e-cigarettes would be competition for the drug companies. That sounds good to me! And if you really wanted to rethink health care, it should sound good to you too.

The flavor issue is more of the very tired "think of the children" drivel that has no foundation in reality. Adults like flavors too Even the FDA approved nicotine comes in flavors! And besides, have you ever known anyone who started smoking with a flavored cigarette? Can you find even one teenager who will spend $100, wait for days to get it and spend their days charging batteries so they can get a hit of strawberry? Come on!

The California AG, did NOT run Sottera out of the State. They merely agreed to what was already their current business practices and fined. They most likely only agreed to this to avoid another expensive lawsuit instigated by nicotine moralists and power hungry government officials. Jerry Brown is running for Governor and e-cigs is an easy target. Really you couldn't see that?

If you truly want to rethink healthcare, you can start with actually thinking rationally. We have spent billions of dollars on anti-tobacco education, laws and forced bans. That hasn't stopped teens from starting or approx. 25% from using nicotine. Why not try something new, tell the people the truth and let them choose for themselves.
Posted by janetda
5th Aug 2010
+2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
"Smokers smoke because they are addicted to nicotine in
cigarettes, but it is the smoke, not the nicotine, which causes a
long list of diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke
and emphysema."
? New York State Health Commissioner, Richard Daines, M.D.
(http://www.health.state.ny.us/press/releases/2008/2008-01-
28_commissioner_petitions_fda_to_make_nicotine_therapies_eas
y_to_buy.htm)

?Nicotine is the addictive ingredient in cigarettes that keeps
smokers hooked, but it's not the ingredient that harms smokers'
health," emphasized Ursula Bauer, Ph.D., M.P.H, director of the
state's Tobacco Control Program. "With safe nicotine products,
smokers can give up the smoke without giving up the nicotine.?
? Ursula Bauer, Ph.D., M.P.H, director of the New York State
Tobacco Control Program
(http://www.health.state.ny.us/press/releases/2008/2008-01-
28_commissioner_petitions_fda_to_make_nicotine_therapies_eas
y_to_buy.htm)

?We of course know that long-term use of nicotine poses a small,
a very small but non-zero risk of some cardiovascular diseases,
so I suppose you could call that a side effect which is predictable
for the long run, but that's a total risk which is down in the range
of drinking coffee, nothing remotely similar to the risk from
smoking cigarettes.?
? Dr. Carl V. Phillips, epidemiologist, health policy researcher,
Associate Professor at the University of Alberta Department of
Public Health Sciences (TobaccoHarmReduction.org)

?Though it is likely that the health risks of long term use of e-
cigarettes are negligible, whatever small risk there is, is beside
the point. The point is that whatever risk there may be, that risk
is so much smaller than that of smoking. Smoking has so many
health risks that any article about e-cigarettes that ignores the
comparison impedes the progress toward a healthier
population."
? Paul Bergen, M.Sc., M.L.I.S. is a Research Associate at the
Public Health Sciences at the University of Alberta. His research
explores health mis- and disinformation in the media
concentrating on but not limited to tobacco issues. Together with
Carl Phillips, he operates the TobaccoHarmReduction.org
website.

"We have every reason to believe the hazard posed by electronic
cigarettes would be much lower than 1% of that posed by
[tobacco] cigarettes."
? Dr. Joel Nitzkin, Chair, Tobacco Control Task Force,
American Association of Public Health Physicians (aaphp.org)
Posted by TreeceVapes
5th Aug 2010
+2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
"So why have they also been made in flavors like cookies-and-
cream, strawberry and banana?"

This might come as a surprise, but some adults like these
flavors. Did you know you can get alcoholic drinks in these
flavors? You can get the same food flavorings in coffee and
other caffeinated beverages too. You know what else is in
coffee? A powerful solvent and diuretic that can lead to toxic
overdose and is commonly found in antifreeze called dihydrogen
oxide! *gasp*

What about the children, you ask? Well you are right that until
the FDA agrees to regulate e-cigarettes as smoke-free
alternative tobacco products (rather than trying to shoehorn
them into a "drug/device" classification so they can keep selling
deadly drugs like Chantix and expensive NRTs with woeful
success rates), most states do not have laws preventing their
sale to children. Perhaps then you can explain to me why the
median age of e-cig users in online polls is over 45? To be
honest, there's hardly any vapers in the 18-21 age range...much
less any sign of underage appeal. And even if a child did start
using an e-cig and somehow became addicted to nicotine (even
though studies show that nicotine without the other MAO
inhibiting chemicals in tobacco is only slightly addictive and not
particularly habit forming), why would a kid switch off of e-
cigarettes that have not been linked to any serious risk of
disease* to smelly burned cigarettes? If you are honestly
concerned about children, perhaps you could show a single case
of a never-smoker using an e-cigarette and subsequently taking
up smoking?

