More data from Britain confirms that the number of traditional cigarette smokers in the last few years in UK has dropped significantly due to the advent of vaping. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the number of traditional cigarette smoking adults in the UK has dropped from 20.1% in 2010 to 17.2% in 2015, the lowest number since recording smoking figures started in 1974. The highest number of smokers has been observed in Scotland at 19.1%, followed by Northern Ireland, where it is 19%, Wales at 18.1% and England at 16.9%. Smoking rates have been dropping fastest in Scotland and Wales.
This data also shows that 2.3 million people, about 4% of the population in England, Scotland and Wales used vaping products. In line with what earlier studies have shown, this study has found that many smokers turn to vaping for smoking cessation. Half of the 2.3 million vapers recorded said that they used e-cigarettes to quit smoking, while a further 22% said they were vaping because it was safer than smoking. And 10% of the vapers recorded said that they used the products because they were cheaper than traditional cigarettes or because vaping is permitted indoors.
These figures suggest that as many public health advocates believe, vaping holds a good opportunity for smoking cessation. Contrary to claims by some that vaping may act as a gateway to smoking, this data confirms that vaping can help to quit smoking.
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
FDA's eCig Regulations and Syringes
There have been many debates on FDA's new regulation of electronic cigarettes, vaporizers, vape pens, hookah pens, e-pipes, and all other so called Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). Many arguments are focusing on whether or not the FDA's new ecig regulation are actually benefical to public health or not. For example, many people argues that FDA's new regulation of ecigs will make it harder for public to access a potential much healthier way of smoking. And many people argues that FDA's new regulation of ecigs will damage the promising ecigs industry and are in fact protecting the conventional big tobacco companies, who are offering much more unhealthy products to public. But less attention is paid to FDA's claim that vaporizers, vape pens, hookah pens, electronic cigarettes (E-Cigarettes), e-pipes, and all other so called Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are tobacco products. And in fact FDA's this claim is highly questionable.
On FDA's webpage it says:"These products use liquid containing nicotine, as well as varying compositions of flavorings, propylene glycol, glycerin, and other ingredients. The liquid is heated into an aerosol that the user inhales." But in fact this is not necessarily the case. The electronic devices or so called electronic cigarettes can be used with liquid containing nicotine, but can also be used with nicotine free liquid. The electronic devices or so called electronic cigarettes are actually just vaporizers, like household vaporizers, but are for personal individual uses. In fact many people now are using these vaporizers with nicotine free liquid to produce plumes of vapor for fun. If these personal vaporizers are classified as tobacco products just because they can be used in combination with nicotine liquid, household vaporizers will also need to be classified as tobacco products since they can also be used in combination with nicotine liquid to produce aerosol containing nicotine that many people can inhale together. So the fact is that the electronic devices are just personal vaporizers, they may be used as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), they can also be used as Electronic Flavor Delivery Systems(EFDS), and it is up to the users to decide how to use the devices, and the devices are not tobacco products.
It is also very questionable that FDA claims that the pipes in pipe tobacco systems are tobacco products and put regulations on them. On FDA's webpage it says:"FDA now regulates the manufacture, import, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, sale, and distribution of pipe tobacco. This includes components and parts such as pipes, but excludes accessories such as lighters." The pipes can be used with loose leaf tobacco, but they can also be used with other leaf herbals, and some people may just use them as household ornaments, which have nothing to do with tobacco.
This case is much like the medical syringes with needles. Medical syringes with needles can be used to deliver medicines, and can be called Manual Medicine Delivery Systems. But they can also be used to deliver illegal drugs, and can be called Manual Illegal Drug Delivery Systems. It seems to be hard to understand FDA's logic that supports their tobacco regulations on nicotine free vaporizers and pipes that have no tobacco in them, but if their logic is correct, the manufacture, import, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, sale, and distribution of medical syringes with needles will need to be banned, since they are parts of the Manual Illegal Drug Delivery Systems, which include syringes with needles, and the illegal drugs in the barrels of the syringes.
And FDA's new regulation of vaporizers is unfair to those who are just using the vaporizers in nicotine free ways, especially to those young children under the age of 18. These people may just use the vaporizers with nicotine free liquids to enjoy flavors or to chase clouds for personal pleasure or fun. FDA's new regulations will make it harder for them to do so, and for young children under the age of 18, the regulations will completely ban them to do so. It is kind of infringement on human rights. It is like completely forbidding young children from surfing the internet just because there may be unsuitable contents for them on the internet, or completely forbidding young children from consuming drinks just because some drinks may contain alcohol in them.
But FDA can not be blamed along for their regulations on electronic cigarettes or vaporizers. The manufacturers of these products are at least partially responsible for the regulations on their products. They market their products as alternatives to conventional cigarette smoking, they use cigarette in their product names and descriptions, they claim that their products are healthier than conventional cigarette smoking, and they even claim that their products can help people quit smoking. These tactics can help them promote their products, but also make their products more vulnerable to tobacco regulations. As we know, FDA or other medical authorities in other countries are bureaucratic government agencies, since the manufacturers have already market their products as alternative smoking products and made some unproven medical claims, the agencies will not bother to clarify if the manufacturers claims are correct or not, and they will of course just classify the products as tobacco products and put regulations on them and ask the manufacturers to provide evidences to prove their medical claims.
