E Cigarette
The USA Today has caught on to the E Cigarette battle that is raging in the States, and printed a relevant story this week. A summary of the report follows:
In spite of the concerns voiced by various public health figures and officials as to the overall safety of electronic cigarettes, or E Cigarettes, these devices are fast gaining wide support and usage across the United States. These devices, which run on battery power, utilise nicotine along with certain chemicals and flavourings packed in a cartridge, to produce and then deliver vapour which is consequently inhaled by the user.
Many local and State lawmakers are searching for a means to try and restrict the devices use; a device which many people now use to get around current smoking bans. The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) has come out again to say that individuals should have an alternative to “real” tobacco products as they are just not able to kick their habit. They also reiterated that upwards of 500,000 American’s (and many more across the world) now uses these E Cigarettes.
While the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the States says it tested these devices and found them to contain carcinogens, E Cigarette distributors have issued a lawsuit against them challenging their right to regulate the devices.
Right across America States are trying to restrict the public’s access to the devices, and indeed, the Attorney General of Connecticut has stated that his State is actively investigating both the products and their makers/distributors. And down in California they actually went so far as banning the sale of the devices, but Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill, much to the surprise of all concerned. Over in Oregon the State Attorney actually reached an agreement with the distributors and retailers of the devices to keep them off the shelves.
In New Hampshire a bill is being proposed by s state representative to make selling the devices to minors illegal, and in New Jersey a bill is being submitted to place E Cigarettes into the same category as tobacco related products.