What is the "scam" with electronic cigarettes anyway? Although I
admit there are some unscrupulous vendors making statements
that aren't approved by the FDA, the fact is that e-cigarettes
ARE a safer alternative to smoking. Research that the FDA has
covered up for over 30 years shows that at least 99% of the risks
associated with tobacco use are directly related to combustion.
That means that any product that doesn't use combustion is
going to be at least 99% safer...which should be no surprise to
anyone who understands how e-cigarettes work and that the
vapor they produce (according to measurements in the FDA
study) is 99.99% AIR.

*If you had actually read the FDA report you cited you would see
for yourself that the levels of impurities they found in some of the
cartridges were WELL below toxic levels, and no carcinogens or
toxins were detected in the vapor from ANY of the samples.
Posted by DevilsThadvocate
5th Aug 2010
-4 Votes
+ -
DevilsThadvocate
Yeah, right. They come in kid flavors to attract kids.

Even the "pro" posts here don't know what they're trying to say.
Are these things a way to quit, a "methadone-like" substitute, or a
harmless drug delivery system?

Nicotine, by itself, can actually kill. Tobacco is an inefficient
transmitter of nicotine, which is why people aren't usually
poisoned directly that way. But these cartridges are far more
efficient. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine

Nicotine addiction leads to other addictions, it is proven to cause
birth defects. These e-cigs are merely an attempt to re-introduce
nicotine addiction into the population as cigarette withdrawal is
starting to happen naturally.

It's bad mojo.
Posted by DanaBlankenhorn
6th Aug 2010
+2 Votes
+ -
Bad mojo?
I understand the risks of nicotine as a stimulant, but these ecigs are the only thing that has successfully allowed me to put down regular cigarettes, and I've tried them all. Regular cigarettes have over 4,000 chemicals in them including the tobacco products that cause cancer. I'll take the three or four chemicals in the e-cigs over those. It's much cheaper, I can step down my nicotine content over time, all the way down to zero nicotine. The nicotine in my regular cigs never caused me to become addicted to other drugs, I am over 40 with no uterus and not planning on having any more children. Yes, nicotine can kill from its stimulant properties, but water can kill if used inappropriately... I would not advocate offering these to children, or anyone not previously addicted to cigarettes for that matter, but for me? I believe they can save my life. And as an adult in a free (for the moment) country, I believe using them is my personal choice.
Posted by traceyinva
2nd Feb 2012
-2 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Dana, it looks like the e-cig companies have sent their boys after you!

But its all good Dana, most readers can spot a troll, fanboy, or lacky a mile away. Its a common skill learned from reading any blog related to Apple.

Great article Dana. It was very informative, used facts to support your argument, and cited good references. That is what I would call good journalism.
Posted by keitha73
6th Aug 2010
+4 Votes
+ -
You should be fired.
I've never seen a more slipshod job of researching an issue that has the potential to save millions of lives, and collectively save the country billions in healthcare costs as people age. Your poorly documented personal attack against personal vaporizers has the potential to dissuade regular cigarette smokers from choosing a safer alternative. You should feel shame, and you should post a retraction.
Posted by Tenburn
6th Aug 2010
+3 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Dana,

I get that you mistakenly think nicotine is as bad as heroin, but I
don't get how your inaccurate article relates to e-cigarettes
being a scam. The title, along with your opinions on e-cigarettes,
are both misguided.

In response to the FDA testing of e-cigs, I recommend reading
http://www.e-cig.org/2009/07/24/how-and-why-the-fda-misled-
the-public/
Posted by Larry-B
6th Aug 2010
+3 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Nicotine addiction leads to other addictions? I don't think so!
Perhaps you have some research to back up that bogus claim? Nicotine is even used to treat a few diseases now. Further, it would be much more difficult to overdose on the nicotine in an e-cig than it would to overdose with the currently FDA approved gum, patches or lozenges. I was truly shocked to go into a local convenience store and find out you could buy flavored nicotine candy!

Flavors? Nobody fussed when the FDA approved flavored nicotine gum and lozenges! Yes, nicotine candy, is easily available at convenience stores... and very inexpensive. Much easier for a kid to get if they really wanted it. I don't think they really do, though. Too busy with the power drinks these days.

In the 2 years I have been using e-cigs, I have never met a single non-smoker (of any age) who was interested in them, other than saying it was a neat alternative they might show to a smoker friend. NObody does this who didn't already smoke. You should do some homework about that, too!

