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Well, that didn’t take long! The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) on Friday April 25th 2014 has decided to regulate the sale of everything related to E-Cigarettes, from the device to the replacement Cartridge.

Additionally, they are also putting in place regulations for:

  • Electronic Cigarettes
  • Hookahs
  • Pipes
  • Liquids and gels used in these products

The Regulator Rules aren’t specific, but basically mimic those already on Cigarette Smoking:

  • Illegal to sell to minors under the age of 18
  • E-liquid makers will have to reveal the EXACT ingredients in their products

The FDA had been previously thwarted in their efforts to regulate E-Cigarettes as drug delivery devices, but they had gotten shot down by the Supreme Court in the US of A.  So this new approach apparently is based on the fact that the devices basically have the same effect on humans.

e-cig-picture

E-Cigarettes, thanks to the now newly discovered carcinogenic properties of  Nicotine/Water Vapour Aerosol, may possibly have the carcinogenic effects of Second-Hand smoke on innocent bystanders, unaware that the persons is Smoking an E-Cigarette.

This conclusion is based on a scientific study conducted by a team at Boston University led by Genomics and Lung Cancer researcher Dr. Avrum Spira. The Boston Study, which was presented at the American Association of Cancer Research’s Annual Meeting on the week of Wednesday April 9th 2014, indicates that E-Cigarettes were not as safe as even I’d envisioned as stated in The Electronic Cigarette – Puff the Magic Dragon.

Boston Study declares Nicotine Vapor is just as dangerous as Cigarette smoke

His research paper, which was published in the Journal Nature on Wednesday April 9th 2014, suggests that the Vapour from the E-Cigarettes caused the same level of gene mutations in healthy Lung cells similar to those caused by normal Cigarette smoke.

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E-Cigarettes allegedly produce just Water Vapour. But that apparently isn’t the whole story. The electronic cartridge works by vapourizing liquid Nicotine, which when vapourized is inhaled. The heating coil heats up the Nicotine and also some water in the E-Cigarette, which is released as a white smoke to simulate Smoking to the smoker.

Thus the smoker gets the equivalent high like a regular Cigarette but without the noxious smell and the damaging Tar. However, if this study is accurate, then it indicates that Nicotine by itself is an active enough a carcinogen sans the tar and ash to cause Lung Cancer. This as the Boston Study indicates that the E-Cigarette vaporized Nicotine causes the same kind of mutations in healthy Lung cells like regular Cigarettes.

Lung Cancer from Second Hand Nicotine/Water Vapour Aerosol is possible

But second-hand smoke and its affect on passers-by may be of more concern to FDA Regulators, as this was the main factor trumpeted by proponents of E-Cigarettes that indicated that they were safe to be smoked in the public, even around babies. The Water Vapour, depending on the E-Cigarettes’ construction, may have a mixture of blowback from inhaling and exhaling that would mix Water Vapour droplets with Vapourized Nicotine.

This is a similar arguement I’d used as it relates to Mosquito Destroyers and their effect of their smoke on humans and hence my proposal for their replacement using Citronella Candles as explained in How to make Environmentally Friendly Citronella (Lemon Grass) Oil for Mosquito Repellant Lotion and Candles.

Nicotine Molecules, when combined with water Vapour as a Nicotine/Water Vapour aerosol, can travel farther than regular Cigarette smoke and thus deliver the same potent carcinogen in second hand smoke.

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The risk of bystanders developing Lung Cancer from Second Hand Nicotine/Water Vapour aerosol is thus very possible as was the case with regular Cigarettes. Thus E-Cigarettes may be passively delivering the vapourized Nicotine to unsuspecting bystanders and as a Nicotine/Water Vapour aerosol may travel a greater distance than normal.

Further studies needs to be conducted on the carcinogenic effects of Nicotine on Lung cells, but the FDA is erring on the side of caution and is banning all and any other device as listed above that aerosolizes Liquid Nicotine or combines it with Water Vapour.

FDA Ban the tip of the Iceberg – Third World Countries need to follow suite quickly

Here in Jamaica we’d already placed a CAF (Customs Administration Fee) on Cigarettes as I’d reported in Jamaican use of E-Cigarettes usage set to rise as CAF placed on Tobacco Products, which was followed up with a ban on Cigarette Smoking in public places on Monday July 15th 2013.

Now that the FDA is focusing on the ingredients inside of these E-Cigarette Cartridges, hopefully they’ll stop adults and children under 18 from experimenting with the idea of replacing them with Cartridges filled with Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) active ingredient, THC (Tetra Hydro Cannabinol).

This may already be going on ever since Colorado legalized the sale and distribution of Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) with other States to follow, making the speed of the action by the FDA that much more relevant. Jamaica needs to follow suite soon, otherwise we’ll soon have a Marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) cum THC E-Cigarette problem on our hands among Teenagers (ages 13 to 17) in next few months.

Congratulation to the FDA on their momentous decision!

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