Arnold Schwarzenegger returns Senate Bill 400 without his signature.

Smoke versus Vapor

Finally ... a product has arrived that is a reasonable and completely viable option for smokers. In fact, the Electronic Cigarette, Pipes and Cigars are products that the consumer has already accepted and embraced over the course of the last few years, until of course ... the FDA stepped in. I have to admit that I was lulled into a false sense of security and complacency by the years of empty promises regarding safer tobacco products ... duped into believing that my health and welfare were being taken into consideration by the major players in the game. However, due to the recent events leading up to the electronic cigarette controversy ... I started to wonder and as a result ... I have gone over the test results, read through the Safety Reports, mulled over each objection one by one and now ask one question ... What on earth are they thinking?

The Electronic Cigarette Association asks, “What if there were an alternative to smoking?”

Video courtesy of the ECA

Approximately 5 years ago, China began production of a product called the electronic cigarette, aka the e-cig or e-smoke. It was invented and designed by Hon Lik. They closely imitate traditional smoking since they taste, look and also feel like a regular cigarette. When "smoking" the e-cigarette ... inhaling produces both the tactile and craving satisfactions which the traditional smoker seeks and generates a vaporizing process that releases a harmless vapor mist that evaporates into the air within just a few seconds.

Since the introduction of this product to the consumer marketplace, a number of new companies around the world, have started producing them in order to take advantage of the overwhelming positive response being generated by the consumer. I believe that, if given the opportunity, the electronic cigarette is ultimately set to dominate all other nicotine related products which have been introduced to the marketplace through the years and could very well be a cleaner, greener viable alternative to smoking. As such, this product also stands to divert a huge portion of the yearly tobacco profits our Governments see and could very well overtake the tobacco industry ... a market that has never really been challenged before.

The Electronic Cigarette Association

Former US Congressman Matt Salmon ... President of the Electronic Cigarette Association

On July 22 this year, the FDA solved that problem, by banning the use of the electronic cigarette, based on issues regarding cancer causing agents they claim are contained in the products and another problem regarding the fact that some of the products offer a choice of flavor. If you missed it, please take the time to read their "Smoke and Mirrors" release. In actuality, the tests performed, equated the electronic cigarettes to the other non-tobacco, nicotine based products which have already been approved and are in the marketplace at this time. Please read both the Carcinogen Information and the Nitrosamine Levels pages. The chart provided below indicates the actual difference in toxic emissions between the tobacco products and an electronic cigarette manufactured by Ruyan.

The FDA stated that the electronic cigarette products contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could potentially be exposed. I feel that it is important to point out that these potential carcinogens the FDA found in the tested samples, are also found in many products consumed on a daily basis worldwide, including beer, bacon, fish, pickles and some meats and cheeses. They are found in electronic cigarettes because the nicotine used is extracted from tobacco and you can see from the chart below, exactly what the comparisons are.

These tests, and I will refer to Table 1. page 4 of the FDA report, actually showed that nitrosamines were not detected in the majority of the samples tested and the results of Dr. Michael Siegels research show levels as follows ... Electronic Cigarette - 8.183 (this is a decimal point) versus Tobacco Product - 7,450 (this is not a decimal point) I figured I'd be kind and go with one of the less toxic brands. The information for the Canadian brands was found in the Canadian Cigarette Data 2004 report.

These numbers based on scientific findings showed the following:

Maximum Tobacco-Specific Nitrosamine Levels in Various Cigarettes and Nicotine-Delivery Products (ng/g, except for nicotine gum and patch which are ng/patch or ng/gum piece)
Product	NNN	NNK	NAT	NAB	Total
Electronic Cigarette	3.87	1.46	2.16	0.69	8.18
Nicotine Gum	2	ND	ND	ND	2
Nicotine Patch	ND	8	ND	ND	8
Swedish Snus					2400
Canadian Mild Ultra	445	540	552	NQ	1537
Du Maurier Regular	308	523	448	NQ	1277
Export A Ultra Light King	794	848	752	122	2516
Gitanes Kings	6369	1477	2965	354	11165
Benson & Hedges Ultra Mild	522	733	629	NQ	1884
Winston	2200	580	560	25	3365
Newport	1100	830	1900	55	3885
Camel	3100	1400	2800	150	7450
Skoal	4500	470	4100	220	9290
Marlboro	4300	1800	4900	190	11190

