| Smokers Fear Backlash over Electronic Cigarettes |  |  |  |
| Thursday, 30 April 2009 10:29 |
 With the ever-growing popularity of electronic cigarettes, some smokers are fearing a backlash from public health advocates who don't understand electronic cigarettes. Since the vapor from an electronic cigarette looks a bit like smoke, some users are concerned that people who are uninformed of the benefits of an e-cigarette may try to put a stop to their vaping.In an article in the Flint News entitiled Smokers fear backlash from health advocates over "e-cigarettes", Elizabeth Shaw of the Flint Journal outlines some of the concerns being mentioned by electronic cigarette users: "Scott Gilbert is no longer asking for the right to light up in his favorite restaurant. "But now he's worried that health advocates might take away his right to "not" smoke, too. "Three weeks ago, the Flint native discovered the "electronic cigarette" -- a smokeless, pseudo-cigarette that delivers controlled levels of nicotine through a vapor that's sucked into the lungs. "I have gone from two packs a day to none with no problems," said Gilbert, 37, a machinist who now lives in Livingston County. "I tell everyone I know that smokes that they need to check this out. Electronic cigarettes are the way to quit smoking, or at least get away from tobacco." She goes on to add: "Skyrocketing tobacco prices make these high-tech alternatives increasingly cost-competitive, too. "One recent market study reported e-cigarettes are now being sold in 62 kiosks at malls across the U.S., with plans to nearly double that number soon. Most local users shop online, said Gilbert. "But the products have not been tested and approved by the Food and Drug Administration and health advocates are calling for an outright ban until that occurs. "The American Lung Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids are all calling on the Food and Drug Administration to immediately remove e-cigarettes from the market. "We are very concerned that we have no knowledge of what is in an e-cigarette and what the possible health implications of that product may be," said ALA spokeswoman Erika Sward. "These products are not approved as safe and we have no knowledge other than what the companies are telling us about what's in them." |