So my recommendations to the manufacturers of electronic cigarettes or vaporizers: Do not market your products as alternatives to conventional cigarette smoking, do not make any unproven medical claims, and it is better not to use cigarette in your product names or to describe your products, just market your products as personal vaporizers, which are to be used with nicotine free liquids to deliver flavors for personal pleasure or fun.
And my recommendations to the manufacturers of e-liquids: If possible, make your nicotine free flavored e-liquids and nicotine liquids separately, or make flavor concentrates and solvent(with nicotine or nicotine free) separately, and it is up to the users to blend their desired flavored e-liquids(with nicotine or nicotine free). So the only products need to be regulated are the nicotine liquids.
And my recommendations to the users of the vaporizers products: If you are just using nicotine free vaporizers products for personal pleasure or fun, and you believe the regulations on the products prevent you or make it harder for you to do so, you may consider taking legal actions to defend your rights to pursue personal pleasure or fun.
On FDA's webpage it says:"These products use liquid containing nicotine, as well as varying compositions of flavorings, propylene glycol, glycerin, and other ingredients. The liquid is heated into an aerosol that the user inhales." But in fact this is not necessarily the case. The electronic devices or so called electronic cigarettes can be used with liquid containing nicotine, but can also be used with nicotine free liquid. The electronic devices or so called electronic cigarettes are actually just vaporizers, like household vaporizers, but are for personal individual uses. In fact many people now are using these vaporizers with nicotine free liquid to produce plumes of vapor for fun. If these personal vaporizers are classified as tobacco products just because they can be used in combination with nicotine liquid, household vaporizers will also need to be classified as tobacco products since they can also be used in combination with nicotine liquid to produce aerosol containing nicotine that many people can inhale together. So the fact is that the electronic devices are just personal vaporizers, they may be used as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), they can also be used as Electronic Flavor Delivery Systems(EFDS), and it is up to the users to decide how to use the devices, and the devices are not tobacco products.
It is also very questionable that FDA claims that the pipes in pipe tobacco systems are tobacco products and put regulations on them. On FDA's webpage it says:"FDA now regulates the manufacture, import, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, sale, and distribution of pipe tobacco. This includes components and parts such as pipes, but excludes accessories such as lighters." The pipes can be used with loose leaf tobacco, but they can also be used with other leaf herbals, and some people may just use them as household ornaments, which have nothing to do with tobacco.
This case is much like the medical syringes with needles. Medical syringes with needles can be used to deliver medicines, and can be called Manual Medicine Delivery Systems. But they can also be used to deliver illegal drugs, and can be called Manual Illegal Drug Delivery Systems. It seems to be hard to understand FDA's logic that supports their tobacco regulations on nicotine free vaporizers and pipes that have no tobacco in them, but if their logic is correct, the manufacture, import, packaging, labeling, advertising, promotion, sale, and distribution of medical syringes with needles will need to be banned, since they are parts of the Manual Illegal Drug Delivery Systems, which include syringes with needles, and the illegal drugs in the barrels of the syringes.
And FDA's new regulation of vaporizers is unfair to those who are just using the vaporizers in nicotine free ways, especially to those young children under the age of 18. These people may just use the vaporizers with nicotine free liquids to enjoy flavors or to chase clouds for personal pleasure or fun. FDA's new regulations will make it harder for them to do so, and for young children under the age of 18, the regulations will completely ban them to do so. It is kind of infringement on human rights. It is like completely forbidding young children from surfing the internet just because there may be unsuitable contents for them on the internet, or completely forbidding young children from consuming drinks just because some drinks may contain alcohol in them.
But FDA can not be blamed along for their regulations on electronic cigarettes or vaporizers. The manufacturers of these products are at least partially responsible for the regulations on their products. They market their products as alternatives to conventional cigarette smoking, they use cigarette in their product names and descriptions, they claim that their products are healthier than conventional cigarette smoking, and they even claim that their products can help people quit smoking. These tactics can help them promote their products, but also make their products more vulnerable to tobacco regulations. As we know, FDA or other medical authorities in other countries are bureaucratic government agencies, since the manufacturers have already market their products as alternative smoking products and made some unproven medical claims, the agencies will not bother to clarify if the manufacturers claims are correct or not, and they will of course just classify the products as tobacco products and put regulations on them and ask the manufacturers to provide evidences to prove their medical claims.
So my recommendations to the manufacturers of electronic cigarettes or vaporizers: Do not market your products as alternatives to conventional cigarette smoking, do not make any unproven medical claims, and it is better not to use cigarette in your product names or to describe your products, just market your products as personal vaporizers, which are to be used with nicotine free liquids to deliver flavors for personal pleasure or fun.
And my recommendations to the manufacturers of e-liquids: If possible, make your nicotine free flavored e-liquids and nicotine liquids separately, or make flavor concentrates and solvent(with nicotine or nicotine free) separately, and it is up to the users to blend their desired flavored e-liquids(with nicotine or nicotine free). So the only products need to be regulated are the nicotine liquids.
And my recommendations to the users of the vaporizers products: If you are just using nicotine free vaporizers products for personal pleasure or fun, and you believe the regulations on the products prevent you or make it harder for you to do so, you may consider taking legal actions to defend your rights to pursue personal pleasure or fun.
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