The concerns with regards to the flavorings offered are equally baseless, since they have already approved the sale of other flavored nicotine products such as lozenges and gum. It was however felt, that the flavored electronic cigarette could be a "gateway", to smoking the real thing. Perhaps they overlooked the fact that "enticingly flavored nicotine gum" is an approved product that is readily available in many stores around the world ... odd ... since gum, is a product that has always been traditionally aimed at our children, but yet these products managed to slip past the watchful, ever vigilant eyes of the powers that be. Perhaps this was a deliberate and unscrupulous marketing tactic by the nicotine gum and lozenge manufacturers, aimed at tricking our children into a lifelong addiction to gum and lozenges ... although it is much more likely that the flavoring was added simply to mask the unpleasant nicotine taste.

Nicotine Myths

We all know the dangers associated with smoking but how big a part does nicotine play in smoking addiction and is it really the most dangerous ingredient in cigarettes?

Explore some of the myths about nicotine and reveal the facts as provided on the Nicorette Fact Page.

Myths: Nicotine is carcinogenic

Fact: Nicotine is not proven to cause cancer. There are more than 4,000 other chemicals in cigarette smoke, many of which are known to cause cancer. In particular it is the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrosamines that are the probable causative agents for lung and other cancers. The risks associated with NRT to aid stop smoking are significantly outweighed by the risks of smoking.

Myths: Nicotine causes the diseases related to smoking

Fact: Cigarettes are a well-known cause of cancer, chronic lung disease, heart disease, and other disorders. It is the myriad of toxins in cigarette smoke, rather than the nicotine content, that is responsible for the majority of the harmful effects. In other words, it is the delivery system, not the addictive drug, which is responsible for the vast majority of tobacco-related diseases.

Myths: Nicotine is responsible for adverse health effects related to smoking

Fact: The main adverse effect of nicotine in tobacco products is addiction, which sustains tobacco use. Because most smokers are nicotine-dependent, they continue to expose themselves to toxins from cigarettes. It is the other chemicals in cigarettes, not nicotine, which are responsible for most of the adverse health effects related to smoking.

Myths: Nicotine causes yellow stains on fingers and teeth

Fact: It is not the nicotine in cigarettes, but the tar that causes the unsightly yellow-brown stains on fingers and teeth.

Myths: NRT is more harmful than smoking because of nicotine's addictive nature

Fact: Nicotine is an addictive drug. When smoked, it is delivered into the lungs and is rapidly absorbed by the blood, reaching the brain within approximately ten seconds. At this point, smokers experience a nicotine "hit" - causing the brain to produce dopamines, a neurotransmitter that regulates emotion and feelings of pleasure. The brain soon comes to expect regular doses of nicotine and suffers withdrawal symptoms when the supply is interrupted. The addictive nature of nicotine is largely due to its dose and rapid delivery to the brain when smoking cigarettes. Compared to cigarette smoking, NRT provides lower doses of nicotine, which are delivered more slowly, in a controlled way, and over a shorter period of time with the dose being stepped down.

Myths: NRT is no safer than smoking

Fact: The benefit of NRT used to help give up cigarettes far outweighs the risks of smoking. The nicotine that is in NRT is manufactured through regulated pharmaceutical methods, as opposed to that in cigarettes, which is unregulated. Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 other chemicals compared to NRT, and it is these, rather than the nicotine content, that is responsible for the majority of the harmful effects.

Please feel free to read all the reports within this site and you will also realize that things, are not as they would have you believe and quite frankly, I can not believe the absolute indifference shown by our Government Officials, Health Canada and other Health Agencies worldwide, the FDA and all the so called Human Rights Activists. As a result, I am now a woman on a mission and I want ... expect and demand my right to choose and without a doubt, I choose the Electronic Cigarette. Based on the available information, I believe the electronic cigarette is no more dangerous to our health than any of the nicotine based products that have already been approved. I have supplied readily available reports and findings throughout this site and invite you to check them for yourself. You will no doubt be as astonished, mystified and angered as I was. Although the electronic cigarette is comparable to many approved nicotine replacement aids already on the market, these products were pulled from shelves and banned at our borders. However ... the tobacco products that have been killing the consumers for decades, still flow unabated into the marketplace and will no doubt continue to do so.