And, by the way, a lot of us who use e-cigs use no-nic juice, because for us, the actual process of smoking... the repetitive motion, if you will, was really what kept us smoking. As to Wikipedia, it is easy to change the information there without having anything to back up the changes... So don't assume an e-cig user is getting more nicotine just because you saw it there!

The FDA doesn't have much credibility in regard to e-cigs either. First, they have a vested interest in getting big $ from the tobacco industry, as they do now... but don't get from the e-cig industry. Second, if you had really seen their one report, and read it thoroughly, you would have seen that 1) the amount of carcinogen they found in the e-cig was less that you get in a piece of nicotine gum, or from a patch. It was so small that it couldn't be measured.
2) The FDA paid so little attention when they did this study that they didn't even bother to learn how an e-cig works! If you notice the photo on their pdf of the one small study they bothered to do, you see that they stuck the wet end of the e-cig into the charger rather than taking that end off and charging the battery! Melt plastic and you end up with all kinds of other stuff, but they didn't bother to mention that.

I expect that in a few years, we will all find out that the FDA (among others) have once again fallen for the lies that the tobacco industry wants them to, because that is the only way they can eliminate a competitor, no matter how small. Remember "light cigarettes?" Remember "More doctors smoke ***** brand than any other?" Look up the history of the campaigns the tobacco industry was put past us over the decades!

Regulating this new industry would be a good thing, assuming you can trust the regulator to be truthful. We've found out this year that government agencies don't necessarily do that. So for now, I have placed a lot more of my trust in the comprehensive studies that were linked up above in the earlier messages, and in the few American professors who have the courage to tell the truth... that these *must* be safer that all that tobacco I smoked for all those years.

I have read smartplanet.com for some time now, and this very biased, badly researched article will now make me wonder about the accuracy of every other article you publish! Please do your homework and publish a correction.
Posted by mbolack@...
6th Aug 2010
-1 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
I want to say "thank you" to the author. I think it a fine article, well written.
I do not have to agree with the points to admire the writing and research, but in fact I do agree with many points.

I smoked a pipe (and occasional cigar) for many years. 21 years ago I stopped and felt much healthier within a few weeks.

When younger I often extracted nicotine to use to coat darts when hunting with a blowgun, and I discovered how fast it can kill. It amazed me that I used to inhale the stuff.

Smoking certainly has multiple impacts upon health, and they cannot all be blamed on nicotine. You cannot easily absolve nicotine as a factor in the health problems of smokers, or simply assume that a different source of nicotine will be somehow less harmful.

These things are a danger and should be controlled. I will not go so far as to say 'banned', as they may have legitimate uses in the reduction of tobacco use (as noted by others above). Making them available with no more restrictions that those on candy bars would be stupid and irresponsible, in my opinion.

I feel Mr. Blankenhorn has attempted to do us a service by bringing this information to our attention. You have a right to disagree, but many have worded their opinions in such a way as to lose all of my respect.
Posted by wpeckham@...
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
The real story here is the "government" is overstepping their authorities once again. The FDA is the most corrupt arm of the government and used all the time to impose and take the rights away from average citizens. Never mind they are putting poisons in the drinking water, ie sodium fluoride, lithium, prozac all with the FDA's blessing, Poisoning us with Aspertame, GMO and irradiated foods, Exposing flyers to skin cancer causing naked body scanners, Harassing Amish farmers for producing healthy raw milk alternatives to the Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone milk, but now they have to worry about some smoking sussesion help. For God's sake, when is this insanity going to stop! Why don't you write an article on the real harmful products that FDA sanctions?
Posted by trishden
6th Aug 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Another nanny-state article by Blankenhorn. No surprise there, but this is a new record - usually there is at least the guise of improving health - this opinion does quite the opposite. Despite the obvious health benefits of people freely choosing to move from traditional carcinogenic laden chemical cigarettes to the much safer e-cigarette, you are preaching fear that children will get their hands on these safer alternatives. Comparing e-cigs to heroin is the health equivalent of the political no-no of comparing anyone to Hitler... it's not even in the same ballpark, and you just don't do it. It's sad that the FDA may actually take these away and damage the health of our citizens by taking away these much safer alternatives. Sure, there are concerns, but IMO, its a step in the right direction, and is also a good transition for people moving off of traditional cigarettes. Please do more research and reconsider.
Posted by nick777
6th Aug 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Anything is better than cigarette smoke Inside or around you.Regardless about how safe or not it only affects the person using it.no problem with kids, where's the street cred with an electronic cigarette you would be laughed out of the hood.
Posted by ronangel
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
On one hand, the e-cigarette is good to stop secondary smoke. On the other hand, it is not that much safer than a plain cigarette. The use of different flavors seems to be designed to attract children. Nicotine is not a harmless drug. Propylene glycol may be considered safe by the FDA but does the FDA find it safe as an inhalent?

