FDA Warns E-Cigarettes Are Illegal

Do I even give this article a 1?

I am not shocked to see the FDA getting there fingers on this product. There not getting tax dollars! What about the cigarette, what effects does it have? Cancer, health concerns that need prescriptions, etc.
It all comes back to how the FDA makes their money!

My husband has used it for months with a huge improvement to his health. Not only that, he has gone from smoking 2 packs per day to randomly smoking the e-cig.

We do not sell these products, just a customer that hates to see the government overtaking another great product because of the American tax dollar!

The lab report states that they found a chemical (diethylene glycol) at a miniscule amount of less than 1% from 1 specific cartridge from 1 specific flavor from 1 specific brand of Electronic Cigarette (No other cartridges had any of this chemical), the same brand that is currently SUING the FDA for stealing their shipments without authority - SmokingEverywhere (Jeez i wonder if there is a connection there)...

Less than 1% was found... WHATS THE MARGIN OF ERROR??

Secondly the other chemicals found that are apparently toxic are nitrosamine's... These are nicotine deritives that are already found and known to be in real cigarettes and these were only found in LESS than HALF of the cartridges tested.

This means that about half of the cartridges tested contained NO TOXIC SUBSTANCES and 99% tested were safer than real cigarettes. Yet they are marketing the conclusion that all ecigs are dangerous? Where does this come from... if you even read the report they specifically point out this is not their conclusion.


Johnny Blaze

A pack a day smoker for 10 years and I finally quit smoking. It has been 2 months since I started using e-cigs only. I have about another month or so left until I am using the zero nicotine solution (100% glycerin + flavor). What an amazing product that can save so many lives. Wow.. I can breath easy now and my taste buds (and other body parts) have a new life of their own. Of course, I am getting fat now and no amount of diet is helping. HA!

I thank God everyday that I have discovered electronic cigarettes before the inevitable FDA ban. Stay away from the patches (crazy nightmares) and Chantex (feeling sad all the time).

Biased article. No research was done on the part of the writer. If there was, they would have found that ALL of the ingredients in the liquid are also contained in tobacco cigarettes that you can buy right now in a store. Not only are they all found in tobacco, but tobacco has a higher concentration then eliquid for e cigarettes.

Electronic cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, and should they be banned, it will be highly hypocritical on the part of the FDA.

Hello Brandon. The article is not biased, it simply has nothing to do with cigarettes. The topic under discussion is electronic cigarettes and how they claim to be safer than they actually are, for which reason the FDA is considering banning them. This is not a discussion on whether electronic cigarettes are better or worse than regular cigarettes, which is the only case that should have required me to do research on the ingredients in the latter. This is about the FDA analyzing some batches and coming to the conclusion that electronic cigarettes are less safe than we thought, and that’s that. Thank you.

Elena, while you are right, this article is not about cigarettes, but the health claims of E-cig manufacturers, banning E-cigs altogether is a classic case of over-reaction and throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Good morning. I am a distributer of e-cigs and needless to say I am not suprised over the attention the FDA is giving these. First off, I have never advertised these as 100% safe. No nicotine product is. They fall under the same umbrella as nicotine patches (Which cause skin cancer) nicotine gum (Which can cause oral cancer) and the list goes on. The truth is, nicotine is toxic. Always has been but the cigarettes which can be bought over most store counters contain an excesssive amount of other toxic chemicals. Just over 4000 to be exact. The e cigarette is a 'Safer' not safe delivery method as it cuts out over 3500 of the toxic chemicals.
There is no tar and no smoke. As there is also no ignition, they are safer at home with no risk of fire etc..
Also there is a question of waste. If you use the raw refillable nicotine, then the average waste per year of smoking is 12 10ml bottles and their packaging and not 20 x 365 butts, & 365 empty boxed PER PERSON on a pack a day habit clogging up the waste system per year.
Also it is fair to mention there is no second hand smoke either so they are better for the envvironment and people around you.
The FDA is probably more concerned they cant tax them and the bill to ban e cigarettes is funnily enough backed by Phillip Morris USA who is Americas largest tobacco manufacturer. Strange huh? Unless I am misinformed.
The nicotine also comes in different levels of strength so you can slowly wean off the nicotine and eventually quit. Cigarette companies dont want you to quit, you are their income and profit.
I have a very good customer who had a heart attack from smoking and the e-cig has been the only thing which has caused him to stop... in his own words. His wife is exstatic and he is as happy as a pig in swill.
Funny to me how the FDA regulates actual cigarettes and still allows them?
Also the FDA's claim the e-cig is tempting for children, what a load of poppycock. They are approx $$100 to buy and what kid do you know with a spare $100 lying around. In fact kids have always had an easier time obtaining real cigarettes. Big brother, older friend, parents purse etc and they are far far cheaper.
Want to ban e-cigs because of toxins and nicotine then you had better just ban everything containing these, including REAL cigarettes which have been proven fatal for decades and costs the health care system millions of dollars a year. Thats your tax dollars at work there people.

so why doesn't the health insurance industry get behind the e-cigg manufacturers & give the tobacco industry a run for its money??

