New Electronic Cigarette Study Gets Slammed In the Media January 27, 2015 09:51

Written Audio/Video Transcription:

Greg Gutfeld:              The New England Journal of Medicine ran a letter linking e-cigs to cancer and the panicky media gobbled it up like a hot brownie. But, how sturdy is this research? What might happen if you tapped lightly on their findings?

[B-roll]

Yeah. Under closer scrutiny, this blockbuster collapsed faster than Michael Moore in a spin class. According to experts, the researchers found that vaping produces lots of formaldehyde, but only if you overheat the system. Meaning, if you use the device wrongly in a way that a user can't even tolerate, then it's harmful. This would be like concluding that broccoli is deadly if you eat 300 pounds of it in one sitting. This would be like saying that driving a car is deadly if you floor it in reverse on a narrow cliff while doing Jell-O shots in your underwear. The point, if you create an unrealistic climate for harm, you create the harm you seek, which allows researchers to elevate the risk and that lands them in a prestigious journal.

As Reason magazine's Jacob Sullum points out, the study author, James Pankow, is already backtracking telling NBC, "We are not saying e-cigs are more hazardous than cigarettes" and told Reuters they should have provided more context, admitting the authors just wanted to get it out.

Aww, science - what used to be about facts is now about fame, and the casualties are folks trying to quit a bad habit and get healthy. It makes you wonder what the New England Journal is smoking.

I got to credit Leonard Gilroy, the Director of Government Reform from Reason, and Jacob Sullum from Reason, for doing a lot of good work on this. I'll go to you Julie because we've never talked about this before.

 Julie:                           We've never talked about vaping. That's true.

Greg Gutfeld:             No, we haven't. And I have a theory that e-cigs don't necessarily look that cool, but by making them sound dangerous, they're turning it into an even cooler thing, which is precisely the opposite.

 Julie:                           So, you think this was an industry study planted in the [inaudible].

 Greg Gutfeld:             [laugh] Yes.

Julie:                           You're right. You're right. I actually think vaping looks really creepy. I agree with you.

Greg Gutfeld:             Oh, I think it's good. Look.

Julie:                           Oh, you vape?

Greg Gutfeld:             I vape every day.

Julie:                           Oh. 

Greg Gutfeld:             I haven't had a cigarette in a year and three months.

Julie:                           Why can't you just quit like a normal person?

Greg Gutfeld:             This is -- I did quit.

Julie:                           Because I quit overnight. I just decided I wasn't going to…

Greg Gutfeld:             You're a weirdo.

Julie:                           If you have no discipline --

Greg Gutfeld:             -- Why am I talking to you?

Julie:                           If you have no discipline, you know, this is disgusting. Just quit.

Greg Gutfeld:             You are telling me I have no discipline. You support a president who pays his taxes every time it wakes up.

Julie:                           But, I quit -- [inaudible] when I woke up.

Greg Gutfeld:             How dare you?

Julie:                           I woke up in 2005.

Greg Gutfeld:             You, get out of here.

Julie:                           I'm done. I'm out. Are you going to throw this vape [inaudible]?

Greg Gutfeld:             This show stinks. [laugh] Eric, the study --

Eric:                            -- that guy over there?

Greg Gutfeld:             -- that guy over there -- the guy Kimberly's mad at. This study, to me, seems like it was rushed out as politicians were pushing for a ban, that Cuomo is pushing for a ban right now.

Eric:           But -- and why? And who is telling Cuomo you need to ban [inaudible]? The tobacco industry. I'm sure there's some sort of monetary -- money tie -- there's a string somewhere with a tobacco lobbyist saying, "We really need to ban vaping because look at this study. Look how bad it is for you" because as -- it's cheaper than smoking. Is it not? Am I right?

Greg Gutfeld:          Yeah. Yeah. I've saved 25 bucks a week.

Eric:         So, even when the tobacco companies buy the vape companies and now they own it, they're still not going to turn the profit they would if you were smoking two or three packs a day. It's much more revenue friendly to them to have you smoke a cigarette instead of a vape. So, this is the way government and politics works. They want something done. They hit the lobby. The lobby hits the politicians. And, then, they back it up with some study that has probably been funded somewhere, someway, somehow. Am I wrong? 