It would be better if the FDA would insist on the same tests that other medical devices have to pass before use. E-cigarette devices probably are safer to use than plain tobacco but that does not mean that they are harmless.

From a non-smoker's point of view, the e-cigarette has the advantage of not stinking up all the air. I don't mind people committing slow suicide via addictive toxins as long as they don't involve my health.
Posted by sboverie
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
scam? really?
have you ever been to a play or a concert where they used fog?
the fog is Propylene glycol. yes it is safe. i havent seen any people fall out sick from it. have you?

there have been studies done, but because the results don't fit into the narrow minds idea of what it should be, it wont be accepted as redily as if the studies showed bad things.

for 30 years we have been lied to (by the anti's)about smokeless tobacco. they(the anti's) have made things up just to get their way. that time has come to an end. REAL Science will rule the day over the lies and half-truths.

until the anti's idea of Quit or Die is gone, we will continue to fight the good fight.

there are more choices than Quit or Die.
Posted by crashinbrn
Updated - 22nd Aug 2011
0 Votes
+ -
Thanks to one and all
I actually think this thread has been quite enlightening, both about
the e-cigarette industry and the product. Discussions like this are
the point of SmartPlanet. Stimulating them is part of the job
description.

And if you're contributing in an attempt to have me fired, you're
going about it wrong. Not reading me would work better.
Posted by DanaBlankenhorn
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
scam? really?
the thing about this article was all the negative stuff you included, and zero positive.

i have been smoke-free for over 600 days......there is good to report too.

i truly hope you write another with more positives, showing both sides maybe? the words you wrote could convince people to just continue smoking.

is that what you really want?
Posted by crashinbrn
Updated - 22nd Aug 2011
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Mr. Blankenhorn,

As a journalist who has researched e-cigarettes, used them myself, and written a three-part series on the topic, it's quite obvious to me that you did not do a reasonable level of research before writing this piece.

For example, did you bother to investigate whether e-cigs actually work as an alternative to tobacco smoking? I did, and I did so both before and after I tried them for myself. I interacted with e-cig users on several forums as well as read reams of articles and watched hours of videos before I (a tobacco smoker for 35 years) tried them for myself.

My conclusions were based on many hours of research, interactions, and personal experience. Can you honestly say the same?

My series:

Part 1: http://www.bilerico.com/2010/06/can_an_e-cigarette_really_help_you_quit_smoking.php

Part 2: http://www.bilerico.com/2010/06/can_an_e-cigarette_really_help_you_quit_smoking_-.php

Part 3: http://www.bilerico.com/2010/07/can_an_e-cigarette_really_help_you_quit_smoking_pa.php

Reactionary rhetoric has its place, Mr. Blankenhorn. I've been known to indulge in it myself from time to time. When people's health is the issue though, it's time to put the rhetoric away and deal in facts. My hope is that if and when you take this topic on again in the future you'll do the same.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Juro
Posted by beckygrrl@...
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
What amazes me the most about this is the vehemence of the offended addicts.
Posted by clcarlso
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
every E-cig company ive seen advertises them as a smoking alternative, not a stop smoking aid. You can get the nicotine "e-juice" made with vegetable glycerin, which is better than P.G. Also tobacco grown in N. America is sprayed with radio-active pesticides. tobacco grown in India is far less toxic for this reason.
Posted by historyrepeating
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
I think that what everyone should remember, whether for or against - is that the FDA ruling is still pending and that you should be lending support to your side of the argument...
Posted by m.bautista
6th Aug 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
I don't smoke, I decided at age 5, having just been diagnosed with Asthma, that there was plenty wrong with my lungs already, so I never would start. However, I have many friends and family who do smoke. I am concerned for their well being, and would like to see them quit. I have heard the complaints many times that the "aids" out there just don't work. Therefore, I am dubious of, out of hand, branding something that may help dangerous, when what they already do is proven so. Give it a chance. Like all new things, society needs time to sort this out, and individuals need to be allowed to explore their options. It's part of human nature to experiment, and history has shown we will do so, regardless of legality or safety. That said, let's not go reprimanding or criminalizing people, especially such a large portion of the population, just yet, agreed?

My real issue here though, is as many have said, your obvious bias. I pray you sir, re-read your own article. Your representation of the proponents of e-cigarettes is seriously lacking, and your language designed to incite. As a journalist, you have an obligation to your readership, your publisher, and your own integrity, to present both sides in a fair and balanced manner, and let the readers draw their own conclusion based on your research. If bias must come into play, let it be theirs , based on their experiences and belief systems.