Check this out, Google "phillip morris fda" you will learn that not only does phillip morris praise the ant smoking bill which the fda is using to attack electric cigarettes they CO AUTHERED IT!!! this is no joke. This knoledge allows you to very clearly see what is happening here. The fda is not here to help us be safe they are here to help us die at the hands of phillip morris the makers of Marlboro.
Also Here is some info I found from googling "nicotine in food"...
Nicotine at several ppm was detected in the dehydrated fresh produce of the Solanaceae species including tomato, potato peel, eggplant and green pepper. Its identity was verified by GLC, TLC and CC-mass spectrometry. The presence of nicotine in all parts of the tomato plant suggested biosynthetic origin. In contrast, the 2 to 23 ppm nicotine found in green tea.

Now I understand why my doctor was telling me certain foods to eat to help me quit smoking including tomatoes. Nicotine is found in all parts of the tomato plant.. Interesting. Does this mean I am risking my life when I eat tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant and green peppers not to mention green tea? Shouldnt the FDA be banning these vegetables for containing a new drug called nicotine. The fact that the fda refers to nicotine as a new drug is comical in itself. Science tells us that all of these things are good for us. They say that tomatoes and green tea actually helps prevent cancer yet they contain nicotine. The fact is nicotyine raises blood pressure which can lead to a stroke so it is dangerous right? so why do they tell us these nicotine containing veggies are so good for us and a couple of them prevent cancer. Well I guess if they help prevent cancer and contain nicotine I guess it is safe to say nicotine does no0t cause cancer. Should I be scared to eat these veggies since nicotine will kill me? Science says no eat them and you will be healthier. In conclusion... How dangerous is nicotine really??? I think a lot safer than tobacco itself. Another thought... why dont they derive the nicotine from the tomato plant to make nicotine to prove a point to the fda and the world. No one will ever say a tomato is dangerous yet it has nicotine.

Clearly whoever wrote this is biased towards smokers. I do not claim that it will cure everyone but here is what happened to me after I started. Maybe its just a weird coincidence or not? I am a 3 pack a day smoker for 30 years. I bought these at the Wisconsin State Fair and switched and never looked back. I have tried everything on the market to no avail. I have been smoke free for 4 months now. My high blood pressure has went back to normal with no meds! My sleep apnea has stopped and no longer use my machine! My lung capacity is better and my smokers cough has stopped. I used to get leg cramps and they are gone. Anti smokers have been so brainwashed about smoking that seeing anything that looks similar makes them hate it and ban it. I believe this may have prolonged my life and am so grateful I found something that works. These will never be out of our country. There are over 2 million users now. They are being made here and will be sold underground forever. The govt can tax it and legalize or make it like Marijuana and make it illegal so its not sold anywhere . LMFAO!

Buzzy, I imagine a smoker (such as myself) can’t be biased towards smokers, as you claim. I take no side in the matter and, frankly, I’m happy e-cigs have worked out so well for you. Whether the FDA decides to ban them or tax them like regular cigarettes is entirely the FDA’s decision – I only reported on the organization considering its options, no bias there. Thank you for your comment and the best of luck with quitting. :)

The E-Cig is helping my brother kick his smoking habit, which is important now that they have a new born baby. He is hoping to soon be on a no-nico e-cig soon.

the best part is, he doesn't smell like a chimney and we don't have to inhale the vapors which is amazing for me, an asthmatic.

My friend also uses the E-cig. She has a zero-nicotine, diet green tea with vitamins filter. She has an eating issue where she eats if she's bored, depressed, excited, nervous, she has to eat when she is watching tv and she always feels like she has a bottomless pit and never feels full.

When she gets a craving for food after a meal, or after an allowed light snack... she puffs on the e-cig instead, which gives her hands something more to do than shove food in her mouth.

The main problem is, they are taxing the heck out of cigs. People think it's because they want people to quit and "be healthy."

the truth is.. the government knows people who are addicted to smoking will find a way to buy cigs, just like they know taxing sodas and sugar products won't stop mom from buying their kid Orange soda.

Secretly the real reason they are taxing these products is because they use the taxes to help pay the enormus debts America has thanks to borrowing here, and taking a little bit there.

the biggest problem with e-cigs is that, people who switch, aren't buying the cigs anymore, and thus they are not getting that tax money from the cigs. So it's either, ban these and send them back to the cigs, or tax these to get that tax money.

I wish the government would be honest about it. If you need the tax money to help pay back the deficit you put us in by spending millions of dollars to study radioactive rabbit poops, just say so. Don't hide it as "we're doing this to keep you healthy", cause E-cigs, like it or not, ARE healthier than straight cigs with all the tar and additives that cause cancer.

Nicotine patches are basically the same thing as these e-cigs. In fact, the patches have more side effects than the e-cigs... at least it was that way with my brother who tried the patches a year ago, and reverted back to smoking.

