Every day, it seems, another scare story appears warning everyone smokers, non-smokers, parents, teens, vapers (e-cigarette users) about alleged, hypothetical, minuscule, inane, and/or politically-motivated threats arising from e-cigarettes or one of their components. These potentially toxic, addictive, or merely seductive substances include propylene glycol, glycerine, water and its vapor, nicotine, and the heating element.
But none of these alarmist jeremiads bother to mention the 44 million American cigarette smokers, nor the 480,000 Americans who die each year from cigarette smoking, nor the impotence of the FDA-approved cessation methods.
Nope, it s all about the danger of e-cigarettes, real (minuscule to hypothetical) and imaginary. Today s viral installment comes from the N.Y.Times, Selling a Poison by the Barrel: Liquid Nicotine for E-cigarettes. Since we addressed this nearly-identical issue only last week the topic was the melodramatic hyperbole emanating from Minnesota s poison control authorities, wherein no one actually was poisoned we shall try not to bore you, dear reader, with any more repetition than has already occurred. Suffice it to say: while the preparation, sale and safe use of nicotine solutions is certainly open for appropriate regulation, as is the entire e-cigarette industry as we have repeatedly asserted (e.g., here and here ), this fear-mongering article will add nothing of value to the public discussion. Sound manufacturing practices for e-cigarettes including all components, childproof packaging (anything in the home can be a poison if not attended to properly, especially around children), age restrictions on sales and marketing: all these are to be desired. Ignoring the needs of smokers trying to quit and placing obstacles in their path based on distorted and exaggerated risks is to be condemned.