Julie:         No. You're right. Actually, I don't know about Cuomo, but you're right about that. Yeah, for sure.

Greg Gutfeld:         I've said this --

Greg Gutfeld:         Okay. Answer, young lady.

Female:         Because I think that the opposition to vaping, actually, it doesn't necessarily have to do with the lobbyists per se. It's just that -- there is such a visceral reaction against smoking and blowing that in my face that people are holding onto past perceptions about smoking and they don't realize what this is and how it is helping people.

Greg Gutfeld:              It is.

Female:                       I mean you've taken like five years off your face just by not smoking.

Greg Gutfeld:             Thank you for that. Where have I put it?

Female:                       Well, and that's the other thing. People are worried that, if they quit smoking, that they'll gain weight. This is a great way for you to stop smoking and not feel like you're going to gain weight.

Greg Gutfeld:             I think -- I don't know if that's the case, but I'll buy that. Kimberly, I've said this before. If vaping had maybe been around 30 years ago, we'd have a lot more family members probably around because they would have stopped smoking and replaced it with something that doesn't have all the tar.

Kimberly:                    I think it's a great alternative I'm sure to just not even ever starting it or picking it up. But, if you do and you care and you want to make sure you're around for your family members, try it. Why not? I mean the science is there that it's good. It's a good alternative. It's healthier, and safe, and that's what you should be going with.

Greg Gutfeld:             There might be risks involved. You need to do research, but the research has to be real. It has to accurate.

Female:                       It has risks in everything.

Greg Gutfeld:             Yeah. There's risks in everything. That is true. And on that note, we're going to go to a break. Coming up…

Make E-Cigs a Part of Your New Years Resolution January 10, 2015 13:58

Top 5 list of 2015's New Years resolutions include switching to electronic cigarettes in an effort to quit smoking traditional cigarettes.

Once again, we have stepped into that time of the year when everyone is coming up with a list of things they want to accomplish within the next 12 months. Interestingly, over the past 10 years, the top five things that have been making it into people's lists have all through remained the same. Year in, year out, people all around the world have showed desire towards these five things:

1. Quit Smoking 
2. Reducing Waste
3. Getting in Shape
4. Weight Reduction
5. Saving More Money

In essence, this kind of list is bound to enhance one's personal well being. As a matter of fact, it aims at improving one's overall lifestyle. So regardless as to whether you plan on subscribing to a few or all of these New Year's Resolutions, you will amazed at just how one simple act (vaping), can help you achieve all of these resolutions. 

QUIT SMOKING

According to a national survey by the Forum Research, 27% of individuals who switch to electronic cigarettes have better chances of quitting smoking. A simple search on the internet will expose you to all kinds of stories about people who started using e-cigarettes and a couple of months down the line, found themselves to be completely tobacco free.

REDUCING WASTE

From the streets, to the restaurants and the shopping centers, you will find that a significant amount of waste comes from cigarettes. How is this so? Other than the fact that an empty pack of cigarette makes enough trash, the trash created by the 20 cigarette butts from this one pack is a lot worse. This is however not the case with e-cigarettes. In fact, the only waste created out of a 15 ml e-juice bottle is the empty bottle itself, and maybe one or two small coils. Though it is still waste, it's nothing compared to the waste created from cigarettes, as the former's 15 ml bottle is equivalent to roughly three packs of cigarettes.

GETTING IN SHAPE

It's obvious that everyone desires to get in shape and become fit. Unfortunately, since smokers are exposed to a wide range of tobacco related side effects, such as high blood pressure and inability to breath, working out isn't as easy thing for them. But in the case of vapers, working out is a lot easier. This is because they have easier time breathing, their blood pressure is improved and generally, they tend to feel more energetic and better about themselves.

WEIGHT REDUCTION

So you are on a strict diet, but everytime you think about or see some chocolate treats or cinnamon rolls, you instantly fall into temptation. With e-cigarettes, you no longer have to worry about this. This is because there are all kinds of flavors available in your e-juice and, they contain zero calories! As such, you can comfortably stick to your diet without ever feeling the need to indulge in delectable treats.