Elena: I disagree. The real story has everything to do with cigarettes. The nicotine in electronic cigarette cartridges comes from tobacco. Tobacco contains tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), as well as diethylene glycol, which is added to tobacco as a humectant,. Threfore, it is not surprising that cartridges that contain nicotine extracted from tobacco might have some traces of substances that are found in tobacco.

In fact, the FDA's approved "nicotine replacement therapy" (NRT) products contain TSNAs. FDA forgot to mention that.

There no quantities listed in the FDA's lab report for the 'tobacco-specific nitrosamines.' Any high-school science student knows that "the dose makes the poison." I'm sure FDA scientists know this too.

From testing that was conducted by scientists in New Zealand, we know that a cartridge (one day supply) labeled high (16 mg. nicotine) contains a total of about 8 nanograms per gram (ng/g) of TSNAs. http://www.healthnz.co.nz/RuyanCartridgeReport30-Oct-08.pdf

Guess what! A medical journal article published in April of 2006 shows us that a 4 mg Nicoderm CQ patch also contains 8 ng/g. A 4 mg. piece of Nicorette gum contains 2 ng/g, so 6 to 10 pieces per day would contain from 12 to 20 ng/g of TSNAs. So a one-day supply of nicotine from an electronic cigarette contains an equal or lower quantity of TSNAs than a one-day supply of FDA-approved NRT products. http://www.starscientific.com/404/stepanov tsna in.pdf

But smokers are not substituting e-cigarettes for NRT products. The FDA knows full well that users are successfully substituting electronic cigarettes for their tobacco cigarettes. Therefore the bottom line is whether these products are less dangerous, as dangerous, or more dangerous than inhaling tobacco smoke. Just 10 Marlboro cigarettes contain a whopping 66,000 ng/g of TSNAs.

Which daily dose of TSNAs sounds safer--66,000 ng/g or 8 ng/g? I prefer the 8. Also, because nothing is burned, I am no longer inhaling the lung-clogging tars, the heart-damaging carbon monixide, and hundreds of toxins carried in tobacco smoke.

I smoked for 45 years and switched to an e-cigarette over 8 months ago. I have stopped wheezing, I can laugh without going into a coughing jag, and my BP is down to 117/79 without medication. The e-cigarette has passed my personal test of which product is safer.

I'm surprised that so many journalists have allowed the FDA to go unquestioned regarding its methods, its findings, and its motives.

I don't understand how the FDA controls everything. Why are they called the Food and Drug Administration? Who works there? Why is Food/Drug put together? Why are they still allowing conventional cigarettes known to cause cancer and other harmful diseases still being sold on the market?

Yet, one healthy choice is made, and it's declared illegal! Just like smoking pot. Marijuanna is healthier for you than cigarettes, yet they are Illegal. Why? Because you can't tax something that is natural. Only man-made shit goes into the shit we put into our bodies, and man is out for the dollar. Who do you think is going to make it safe to do anything when the FDA controls everything we put into our bodies. Fuck 'em.

The part that gets me is where it talks about how e cigs are used in non-smoking environments and that they ruin anti smoking efforts on be half of the government...In my state, it has been said that the anti smoking in public places ban has been placed there for the safety of non smokers. Yet now e smokers are being looked down upon even though they are not creating any harm to their surroundings? Give me a break! The government seriously needs to stop controlling our decisions to smoke. I understand for the well being of others around us..But if I want to smoke my e cigarette and know the affects of it on my body..That is my choice. This is clearly no longer a free country.

My doctor told me to quit smoking because of my lungs...... I told her I was trying to save the money to buy e-cigarettes, she said use your money spent on cigarettes and buy it now the sooner the better. So FDA why are you trying to ban them when doctors advise them? I have gone from 1 pack a day to not even using 1 nicotine cartridge in a month. I can breath easier, less coughing, and I do not smell like smoke. So how can the e-cigarette hurt other people in public.
I used the drug you the FDA approved to quit smoking and caused such bad depression I wanted to kill myself and this was before you finally gave that warning. I just think the government doesn't like anything they can't tax or control and the tobacco companies are paying you to ban this wonderful item.

FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS!!!

I have had a modified e-cigarette for 20 days, and have not picked up a real cigarette since getting it. I would avoid chinese made products, especially their nicotine liquids. They are not especially careful about manufacturing standards there, as we all know. Many great manufacturers of these liquids are in the U.S. the nicotine in mine is chemically produced, and my vaping liquids contain only nicotine, propolyne glycol, vegetable glycerin, and trace amounts of pure grain alcohol (not enough to feel the effects). All of these substances, nicotine included are in many of the products you consume everyday. I'm not going to say that e-cigarettes are safe by any means, but you'll breathe more carcinogens driving with your windows down on a busy street than vaping. If you're interested in what's really available out there, check out e-cigarette-forum.com. There's a huge community with many U.S. vendors producing great quality products and at a lower cost than any of the "major" brands you'll see around the net, which are mostly vastly overpriced rebranded chinese products. If you want a "Smoking Everywhere" setup, you can get it for about $10 even though they sell for $150 at the mall.