While I write this article I have come up with more questions than answers. This article is filled with questions, most of which I do not have answers to. I guess the best Question of all is quite simple:
Why is it that our government “protects” its public by allowing tobacco companies to operate their established industries while trying to regulate potentially safer nicotine pathways that have yet to have a foothold in our country?
Ever heard of e liquid, e juice or e cig juice? Most likely you have not. Before you are turned off let me ask you if you have heard of cigarettes? Who hasn’t? Which one do you think is responsible for countless deaths every year? You’re right! So how can eLiquid potentially help save lives? How about a very brief little back story on the history of the world before we get started?
Modern technology has the capability of saving countless lives in the form of advancements in agriculture, medicine, hygiene, etc. I told you it was brief didn’t I?
So if you ask yourself “why hasn’t this technology been applied to something as simple as a cigarette” you would not be asking a silly question. Well quite frankly it has. This modern product is called an eCigarette. This little device consists of a battery, an atomizer and a liquid containment tank or filter to hold the e liquid we mentioned earlier. Basically the battery powers a heating coil in the atomizer and creates a water vapor with nicotine in it that can be easily inhaled by its operator. That sums up what an eCigarette is and does.
The components of e liquid can easily be entirely composed of products deemed “food grade” by such esteemed organizations as the FDA usually consisting of no more than 5 different products – PG or propylene glycol, VG or vegetable glycerin, natural or artificial flavoring and of course nicotine. I won’t bore you with the details but the alternative analog cigarette contains wonderful compounds like strychnine, cyanide, and other lovely rat poison ingredients.
Let us face the reality that people are weak. Some of us are not strong enough to give up nicotine and will use whatever delivery system is available. Stereotypes and judgments aside, people will continue to die unless we as a society offer a better alternative and make it easily accessible.
Let’s talk about nicotine! Nicotine is perhaps the most addictive substance on earth surpassing even heroin. Why not use a product that can give its user their “nicotine fix” without all the nasty (over 200) chemicals found in the modern cigarette? Currently in the United States it is estimated that between 4 to 8 million people are getting health conscious (smart) and using eCigarettes to satisfy these cravings for nicotine. What are the health risks to using such a device you may ask? Well as of yet research has shown that there are none. Nicotine acts much like caffeine in the body in its purist form. What kills people are all the carcinogens that come along for the ride (delivery system).
“What about the vapor produced in an eCig (eCigarette for short)? Isn’t that harmful for you?” Long term studies have been done regarding people exposed to PG / VG “fog” with mixed results. I call it “fog” because these are the same products used in common fog machines. First of all the people studied for such exposures were in entertainment industries such as television, theater, arcades, and concert production. These folks tend to have riskier lifestyles in general and an increased usage of tobacco products, hardcore drugs and alcohol than your average slice of population. No correlation of risk was involved with those that participated that were in good health prior to long-term exposure. I guess the question is – would you rather be exposed to fog machine smoke or burning cigarette smoke for long periods of time? Yeah I prefer the fog machine as well. You don’t see the FDA banging down the doors at Phantom of the Opera screaming bloody murder whenever the Phantom cruises his boat down the steamy sewer now do ya?
So now that we have a better delivery system perhaps we should focus on making it more available to the general public. This is where things get a bit tricky.
Powers that be in government and those that control government, i.e. big tobacco & pharmaceutical companies making billions of dollars pretending to get smokers to quit with gum, patches and pills have lobbied our government agencies to place an internet ban on this blooming industry. I am not a conspiracy theorist just stating facts here. We all know these products have a minimal success rate. With all grassroots movements including the eCigarette industry it’s hard to compete with those already in power even if they are killing millions of people in the process. Silly isn’t it? I agree. You may ask yourself, “Wow those are some big claims you are making regarding the safety of such devices?” or “How can you be so sure they are safe?” I ask you to show me a study or document otherwise. I encourage you to use your web browser and look up testimonials of people who would be more than happy to tell you about the success rate of the product and how they feel after they drop the cigarette habit.
