King County, Washington - bans the public use of electronic cigarettes..

December 17, 2010 - The King County Board of Health passed a controversial proposal Thursday, December 16th that bans the public use of electronic cigarettes, despite protests that the battery-powered, nicotine-delivery sticks emit no second-hand smoke and are often used for harm reduction.

The King Board of Health is in very good company. Non-profit health organizations such as The American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, have called for e-cigarettes to be removed from the market. Electronic cigarettes have already been banned in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Mexico, and New Zealand and restricted in Finland, Malaysia. (Federal Court of Appeals - e-cigarettes - rules against the FDA..) American Medical Association - US AMA policy - e-cigarettes FDA should treat as a drug delivery device..

Background:

Harm reduction - The original intent of harm reduction tobacco products was for use specifically by the pool of inveterate (hard-nosed, long established, deep-rooted) cigarette smokers (approximately 30 percent of smokers) that refuse to consider trying to quit smoking tobacco. For example, supporters of harm reduction such as Brad Rodu, DDS and William T. Godshall, MPH authored a paper in the December 2006 issue of the Harm Reduction Journal entitled, "Tobacco Harm Reduction: An Alternate Cessation Strategy for Inveterate Smokers," and Dr. Coral Gartner and colleagues paper in the June 16, 2007 issue of The Lancet concluded that SNUS could produce a net health benefit in inveterate smokers.

But it would be impossible to limit distribution of harm reduction tobacco products to only inveterate tobacco smokers. As pointed out by John Britton, MD, Chair of the Royal Royal College of Physicians, Tobacco Advisory Group, a proponent of the use of harm reduction therapy, "It's tobacco companies job to sell as much tobacco as possible, so they will be targeting non-smokers rather than current ones, that's the worry."

Tobacco companies are targeting a much younger crowd of young adults and any kids they can entice along the way. (In Process - Harm reduction, let's get it right this time..)

To disguise the taste of the nicotine emitted the e-cigarette device delivers the inhaled solutions in various flavors. From Ruyan, an e-cigarettes manufacturer flavors include: regular tobacco, marlboro, mint, almond, chocolate, cherry, regular, menthol, apple and strawberry. They have surveyed a number of electronic cigarette smokers and the overwhelming favorites are menthol and, believe it or not, strawberry. More: Philip Morris - Ruyan Group - e-cigarettes..

The use of these electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) will result in our children being nicotine addicts never able to reach their full potential. Surely we want the very best for our children and would do everything in our power to stop this from happening.

Emit no second-hand smoke - Nicotine is a highly addicting, highly toxic substance that has been shown to enhance the growth of an existing cancer and also, in itself is carcinogenic. (PAPER: Nicotine in cigarettes linked to breast cancer..)

Nicotine is very poisonous and ingesting even the smallest amount can cause extreme fatigue, vomiting, a rapid yet weak pulse, and possibly nervous breakdowns, even death. (FDA: Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals..; E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..)

The 30th Surgeon General’s report just just published, - describes specific pathways by which tobacco smoke damages the human body and leads to disease and death. The report finds that cellular damage and tissue inflammation from tobacco smoke are immediate, and that repeated exposure weakens the body’s ability to heal the damage. What do think is the main culprit is here - Nicotine.

Take a look of this figure that points out the negative, side-effects of nicotine. (Nicotine)


Click to enlarge..

The measure is not a complete ban on e-cigarettes. Rather, it prohibits e-cigarette smoking in the same places where real smoking is forbidden by the state, such as restaurants, bars and workplaces.

But the state's tobacco smoking ban, adopted in 2006, was based on the fact that second-hand smoke causes cancer and other diseases. The rationale behind King County's e-cig ban was a fear of eroding "social norms." Health officials reasoned that the fake smokes - which emit a less-smelly, combustion-free vapor - are so similar to real smokes that they may cause people to think it's OK to smoke in public. And that may lead to more nicotine addiction and second-hand smoke, officials said.

The regulation also prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes, often marketed in bright colors and fun flavors, from minors. It also bans free giveaways and heavily discounted sales of the products.

The Board easily passed those regulations, saying young people needed to be protected from the products, while the federal government figures out what to do with e-cigarettes. Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration lost a court fight to ban or regulate e-cigarettes as unapproved drug delivery devices. (Federal Court of Appeals - e-cigarettes - rules against the FDA.. )

See reference for further information.

Reference: King County bans public e-cigarette smoking by VANESSA HO (vanessaho@seattlepi.com),SEATTLEPI.COM STAFF, 12/16/2010.

Some e-cigarette news briefs:
FDA Law Blog - e-cigarettes, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals..;
Federal Court of Appeals - e-cigarettes - rules against the FDA.. ;
E-cigarettes - a device for delivery of variable amounts of vaporized nicotine..;
U.S. e-cigarette imports banned indefinitely - ASH..;
THIS MUST STOP - e-cigarette company asking active duty soldiers to buy their product..;
Electronic cigarettes - study finds not an effective nicotine delivery system..;
U.S. - federal appeals court, import of e-cigarettes on hold again..;
U.S. FDA appealing a federal judge's ruling on e-cigarettes..;
U.S. FDA - judges ruling regarding e-cigarettes must be appealed - ASAP..;
California - attorney general thinks e-cigarette distributor is targeting minors..;
E-cigarettes - scientists want more safety studies before use..;
In Process: US. Federal District court judge makes serious error regarding the import of e-cigarettes..;
New Jersey assemblywoman wants to limit electronic (e) cigarettes..;
"Smoking Everywhere", an electronic cigarettes retailer sued..;
Dubai, UAE customs blocks e-cigarette shipment..;
Connecticut AG Blumnethal wants to ban e-cigarettes..;
Orgeon - files lawsuit against e-cigarette company..;
Saudi Arabia - banning sales of electronic (e) cigarettes..;
Smoking Everywhere - e-cigarette distributor..;
Oregon - electronic (e) cigarettes sales prohibited until approved by FDA..;
Israel bans electronic (e) cigarettes..;
New Zealand - 1st trial ever of e-cigarettes..;
FDA: Electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals..;
e-cigarettes - Company sues FDA for blocking imports of product..;
e-cigarettes - FDA approval needed prior to marketing..;
E-cigarettes http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5361956449419487283&postID=2916961506023468891#need to establish efficacy and safety - FIRST..;