SAVING MORE MONEY

Let's do the math. If a pack of cigarettes costs $10.00, and one pack is to be smoked on daily basis, then, one would have to spend $3,650.00 on cigarettes in a year. Now let's compare this to e-cigarettes. You can see from our Electronic Cigarette Savings Calculator that it would cost approximately $730.00 per year for e-cigs, saving you a whopping $2,920.00

Many Canadians Are Now Using E-Cigarettes to Help Them Quit Smoking December 24, 2014 08:36

According to a recent report, 1 in 7 Canadian adults have tried electronic cigarettes. Most of them have tried e-cigarettes to quit smoking tobacco. According to a National Survey, around 64% people who smoke e-cigarettes also smoke traditional tobacco cigarettes. Another 27% people used to smoke. There are just 9% people smoking e-cigs who never smoked tobacco cigarettes. According to Lorne Bozinoff, President, Forum Research, contrary to fears, vaping doesn’t seem a gateway to traditional tobacco smoking. In fact, it may be helpful to quit smoking. 

International Review Supports Findings

Results from the survey support the findings of an exclusive international review. It suggests that electronic cigarettes can help reduce cigarette consumption and even help smokers quit. According to the review from Cochrane Collaboration, a renowned medical research group, 9% of people who smoke e-cigs containing nicotine quit tobacco cigarettes for over an year. On the other hand, only 4% of people who smoke nicotine-free e-cigs are able to quit tobacco cigarettes. 

Among people who continued smoking e-cigarettes, tobacco consumption was almost halved among 36% people using electronic cigarettes with nicotine, and 28% people using nicotine-free electronic cigarettes. According to Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Queen Mary University, these results suggest that electronic cigarettes are an effective smoking cessation tool. However, he still cautioned that the research was preliminary, and based on data from more than 660 smokers. Since products and markets are constantly changing, it’s early to make any pronouncements. 

In simple terms, Dr. Hajek claimed that it’s not clear how electronic cigarettes compare with some other smoking cessation tools, such as drugs and nicotine patches. Electronic cigarettes are affordable battery-powered devices, which vaporize flavored liquid to simulate the basic feel of smoking without any exposure to any deadly toxins present in tobacco. When it comes to Canada, electronic cigarettes containing nicotine aren’t approved for sale. However, they are still widely available. 

In fact, the poll also leads to some interesting findings. It claims that more than 50% people use nicotine fluid. The major of electronic cigarette smokers who continue to smoke in future prefer nicotine-based products. This is around 70%. However, there are only 4% quitters who use nicotine fluid. This is another hint that smoking electronic cigarettes isn’t a gateway to smoking. According to the poll, Canadians report that electronic cigarettes are used for a wide range of reasons : 

• To quit smoking - Around 29%
• Due to delicious flavors - Around 16%
• Permission to smoke in public - Around 14%
• Health reasons - Around 10%
• Recommendation from doctor - Around 4% 

On the other hand, the quit rate for some other products, including nicotine patches, is just about 10%. It’s worth mentioning that the success rate for quitting smoking is similar in people using nicotine based electronic cigarettes and people using flavored liquid. There’s no doubt that electronic cigarettes are an excellent smoking cessation device, which will continue to get increasingly popular in the market. 

Electronic cigarettes and oxygen therapy December 11, 2014 11:37

Health Canada bas been notified of an incident in Quebec involving e-cigarettes and oxygen therapy

Health Canada is aware of injuries to a certain consumer in a fire incident in the Province of Quebec that has been associated with the using of an electronic cigarette in an environment with a source of oxygen available. The information that Health Canada is presently in possession of is that the injured person was undergoing oxygen therapy when the incident occurred. Health Canada is also conscious of similar incidents that have been reported in other parts of the globe. Health Canada is currently working in conjunction with the relevant authorities so as to get more information about this particular incident in the Province of Quebec.

Consumers are warned to be vigilant due to the inherent potential risks involved when an electronic cigarette is used when one is undergoing oxygen therapy. This is because these cigarettes have a heating element -- as well as a power source that is either charged using USB support or a separate battery charger; sources of heat that may lead to the electronic cigarette being hazardly ignite if it is used near a container with oxygen under pressure like those used during oxygen therapies. Similarly, due to the fire risk involved, electronic cigarette batteries must never be charged close to an oxygen source.