Don’t quote me as a source I own an eLiquid website. I technically have a conflict of interest. However, my passion for the industry and the consequences of its demise puts me in a place where I can do the most good. Do the research yourself and you will come to the same conclusions I have. Fight the good fight. I started my eLiquid business out of pure joy knowing I could quit smoking traditional cigarettes. I had tried every single traditional cessation product with no success. This has been a rebirth for myself just as it has been for countless others without a vested interest in such products.
The advantages of using an eCigarette vs. traditional tobacco products are many. No more stinking for starters. No more shortness of breath at the slightest activity. No more coughing up lung-butter every morning. No more second-hand smoke. I could go on all day about the advantages but I think this enough for starters. These are things I quickly noticed go away after the switch. I can only speak for myself. Browse any eCig related forum and you will quickly see I am not alone.
So in summary I am writing this article today to highlight the FDA’s recent attempts (December 2011) to destroy the eCigarette industry in their quest to make this product illegal to distribute over the internet. By doing so they would essentially be putting every health conscious citizen who buys their products back into the hands of the tobacco and pharmaceutical industry. We all know how that story ends. Read this and let those you love know that our US government, in its quest to eradicate all bad from society, is actually in the process of undermining a movement that could save millions of humans from a terrible demise all in the name of profit.
I encourage you to visit great non-profit agencies such as CASAA.org, or Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association, to spread the word of healthier alternatives to traditional tobacco product usage.
Demand progress! You could save millions of lives including your loved ones.
If you already use an eCigarette I encourage you to take a look at http://highbrowvapor.com where you will discover 100% American made, 100% natural ingredients used, and 100% food grade e Liquid. I can’t tell you it is safer because I would be violating FDA rules. Do some research yourself and come to your own conclusions.
[stextbox id=”info” caption=”About the Author”]Bryan D. Peck is an avid “vaper” and like many in his community is fighting for the right to continue using electronic cigarettes as a potentially safer alternative to traditional tobacco use. You can find out more about his e liquid products and the industry as a whole at Highbrowvapor.com.
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Very nice write-up Bryan, I applaud the truth you’ve displayed. I just wished one of those FDA guys would catch wind of these types of articles and understand the simplicity and the fact that electronic cigarette are better for you, rather than analog cigarettes along with realizing that it just… works.
Those “FDA” guys do catch wind. Every article has been read no doubt. Do we the people support harm reduction and refute BS? …?
Bryan,
Fantastic article! You did an excellent job illustrating exactly what the problem is. Like you, I am also not a conspiracy nut, but it’s so hard to not come to the same conclusion given an understanding of the facts.
Blake: Despite what many of us say rhetorically, the FDA and other groups are not stupid. They are staffed with educated people with a lot of experience. The (lack of) potential harm of e-liquid is as plain to them as it is to us. However, for whatever reason, they have decided the status quo is more important than trying to let some radical new idea shake things up, even if it means people will die.
SteveK,
They may not be ‘stupid’, but I can damn sure tell they have no heart and very seriously lack common sense.
Yep. Fantastic article. Our “protectors” are more interested in protecting their pockets than human lives. We the people take a backseat (in a hearse) to the almighty dollar. I don’t see a conspiracy either. It’s the same old “pass the buck” governing that has plagued this country for far too long. No conspiracy required.
In all honesty this article was originally written to submit to article sites so I could gain link juice for my website (thus the shameless self promotion I feel a bit embarrassed about after reading the last few paragraphs). Not really appropriate for this type of setting and I apologize for the self promotion. It was submitted on a whim at 2am when I should have been sleeping or was already halfway there.
I was surprised when all of the article sites sent me emails stating they wouldn’t post it due to its reference to a “tobacco” product, specifically and oddly enough “eCigs” was somehow lumped into this category. They stated they would not use it because it violated FDA policies concerning the promotion of said “tobacco products”. Needless to say I was quite perplexed because I felt it had validity in a “health” related category dealing specifically with “cancer” as the subject context. I hope people not in “the know” can learn a few things from it and I am certain most of you out there doing what I do have already had these thoughts mulling about inside of your heads for quite some time.
The FDA battle against us be it corporate influence or some blind crusade to somehow save our children from the evil “eCig” will no doubt culminate into an alternative set of consequences many of us may never know because a safer alternative might die before it sees the light of day. Something definitely worth fight for if you ask me.