This is article is not journalism, it's fear mongering. Even as a persuasive argument piece, this article misses the mark, and badly. I had to do a research paper for college, formatted as a persuasive argument piece. A huge part of my grade on that project was in citing research that opposed my own view, explaining it in detail, and then overturning it with what I considered more compelling documentation. My job was not to tell my readers what to think, but to prompt them to think about something differently. You got your levels confused sir, we are intelligent people, capable of thinking for ourselves. Even if you do not agree with those who advocate for this new device, you owe them your deepest apologies for accusing them of intent to cause harm and not allowing them to speak for themselves in answer to those charges. Bad form sir, and I hope you will not repeat the mistake.
Posted by 6Wolves1Spirit
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Nicotine is a poison that happens to be addictive. I remember an
experiment where they applied nicotine to a rat's skin and it got
skin cancer and died.

The majority of harm does indeed come from smoking. That said, I've
seen guys get bone cancer from chewing tobacco, so Nicotine even in
smaller does is not "harmless" like some of the posters said.

Keeping e-cigarettes away from kids is definitely a good thing.
Keeping adults away from flavored versions is stupid, especially if
continue to allow regular tobacco to available in that format.

Personally, I hate the smell of cigarettes, but a good cigar does not
bother me as much, nor do clove cigarettes (those happen to be
deceptive as they anesthetize the smoker who thinks its not as bad.)

One huge benefit of the e-cigarette is that it has less impact on non-smokers. Restricting the degree of harm that a smoker does
to others is a good thing.

The tobacco tax addicted governments do not want
to see a shift to them because of revenue issues. Once they figure
out the appropriate (in their minds) way of getting sufficient revenue
out of it, likely they will not have as poor an opinion of it.

This is one of the main reasons why they have fought so hard against
legalization of pot. Since its a weed, anyone can grow enough for
personal usage inside the house and not pay the taxes, if they make
them too high. Tobacco is less convenient and consumed in higher
quantities, at least by the average user.
Posted by richard233
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Sex is an addiction too, and it comes in different flavors. I prefer the
female flavor but there are other opinions.
Posted by jackvandijk
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
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Now, This is laughable!
>>Discussions like this are the point of SmartPlanet.

Not really, no. Open discussion is most definitely NOT the point of SmartPlanet. Whether you agree with the point of view or not, the bloggers on SmartPlanet all promote one common point of view. You were chosen for your bias. The goal of SmartPlanet is to promote that point of view - not have open discussions.
Posted by aureolin
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
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RE: The e-cigarette scam
@sboverie
It would be better if the FDA would insist on the same tests that other medical devices have to pass before use.

If it were a "medical device", I would agree with you. It is not. It is an alternate nicotine delivery system, just as a glass is an alternate alcohol delivery system from, say, a can.

Propylene glycol may be considered safe by the FDA but does the FDA find it safe as an inhalent [sic]?

Yes. http://www.ehow.com/about_5499611_danger-inhaling-propylene-glycol.html

@Dana
And if you're contributing in an attempt to have me fired, you're going about it wrong. Not reading me would work better.

Why not attempt to get you fired? You're attempting to continue the deaths of thousands of smokers with this ill researched drivel - yeah, sure, you "read" the articles, but did you really seek to understand them? Loss of job vs. loss of lives seems like a fair and even trade to me. "Quite or Die!" Is essentially what you are espousing. Nice.
Posted by JACooper
6th Aug 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
The anti e-cigarette camp can be better summed up with the phrase of "follow the money"
There's *BIG* money in tobacco! Tobacco companies have billions of dollars to sponsor politicians, an local, state and federal governments make millions of dollars taxing tobacco! Big Pharma makes billions selling cease smoking drugs (a 1 month supply of welbutrin is over $100!) and the snake oil sleazbags make millions selling supposed remedies to stop smoking!
So why are there people against e-cigs? They don't want to kill the cash-cow! It's better to let people die of tobacco than to loose the income generated by this vicious cycle! They *don't* want tobacco to go away! There's way too much money, especially government and lobby money in it....and currently, there's *NO* government or lobby money in e-cigs.
When you think about it, it really is *THAT* simple...it always comes down to money!
Posted by tech_ed@...
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
I would prefer real cigarettes IF I smoked.
Posted by Aboleyn
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
The difference between medicine and poison is in the dosage.

Everything around us is dangerous in high amounts, nicotine is no different. But to say that SMALL doses of nicotine are extremely dangerous is ridiculous.