In addition, Health Canada is warning consumers to be watchful over other electrical devices as well since they also have the ability to cause fires if used near such oxygen sources.

So, What Should You Do?

Consumer should never use or even charge electronic cigarettes close to oxygen sources like those pressurized oxygen containers that are used during an oxygen therapy.

Consumers should also desist from any use of electrical devices, including charging them, in close proximity to oxygen sources, for instance those pressurized containers used during oxygen therapies.

Consumers on oxygen therapy should always go through, and follow to the latter, all the warning inscriptions on oxygen source containers.

And What is Health Canada Doing?

Health Canada is carefully doing a monitoring of the marketplace looking out for information on safety-related incidents that involve electronic cigarettes or other electrical devices. Health Canada is also going to follow up with those companies whose products may be implicated in such incidents and accordingly take the appropriate actions to ensure that they comply with all the required safety standards. 

New Electronic Cigarette Regulations pending in Nova Scotia November 11, 2014 08:50

The government of Nova Scotia announced that electronic cigarettes will be banned from being used in indoor public environments with respect to the changes of the past tobacco laws.

A message from the health minister Leo Glavine explains that the government is trying to alter the meaning of smoking to stop vapour and waterpipes from electronic cigarettes.

In the  Smoke-free places Act, the true meaning of smoking will be altered to deal with artificial items such as vapour and waterpipes from electronic cigarettes. Furthermore, in the Tobacco Access Act, the meaning of tobacco smoking will be altered to address electronic cigarettes such as tobacco products.

The alteration of the law will as well prevent selling outlets from marketing electronic cigarettes to people under 19. However, it will also prevent stores from advertising, displaying or promoting e-cig products. Nevertheless, flavoured tobacco will be among the products on ban as well.

The health minister Leo Glavine went further by saying the procedures are required to deal with new proof that electronic cigarettes cause health damage, especially to the youth.

However, Imperial Tobacco mentioned that the government is making a big blunder by altering electronic cigarettes law just as it did for the tobacco options.

Electronic cigarettes usually offer nicotine in form of vapour and studies have shown that they are healthier than smoking. Nonetheless, a scientific debate is presently being carried out on their safety.

Imperial Tobacco markets smoking products fabricated from tobacco in Canada, but its parent company British American Tobacco fabricates and sells electronic cigarettes.

According to Sebastian Dolan, a spokesman for Imperial, he mentioned that as Health Canada is looking into the regulatory framework for electronic cigarettes and either Imperial Tobacco Canada or British American Tobacco wants to trade with these products, then hopes are the new law favors them.

In fact, Imperial cannot believe that the government is ignoring the counsel of some public health workers who prefer electronic cigarettes as an alternative to smoking.

The health minister re-accentuates that the government is not banning electronic cigarettes, but has plans to regulate them. 

Study Reveals E-Cigarettes Could Save Lives September 15, 2014 11:02

According to a study done in the United Kingdom, making a switch from tobacco to e-cigs could save the lives of over 50,000 smokers annually despite the recommendations from the World Health Organization to limit their consumption.

The main concern of the World Health Organization is that young people will see the advertisements of e-cigarettes and decide to begin smoking them, but would then later switch to using regular tobacco cigarettes. The government did say that they would not be banning the use of e-cigarettes in indoor areas. However, they will be implementing additional regulations regarding the marketing techniques used for e-cigarettes.

There are differing opinions in the public health community about the consequences of the marketing of electronic cigarettes. One side of the argument believes that e-cigs will make smoking seem normal again to boost overall sales within the tobacco industry, while others believe e-cigarette ads to be a good way to encourage people to quit smoking by giving them a healthier alternative.

It has been estimated that about 6,000 premature deaths are prevented for every million smokers who decide to switch from tobacco cigarettes to electronic cigarettes. That means that if all 9 million smokers across the United Kingdom made the change to e-cigarettes, approximately 54,000 premature deaths would be prevented.

