[Ghostavo]

I'm sure everyone likes to bash the FDA, but where is everyone getting the attempts by the FDA to ban electronic cigarretes?

The only thing I can see is that they slapped the wrist of some companies selling the things because they didn't follow proper procedure.

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/UCM225263.pdf

Firms which introduce these products into the marketplace will have to comply with the FDCA, including the drug approval process as explained below.  FDA invites electronic cigarette firms to work in cooperation with the agency toward the goal of assuring that electronic cigarettes sold in the United States are lawfully marketed.

[S-99]

I get the very strong idea of the fda banning electronic cigs through the fact that they call them unsafe and that smoking tobacco is safer. And also the fact that a couple of american electronic smoking companies have already gotten served by the fda. There's one last thing where imported electronic cigs are getting stopped at docks so the product can't get into the country.

It's a two faced ban.

[Ghostavo]

I get the very strong idea of the fda banning electronic cigs through the fact that they call them unsafe and that smoking tobacco is safer. And also the fact that a couple of american electronic smoking companies have already gotten served by the fda. There's one last thing where imported electronic cigs are getting stopped at docks so the product can't get into the country.

It's a two faced ban.

The FDA as well as the WHO say that it is unconfirmed that electronic cigarretes are safer/more dangerous than regular cigarettes because of lack of studies. You know, the way medical science works?

The only two links you posted on this thread are both lacking in details, or completely bogus. This one got the following reply:

From: "Hitch, Mary C", INTERNET:[email protected]
To: , SMOKEFREE
Date: 5/1/2009 5:05 PM
RE: Email from Heather Zawalick (CBER)

Dear Mr. Godshall:

Your communication was forwarded to me for response as a function of FDA's Office of External Relations. The email to which you refer contains factual errors and does not reflect an official FDA action or policy.

Sincerely,

Mary C. Hitch
Senior Policy Advisor
Office of External Relations
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

and the second link is made by someone who didn't read the source correctly. The WHO simply says the devices are not a therapy for smokers to quit smoking, and that it contains several stuff that could be toxic, you know, like nicotine? Without studies what else was the WHO supposed to say? That and the fact that manufactures used their logo might have pissed them off.

In short, the whole thing seems to be an hysterical fit by someone who seems to make a sport in bashing the FDA.

[NGTM-1R]

I get the very strong idea of the fda banning electronic cigs through the fact that they call them unsafe and that smoking tobacco is safer. And also the fact that a couple of american electronic smoking companies have already gotten served by the fda. There's one last thing where imported electronic cigs are getting stopped at docks so the product can't get into the country.

It's a two faced ban.

Does it hurt to be you?

[S-99]

If by this you mean "Let's trust the industry to regulate itself!"

Oh no, sorry. I should have said government industry regulation or what not. Trusting the industy to regulate itself is a good laugh.

Yet again sorry, i don't really know any good sources for trying to point to information on this situation. As far as anything else goes, i and others interpret it as a ban because of the fact that tobacco products are not fda approved despite the fact that they contain what is considered a drug which is nicotine. So, electronic cigarettes are considered by the fda to be drug delivery devices akin to the nicotine inhalor, patch, gum, whatever. That's convenient, the other thing is that they've been doing testing on these things, and they're results are supposedly inconclusive, and fud is still being spread along the lines of "doesn't even have nicotine" and "has way more dangerous chemicals and carcinogens". The other thing is that fda recommends staying with tobacco cigarettes instead of going with the electronic cigarette.

This is why it's interpretted as a ban and most likely is.

EDIT: There's no way other way i can look at this. The fda is banning them until they get under fda approval and control. It's still a ban even if be temporary.

The FDA as well as the WHO say that it is unconfirmed that electronic cigarretes are safer/more dangerous than regular cigarettes because of lack of studies. You know, the way medical science works?

The only two links you posted on this thread are both lacking in details, or completely bogus. This one got the following reply:

The WHO simply says the devices are not a therapy for smokers to quit smoking, and that it contains several stuff that could be toxic, you know, like nicotine? Without studies what else was the WHO supposed to say? That and the fact that manufactures used their logo might have pissed them off.

In short, the whole thing seems to be an hysterical fit by someone who seems to make a sport in bashing the FDA.

It's true these shouldn't be advertised as cessation devices. For the most part, i haven't seen many distributors of the electronic cigarette to be dumb enough to do so despite the fact that many people found them to be effective as such. Just currently unproven to the WHO and FDA and should be tested. I'm sure using the logo pissed them off too.

As far as anyhing else goes, i didn't know which sources to use really. So, forgive me for that, you seemed to be able to get some better ones.

Toxins? That's the fud that's being spread, that they could contain several things that are toxic. And then i like how you point out nicotine This product is definitely going to have it. I think the fda's main concerns is other chemicals the electronic cigarette liquid may have. Sure nicotines a poison, but it's unlike any of the other 4000+ toxic and carcinogenic ingredients found in actual cigarettes. If propylene and glycol is toxic, let me know (the other two ingredients in electronic cigarettes). And  if they do contain a few other ingredients that might be toxic, it's sure a hell of a lot better than 4000+ toxic ones inside normal tobacco. Aside from nicotine, electronic cigarette juice is made from food additives and flavorings that some people are trying to pass off as more toxic than normal cigarettes.

As such, the fact that nicotine is considered a drug, and that the electronic cigarette should be fda approved, why aren't normal tobacco cigarettes approved by them too?

Would you also like to point out that normal cigarettes have nicotine too? Why isn't the FDA and WHO doing testing on normal tobacco cigarettes to also point out toxins like nicotine, plus some more. The answer is that they don't need to. They already tested those, and electronic cigarettes are unknown territory for them.

And really, until these electronic cigarettes get approved, the fda does recommend sticking with normal tobacco products.