Yes, nicotine is bad for people with high blood pressure, and pregnant/nursing women. Guess what else is? Caffeine, lead, arsenic, alcohol, etc. This crusade against nicotine, lead by a bunch of ignorant zealots, is out of control.

Hell, accidentally inhaling hairspray as it is applied is more dangerous than the low dose of nicotine that pv users inhale. Furthermore, big tobacco adds ammonia to cigarettes, making the addiction and rush of nicotine twice as strong, the user is essentially freebasing the stuff.

Ammonia, arsenic, acetic acid, methanol, butane, cadmium, stearic acid, toluene, hexamine and carbon monoxide, all present in cigarettes.

None of which are present in electronic cigarettes. So, how can you say that electronic cigarettes are JUST AS BAD as regular cigarettes?

No, don't work for a tobacco company or electronic cigarette company, just passionate about something that has completely changed my life (for the better).
Posted by o4_srt
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
No Dana, you did a terrible job. Governor Moonbeam was mostly concerned about flavors and kids. The tiny fine indicates it was more for show than punishment.

England is not moving toward an outright ban as you stated. They are considering a requirement that e-cigarettes be licensed as a medical device. It would be interesting to compare licensing with the patch and nicorette gum, but you did not bother.

The FDA reference was a 3:45 flash video first describing the e- cigarette and then saying they need to look into it. There is no telling what that means, but that fact it was a web video belies any real seriousness yet.

So, when you say you gave references, you did. But, what that proves is we need to check your references since you misrepresented what they really said. You really should be embarrassed that this piece of "journalism" ever say the light of day.

I have no skin in this game. I neither smoke nor use e-cigarettes. I do car about valid advocacy and this piece fails miserably.
Posted by RickCaird@...
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
"Nicotine, by itself, can actually kill. Tobacco is an inefficient transmitter of nicotine, which is why people aren't usually poisoned directly that way. But these cartridges are far more efficient. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotine "

I see you care enough to post an article on nicotine, but did you care enough to actually read it? No, no you really didn't, or most of our arguments would make sense.

Well duh, nicotine can kill: ANYTHING can kill when you overdose. Too much alcohol? Alcohol poisoning. Too much caffeine? Caffeine intoxication. Too much water? Water intoxication. Great orange fishes, you can OD on water ??

Oxygen OD: Hyperoxia. Vision changes, nausea, cramps, amblyopia, breathing problems, slow heart rate, fainting spells, hearing changes, irritability, anxiety, confusion, personality changes, dizziness, convulsions, pain behind the breast bone, lung inflammation, pulmonary edema, retinal damage, myopia. Jesus, even oxygen can kill me? And particularly painfully, it looks like.

And that's at just one atmosphere; I'm not even going to start on the effects in a more heavily pressurized environment.

The LD50 of nicotine is about 1 mg/kg for adult humans. I personally vape about 3 milliliters of liquid a day, at a 2.4% solution. If vaping were as efficient as you say, I'd be close to death every day, because by the formula above, my personal LD50 is about 72 milligrams.

But lo! I live! Most of the nicotine doesn't even get vaporized, and much of the rest is absorbed by the mucosa of the mouth and throat, which is rather less efficient than actually reaching the bronchioli, as with smoke.

Oh hell, we also forgot to account for the fact that I vaporize 72 milligrams of nicotine a day . I don't drink it all at once. And any vaper worth his or her PV locks their juice up so the children and pets in their house can't get to it without the key. We know it's poison if they drank a whole bottle.

We know it's not poison if we take it one vaporized sip at a time.

To paraphrase Paracelsus, "The dose makes the poison."

"Are these things a way to quit, a "methadone-like" substitute, or a harmless drug delivery system?"

Do you still beat your wife? That's what you're asking there. You're assuming something to be true, and giving no option to the contrary.

First, nicotine cannot be compared to methadone. Nor can it be compared to heroin, or crack, or morphine. Compare it to caffeine and you've hit the bullseye. It's no more a "gateway drug", as you say, than our dearly beloved caffeine.

Second, e-cigs are more like a can of soda. They are no more a drug-delivery system than the can is, and no less. Significantly more complicated (though one has to admire the craftsmanship in a soda can), but not any more threatening. Simply a matter of convenience. Sure, I could drink my soda out of a 2-liter bottle, but the can is so much easier. Just like I could use a soldering iron to heat the nicotine solution to get the vapor. The e-cig is way easier.