Professor Ann McNeill is the head of the National Addiction Center of King’s College London. She was surprised by the negative response that these ads received, and didn’t think that this negative response lined up well with the evidence that shows that how much safer e-cigarettes are than traditional tobacco cigarettes.

Another area of dispute among experts is the question of whether or not young people using electronic cigarettes is a problem. However, studies have shown that there are very few incidences of non-smokers deciding to begin using e-cigs, which means the vast majority of e-cigarette users are individuals who have been smoking tobacco cigarettes who are changing to e-cigarettes.

Although there are still harmful chemicals that can be found in e-cigs, there are significantly less in them as there are in tobacco cigarettes, which makes them much safer. The World Health Organization understands the health benefits of switching to electronic cigarettes and are not moving to ban them. Rather, they are looking for ways to promote smokers to switch to e-cigarettes while reducing the number of young people who may start smoking e-cigs because of the way these ads are presented.

One thing all experts agree on is that electronic cigarettes are still fairly new on the market, and because many of the long-term health implications as well as other important facts on who is using these e-cigarettes have not yet been evaluated. For that reason, there is a lot more research that needs to be done to ensure that smokers are being saved from premature death by switching to electronic cigarettes and new smokers are not being created.

Regulation Will Hinder E-Cig Sales September 6, 2014 10:30

Electronic Cigarettes are designed to recreate the experience of smoking and hence its popularity is constantly rising. However many of these electronic cigarettes that contain nicotine are violating the rules and regulations of Health Canada and this is a matter of grave concern for the industry in Canada.

Phillip Gorham, a tobacco analyst from U.S. investment research & management company Morningstar stated that the growth of the e-cigarette industry would be hampered in case the regulatory bodies plan to impose controls just like the ones imposed on tobacco products. He also states that there will be rise in the cost and the tax as well as the legislation, which puts a limit on the advertisements, store displays and also sets down guidelines on the people who wish to sell them.

According to Gorham the e-cigarette industry was flourishing. He further iterated that if the device is kept away from the public view, it will not be as easy to get new sales.

He also stated that the e-cigarettes relied on marketing for their growth and in the absence of marketing the cigarette companies will not be able to create interest in new consumers.

The UN health agency has requested its member countries to restrict the minors from buying these e-cigarettes and it also asked for a ban to be imposed on using them indoors unless more proof is collected regarding their risk. The UN health agency also stated that the growing popularity of the product was putting a risk on the public health.

Dr. Douglas Bettcher the director of the WHO’s Department for Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases termed e-cigarettes as a double edged sword. He further elaborated saying, “The tobacco industry is taking greater share — as public health partners, pretending to be part of the solution to the health disaster they have created.”

Tommaso Di Giovanni, the head of the reduced-risk product communications at Phillip Morris however opposed the WHO and criticized it for terming it as a “de facto exclusion of tobacco companies in the democratic process.”

In an email sent to the Associated Press he stated, “This view ignores the fact that product innovation to develop and assess truly reduced risk alternatives to combustible cigarettes can play an important role for public health”. He further mentioned that likeminded companies are supporting this innovation and also have the required knowledge & resources needed to attain their goals.

The ECTA (Electronic Cigarette Trade Association of Canada) has stated that the member retailers have a sales record of around 10,000 to 20,000 dollars per month.

Some supporters of e-cigarettes oppose the stand taken by Health Canada and recommend that the e-cigarette juice which contains nicotine is controlled by the Consumer Chemicals & Containers Regulations of 2001.

There is a mixed opinion amongst addiction experts & public health officials over considering these e-cigarettes as an aid to stop smoking. Some people feel that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to normal cigarettes and they are useful in saving lives. 

Our own research conducted among our customer base was that there are many traditional smokers who have been smoking for 30, 40 or 50 years . . . and after they switched to using our nicotine free electronic cigarette were finally able to permanently do away with tobacco cigarettes. This is after many failed attempts with the use of cessation products such as patches, oral sprays, lozenges and gums.

Therefore in conclusion, we feel unnecessary controls and regulations imposed on electronic cigarettes would do more harm than good not only for the industry but for the consumers who are benefiting from their use.

