What the FDA hasn't told you ....

Oct. 6, 2009 - PRLog -- I've been keeping an eye on the Smoke versus Vapor battle which has slowly been heating to a boiling point over the course of the last few months ... and in all honesty, I'm even more baffled than I originally was. At this point though and I'm sure others will agree, I believe the time has come for some accountability and an attempt at a reasonable explanation regarding the actions of first and foremost, the FDA, then our Government officials, the Health care workers, non-smoking activists and everyone else involved in the boycott and ban of the electronic cigarette.  

For decades, the aforementioned sectors have literally held our lives in their hands. This is a fact that should ease our minds and sooth our souls, but in all honesty ... that simple fact scares the daylights out of me. Our health and welfare is their main objective, or at least that's what we have been led to believe, so now I can't help but wonder why they have all turned a blind eye to the simple facts regarding a revolutionary device, designed as a safer alternative to the tobacco products which have been killing us for decades.

Hundreds of thousands of man hours and billions upon billions of dollars have been spent on study after study, producing report after report ... all confirming the fact that tobacco products kill. We aren't talking about an occasional death now and again ... we are talking about a product that causes devastating illnesses, ultimately leading to death for hundreds of thousands of people around the world each and every year. Sadly, it seems that they will continue to do so, as they have for decades, simply because the tobacco products provide unlimited profits to so many organizations and agencies worldwide.  

We, the smoking consumer, have been fed nothing but empty promises for years now. All we hear about is how dangerous the tobacco products are, but nothing has been done to change that fact. There have been no improvements regarding these products and I can say with a fair degree of certainty, that there never will be. Absolutely nothing has changed other than the fact that with each passing year, the profits realized from the tobacco industry feeds a larger number of parasites.  

In any other time, place and industry, these profits would be categorized as Blood Money ... and the fact that the organizations and the individuals behind the decisions affecting the outcome ... are part of Government approved programs and associations, makes no difference. The plain and simple fact is that millions of consumers worldwide, have paid for all these programs, the endless research studies, hundreds of health and welfare associations and civil rights organizations ... time and time again, year after year ... with their lives.

It was due to the loss of his own father to lung cancer, that Hon Lik, Ruyan's chief designer, delivered the solution to the problem that all smokers have faced for years ... devastating health issues and ultimately death. He introduced the smoking consumer to the electronic cigarette which he invented and designed in 2003. This is the first product ever offered to the public, that offers a viable alternative to the smoking consumer and over the course of the last few years, the popularity had been growing by leaps and bounds. This growth however had some unexpected results ... for the first time ever, the tobacco industry had a serious competitor.

On July 22nd however, the FDA took care of that problem. They released a statement warning of the possible dangers involved in using this product. In one sample, the FDA analysis detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans, and in several other samples, the FDA analysis detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines.  

What the FDA failed to inform the public, is that diethylene glycol is the same ingredient which was widely used as a humectant for tobacco products and that the tests indicated the products contained "detectable levels" of certain elements, which are also found in all nicotine based products. The levels detected in the electronic cigarette however, were below those determined to be harmful and well below the minimum risk levels accepted by the US Public Health Service and OSHA.

According to a report provided by Dr. Michael Siegel, levels of NAB were at 0.69, NAT 2.16, NNK showed at 1.46 and NNN was 3.87 ...  8.2 in total. Compare this to independent tests performed on tobacco products ... a Marlboro cigarette, with levels of 190 NAB, Nat was 4900, the NNK level was at 1800 and levels of 4300 showed for NNN. The total amount of nitrosamines was 11,190 in that tobacco product and the other tobacco products tested at significantly higher levels than the electronic cigarettes, as you can plainly see.

http://smoke-vs-vapor.webs.com/nitrosaminelevels.htm

I expect an explanation as to why the electronic cigarette was labeled a "threat to our safety" and then targeted to be removed from the marketplace, but yet the tobacco products which are killing so many each year, still remain available. Personally, I would hate to think that our own governments and health care systems, along with countless others, have decided that the lives of these victims are not worth sacrificing the annual profits for. Seriously ... tell me I'm wrong.  

I would also like an explanation as to why Chantix promotion has more than doubled since the electronic cigarette was banned. This is an FDA approved product that has only been on the market for a few years, but look at the amazing stats it's racking up. A study released on May 21, 2008 examined 6,363 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse drug reaction reports implicating Pfizer's quit smoking pill Chantix (varenicline) and found that 3,063 involved serious injuries. This same product is reportedly responsible for 78 deaths.

Among reports of serious events regarding this quit smoking aid, were 173 accidents and injuries, 338 angioedemas, 224 cardiac arrhythmias, 86 convulsions, 139 embolic and thrombotic events, 372 extrapyramidal syndromes, 544 cases of hyperglycemia/new onset diabetes mellitus, 525 reports of hostility/aggression, 397 psychosis and psychotic Disorders, 227 reports of suicide/self-injury, 65 severe cutaneous adverse reactions, and 148 vision disturbances. Yeah ... I'm going to run out and get me some of that alright.

http://www.ismp.org/docs/vareniclineStudy.asp

An article in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology has revealed that tobacco-specific nitrosamines are present in the saliva of nicotine gum users, indicating that actual exposure to carcinogens results from the use of Nicorette gum. The article reported three major findings, saliva samples obtained during Nicorette chewing contained NNN and NAT/NAB at levels ranging from 0.42 to 19 ng/g and from 1.3 to 46 ng/g, respectively. All Nicorette samples contained NNN and NAT/NAB, at levels ranging from 38 to 180 ng/g and from 29 to 260ng/g, respectively, NNK was found in two samples at levels of up to 3.0 ng/g. The levels of TSNA found in the saliva of Nicorette chewers seem to be higher than the few values of TSNA reported in the saliva of smokers. This information seems to be of no real cause for alarm and I certainly can't imagine the product ever being taken off the market.

http://smoke-vs-vapor.webs.com/productwarnings.htm

Since I am a smoker and my right to choose, resulted in an informed decision to switch to the electronic cigarette, which you have now banned  ... for me, this is now personal.

This is now my life that you are toying with. This is my life, that you are selling off to the highest bidder. This is my life that your self-motivated decisions will cut short, but to myself, my sons, my grandsons, my family and my friends ... my life is worth more than your damned profits.

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The FDA Press Release regarding the safety of the electronic cigarette, effectively created a panic that spread like wildfire leading to a product boycott and border bans. You can find full and complete test results at my Smoke vs Vapor website.