Third, for the consumers they are a way to quit SMOKING, not NICOTINE. For the retailers, e-cigs are a way for consumers to enjoy 'smoking' where smoking it prohibited. For retailers to say they are a cessation device is to invite censure. Even Cheerios and Quaker Oatmeal can't say, "This product can lower your cholesterol because of it's fiber content!", because by FDA rules, foods are not allowed to make claims of improving your health, even if they're true. They can say, "Fiber is proven to lower cholesterol, and we have lots of it!" And they do.

So for retailers, e-cigs are for smoking enjoyment where smoking is verboten, and for consumers, perhaps they're a way to give up the bad without forsaking the good.

In sum, if nicotine is so dangerous, why is it freely available in pharmaceuticals? Precisely the same nicotine goes into those as into what we vape. What makes one evil and the other an agent of God?
Posted by Orbdragon
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
How I quit smoking.
Two weeks before a birthday, I told myself that my
birthday present was going to be two weeks of no
smoking. I also told myself that on my birthday, I could
go out and buy a carton and smoke the whole thing if i
wanted to. My birthday present was still going to be two
weeks of no smoking. About three days later I found
myself in withdrawal, screaming "I want a Cigarette!"
Then a little voice went off in my head saying that if I
smoked now, I'd ruin my birthday present. That was 25
years ago. I never did start again.
Posted by trm1945
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
@JACooper
Thanks for the link regarding PG. Knowing that it is used in asthmatic inhalers does show a good degree of safety.

If the FDA has the authority to treat tobacco as a drug then the delivery systems would count as medical devices. E-cigarettes may be safer than cigarettes but that does not mean it does not cause harm.

I chose not to smoke but that choice tends to be negated when I have to go through clouds of smoke near the entrances to buildings. E-cigarettes do have the advantage of not contributing to the pall of cigarette smoke and being usable indoors.
Posted by sboverie
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
The scam is the implication that e-cigarettes are safe and it's perfectly reasonable to use them. Nicotine is a drug. It just happens to be a legal one because of the political clout of the tobacco industry. It's no safer than heroin, crack, alcohol, marijuana or amphetamines, so why single it out? Or perhaps the question should be, why single out some of the others. There's no question that based on the health costs and suffering it causes, none of them tops alcohol and history shows us how effective banning that was. Maybe it's time to reconsider trying to regulate what adults choose to ingest.
It immediately occurred to me that e-cigarettes would make a great way to ingest crack or heroin or extracts of a variety of substances that can be smoked, including marijuana. How about that! A bong or crack pipe that you can smoke in public without fear of being arrested!
I'm sure some of you who defended your right to ingest nicotine however you want are bristling at having your chosen drug compared with these that you hate and fear, but there's no substantial difference. If the government has the power to "protect" you from marijuana and crack use, they have the power to "protect" you from nicotine, and we all know that if they have the power, they will use it.
Posted by Dr_Bill
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
To Dr_Bill
"It immediately occurred to me that e-cigarettes would make a great way to ingest crack or heroin or extracts of a variety of substances that can be smoked, including marijuana. "

Cocaine users were way ahead of you 25 years ago. I haven't indulged for that long, however, at the time we would suck the cocaine into a cigarette and smoke it wherever we wanted to.

And haven't you heard of "blunts" yet? Geez, those have been around what, twenty years? Here's a reference since I really don't know never having been a marijuana fan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blunt_%28marijuana_cigar%29

On another note, I did quit using cocaine 25 years ago and it took me all of one second. Not drinking like a fish took me a little longer, about a week of weaning myself away from the social aspect of the "clubs".

I've smoked since I was 17 and am now 52. I wanted to quit, I hated the mess, smell, cleaning walls and ashtrays and the reduction in health. I smoked outside to mitigate that and to make it a bother to light up.

Quitting smoking eluded me despite behavior modification, lower nic level cigarettes, natural cigarettes, adding Nic Out filters, using gum, patches, and lozenges. I didn't go for the drugs because I've known several folks who had very bad reactions from them, both physical and mental, and still couldn't quit smoking.

No, it wasn't until I started vaping ten weeks ago that I was able to completely not light a cigarette again. The half-carton left is still sitting on a shelf getting quite dusty.

Instead of professionals knee-jerk reacting to them, bother to get yourselves educated about them. Really. You cannot serve the public unless you do.

And stop making statements that are only scare tactics. I have found when trying to educate anyone about anything that the old saying works best;

"You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar"

Minimally ask questions that cause thought rather than making negative sweeping statements that only close the minds of the reader.
Posted by Outre
8th Jun 2011
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Dr. Bill and Dana
You thick morons, both you and the writer of this article. In a fraction of the time it takes my to type this comment, both of you could've Googled the effects of nicotine alone, and find that it is not a carcinogen, nor is it dangerous outside of nicotine poisoning, which is about ten extra strength e-cigs consumed in a half hour. Just because it's addictive doesn't mean it as dangerous as crack, heroin, marijuana, or amphetamines. They're not even in the same league.