The Board of health in Toronto considers imposing a ban on electronic smoking devises August 13, 2014 12:06

The Medical Officer at the Board of Health in Toronto recommends a ban on electronic cigarettes in the areas in which smoking is prohibited in the city if Queens Park fails to impose province-wide restriction by February next year. According to the report, a review of the evidence is available as regards the use of e-cigarettes; their health effects; safety and potential as an aid to quit smoking, and the response of the government in various jurisdictions revealed several concerns. This included initiation of youth into smoking and the potential of the smoking habit becoming normal and undermining the existing legislation on tobacco control.

The Medical Officer of Health in the city Dr. David McKeown is therefore recommending an amendment to the Smoke-Free Ontario Act incorporate a ban on e-cigarettes at places where smoking is prohibited in Ontario. If the authorities of the province fail to take action by February 2015, the Medical Officer of Health will consult with the city solicitor, other divisions of the city, and stakeholders, and report to the Board of Health on the measures taken by the municipality for prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes in areas where smoking is banned as per the city by-laws or Smoke-Free Ontario Act.

During this time, the medical officer will also work with the city manager and explore the possibility of developing an internal policy to ban the use of e-cigarettes in workplaces in the city.

Meanwhile, many electronic cigarettes users said that they understand the concerns raised by McKeowns, but they wanted policy makers to understand that e-cigarettes are harmless.

One e-cigarette user said that these devices produce the same vapor as that of the smoke machines used in clubs. He also said, “I know it is healthy because it does not release toxins into the air like tobacco cigarettes”. However, Health Canada refuses to approve the import or sale of devices or e-liquids that contain nicotine.

E-cigarettes are widely available despite Health Canada’s directives as the sale of e-cigarettes without nicotine content is not regulated. McKeown also recommends that the board take up the matter with the federal government and amend the legislation in order to regulate e-cigarettes in a better manner.

E-cigarettes when used along with e-liquids that contain nicotine produce water and propylene glycol (a constituent in e-liquids) vapors and not smoke. Further, many experts are of the opinion that e-cigarettes are much safer than their tobacco counterparts.

According to Samantha Grant, spokeswoman of the Health Minister of the province Eric Hoskins, the ministry is monitoring the use of e-cigarettes vis-à-vis emerging research. The ministry has also requested Ottawa to actively regulate e-cigarettes.

The Board of Health’s report also points out that the municipalities across Ontario have been pushing the provincial as well as the federal governments for regulating the manufacture, promotion, sale and display of e-smoking devices.

Actions have been initiated at many places in Canada to prohibit the use of e-cigarettes. This includes Red Deer and Alta. Peel region has banned e-cigarettes smoking in workplaces and York Region school boards has banned its use as well. The Toronto Transit Commission Board is also expected to amend their smoking bylaw in order to prohibit use of e-cigarettes on TTC property by fall this year, according to the report.

Canadian Electronic Cigarette Market Continues to Boom but Scientists Still Debate their Safety July 30, 2014 12:40

As the use of electronic cigarettes in Canada and throughout the world continue to grow generating billions of dollars in revenues, legislators are planning to implement regulations and results from more and more research studies which are being published every month. However, the jury is still not sure either about their safety or as to whether use of e-cigarettes is the first step towards becoming a smoker.

A New York Times report published earlier this week highlighted the apprehension that the business is being taken over by the tobacco industry. The report also expressed fears that kids are being targeted with candy flavours and advertisements that feature celebrities or cartoon characters.

In the mean time, the not-so-reliable Daily Mirror published reports highlighting the possibility of the e-cigarettes exploding if wrong chargers are used. The report cited several examples to substantiate the concerns.

If you are not up-to-date on this new trend, an electronic cigarette consists of a battery, a cartridge filled with e-juice and a heating coil. Nicotine may or may not be used in the e-juice. The coil gets heated as it draws power from the battery and the heat causes the e-juice to vaporize. When you pull on the e-cigarette, the vapour is drawn through the wick. As there is no smoke, it is called vaping.

According to the proponents of electronic cigarettes, they are a better tool to help smokers quit their habit because vaping resembles smoking and it is possible to adjust nicotine intake. In Canada, electronic cigarettes can not legally contain nicotine e-juice. However, sale of e-cigarettes containing nicotine and those that claim health benefits are not being closely monitored.

