Electronic Cigarettes Should Be Banned, Researchers Say

The use of <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/Electronic-Cigarettes">electronic cigarettes—known as e-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems—is on the rise globally, but with little information on related health effects. Electronic cigarettes can be purchased at shopping malls throughout the United States and on the Internet.

In response the their growing use, researchers at the University of California, Riverside looked at five e-cigarette brands and discovered design flaws, including a lack of sufficient labeling, said Science Daily. The team also expressed concern about quality control and health issues, concluding that the devices present potential health problems and urging regulators to take the devices off the market pending appropriate safety evaluations, said Science Daily.

We recently wrote that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to five electronic cigarette distributors for various violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), including unsubstantiated claims and poor manufacturing practices.

Science Daily explained that electronic cigarettes burn and vaporize nicotine and other ingredients in its cartridge, via a aerosol created when heated. No information exists concerning the chemicals in the aerosolized vapors, said Science Daily.

“As a result, some people believe that e-cigarettes are a safe substitute for conventional cigarettes,” said Prue Talbot, the director of UC Riverside’s Stem Cell Center, whose lab led the research, quoted Science Daily. “However, there are virtually no scientific studies on e-cigarettes and their safety. Our study—one of the first studies to evaluate e-cigarettes—shows that this product has many flaws, which could cause serious public health problems in the future if the flaws go uncorrected.” Study results appear in this month’s Tobacco Control.

The team looked at e-cigarettes brands NJOY, Liberty Stix, Crown Seven (Hydro), Smoking Everywhere (Gold and Platinum), and VapCigs, said Science Daily.

The batteries, atomizers, cartridges, cartridge wrappers, packs, and instruction manuals included with e-cigarette purchases do not contain critical information about ingredients, use, and important warnings. The cartridges can leak, which could release nicotine to children, adults, pets, and the environment, said Science Daily. Nicotine is an addictive and dangerous chemical and a key component in the manufacture of cigarettes.

There are no ways in which e-cigarette products and accessories, such as cartridges, are to be disposed, said Science Daily. Improper disposal could lead to nicotine contamination from discarded cartridges to water sources and soil. Manufacture, quality control, sales, and advertisement of the products is also not regulated.

In a letter to the Electronic Cigarette Association, we wrote that the FDA previously said it intends to regulate electronic cigarette. For a drug product to gain FDA approval, a company must demonstrate to the agency that the product is safe and effective for its intended use. The company must also demonstrate that manufacturing methods are adequate to preserve the strength, quality, and purity of that product.

Of note, the FDA recently cited Johnson Creek Enterprises, which markets Smoke Juice, a liquid solution used to refill depleted cartridges in e-cigarettes, for several significant deficiencies in its manufacturing processes, including failure to establish quality control and testing procedures required under federal regulations.