Also, other addictive things include sugar/high fructose corn syrup, sex, television and the Internet. As a (quitting) smoker, I'd say those are by ******* far more addictive than cigarettes or my e-cig, but unlike you ignoramuses, I won't venture to blindly say that they're just as dangerous as amphetamines, crack or heroin, even when I know people personally who have hurt themselves and others with those addictions: people who have diabetes for eating disorders involving sugar, have gone to rehab for sex addiction, have lost their jobs because they can't stop watching TV, and refuse to leave their houses because they can't stop playing League of Legends. What does an e-cig do? Gives you nicotine and at most elevates your heart rate by a couple of BPMs, like walking or stretching.

Do your research: cigarettes kill because of the upwards of 4000 chemicals that go into the tobacco, including 60 carcinogenic ones, and tar buildup in the lungs, NOT the nicotine inside them.

The only person who has ever even come close to dying from using an e-cig was a guy who decided to modify non-rechargeable batteries and a tube into an e-cig and he did it without even putting a safety circuit on the battery, and the result was it exploding in his mouth and him acquiring burns on his face and tongue and him losing two of his front teeth. That's it: one accident out of millions of e-cigs, as the result of one guy tinkering around with professional electrical equipment. More lithium-ion batteries, including regular ones and the ones powering cell phones, laptops and even a Boeing airplane, have done this and similar actions, such as the battery fire in the Boeing Dreamliner, and had much more drastic results. Why don't you address THAT instead of this "nicotine is dangerous" ******** you're so keen on blindly addressing? I thought this website was called "Smart Planet".
Posted by mcg182
Updated - 6th Feb
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
the government does not have the power to protect me from marijuana or crack use, it was easier for me to get pot as a teenager than it was for me to get a six pack...
Posted by o4_srt
6th Aug 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
Dr_Bill, you clearly don't understand how an e-cigarette works. There's no combustion in an e-cigarette. Nothing burns or produces actual smoke. A liquid contaning nicotine, flavoring, and polyglycol or vegetable glycol for vapor production is atomized into vapor by a small heating element and that's what vapers inhale.

Unless someone's developed a way for someone to cheaply liquify THC, heroin, etc. for use in an e-cigarette that I'm unaware of you are dealing in fantasies and falsehoods, sir.

I will point out, however, that many vapers can and do add alcohol, most commonly vodka, to their vaping mixtures. Perhaps you should look to the boozemakers if you're looking to stanch drug consumption. They are and always have been, the biggest and most profitable drug pushers on the planet.
Posted by beckygrrl@...
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
RE: The e-cigarette scam
And the most offensive thing about this article was the word "scam" being in the title. I won't belabor the points that have already been made regarding the inaccuracies in the story, but will add that the only "scam" here was perpetrated by Dana.
Posted by HotLantaGal
6th Aug 2010
0 Votes
+ -
@Dr_Bill
We know the dangers of smoking, and based on the FDA's own research (to date), we also know that e-cigs are at least in the same league as approved NRT's. Are FDA approved NRT's safer than cigarettes?
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ScienceResearch/UCM173250.pdf

What are the harmful aspects of combusting a traditional cigarette? http://www.quit-smoking-stop.com/harmful-chemicals-in-cigarettes.html

Are any of those elements found in e-Cigarettes? A few, but only in "detectable" (not measurable) levels, again according to the FDA. And, interestingly enough, at or below the levels found in approved NRTs. Shall we reverse ourselves and ban NRTs now as well? Or, better yet, how about the elephant in the room, cigarettes?

Your claim that there is no substantive difference between nicotine and drugs such as cocaine has no basis in fact. Site your reference please. Here's mine: http://www.ecassoc.org/downloads/NeuroscienceAbstractNicotineResearch.pdf

Just 'cause you label yourself as a "Dr" doesn't make you one, and certainly lends no credence to your words.
Posted by JACooper
6th Aug 2010
-3 Votes
+ -
HotLantaGal
The scam is you have a drug delivery system, delivering a drug we
know causes cancer and is highly addictive, which is sold over the
counter and, in many states, in bright child-friendly flavors.

I call it a scam. You think I'm scamming by calling it a scam. That's a
disagreement.
Posted by DanaBlankenhorn
6th Aug 2010
+1 Vote
+ -
The more you know...
Nicotine doesn't cause cancer. Smoking causes cancer.
Posted by nik1971
23rd Aug 2011
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