Health Canada has said in an email addressed to CBC News that conclusive evidence is not available as of date to prove that the benefit of e-cigarettes helping Canadians quit smoking tobacco cigarettes outweighs the risks involved.

For authorizing a vaping product, it is essential to prove to Health Canada that the product is of good quality and that it safe and effective. The Canadian Medical Association said in their Journal last year that this regulatory hurdle is one of the toughest in the world. The Association wants authorities to treat electronic cigarettes as a pharmaceutical product and not as a tobacco product.

Domination of the Tobacco Industry

A key issue currently being debated by scientists is whether vaping products would serve as a gateway to smoking. The medical community fears that an e-cigarette is like a Trojan horse. It will help the tobacco industry to undo the progress made in reducing the prevalence of smoking over decades. The editorial in the journal also points out that the tobacco industry would have a better future in places where e-cigarettes are doing well. They do not help to replace use of tobacco.

In the U.S., the e-cigarettes industry is dominated by Lorillard Tobacco Company. This company is being purchased by Imperial Tobacco. This means that they would have a better reach in the U.K as well as in Canada.

A director of British American Tobacco that sells Vype e-cigarettes, Kingsley Wheaton said in the British documentary named "The Rise of the E-cigarette" that an electronic cigarette is a safer alternative to smoking a tobacco cigarette.

As many as 53 specialists from the field of public health sent letters to the World Health Organization and argued that e-cigarettes could be of help in tobacco harm reduction. According to them, nicotine is ingested in non-combustible form in vaping and hence toxic gases do not enter the lungs as in the case of tobacco cigarettes.

Status of Electronic Cigarettes with Nicotine in Canada is Still Hazy July 21, 2014 10:46

Canadians can still purchase electronic cigarettes containing nicotine and nicotine solution cartridges even though Health Canada has issued a warning prohibiting their unauthorized advertisement, importation and sale. Further, legalities associated with the use of e-cigarettes in workplaces and public places continue to be confusing to many.

Electronic cigarettes – What is their legal status?

• As we understand it, both the Federal Court of Canada and Health Canada consider electronic smoking products that contain nicotine as "drugs" as per the Food and Drugs Act as well as the Food and Drugs Regulations.Health Canada has also issued a notice and advisory warning people that they should not buy or use electronic cigarettes

• They have also directed all those who are involved in importing, advertising and selling of e-cigarettes in Canada to stop doing the same if they don’t possess appropriate authorizations.

•  Further, the e-cigarettes’ nicotine delivery system must comply with the requirements specified in the Medical Devices Regulations.

•  Establishments need to obtain licenses from Health Canada prior to importing as well as manufacturing e-cigarettes.

•  The observation of the Federal Court of Canada is that electronic cigarettes are mainly used for delivering nicotine.

In Canada, electronic smoking products containing nicotine do not have market authorization. Therefore, the sale of these products does not comply with the Act.

Here are a few things that we do not know:

• Are electronic smoking devices without nicotine delivery systems covered by the Act?

• Is it legal to import, advertise and sell electronic cigarettes that do not have nicotine cartridges or those do not come with cartridges?

• Will Health Canada issue a policy on compliance or an enforcement policy?

•  Will e-cigarettes be regulated just like tobacco products?

What are employers doing about Electronic Cigarettes in the workplace?

A number of employers are taking action to comply with regulatory stipulations. In the U.S., Wal-Mart Stores has banned e-cigarettes from all of their offices and stores. Other large employers in the U.S. like Target, General Electric and Home Depot have followed suit. Several employers in Canada are also taking similar actions. The reason for the ban is that these cigarettes contain nicotine derived from tobacco in some form or they are mainly used for delivering nicotine.

As regards the electronic cigarettes that do not deliver nicotine, it is being debated whether they should be considered on par with traditional tobacco cigarettes or not. The response of some of the employers to this issue has been based on the scent-free or scent-sensitive workplace policies that they have adopted. This justifies the employer in banning the use of e-cigarettes in all different forms in the workplace.

Another debate that has been going on is whether e-cigarettes are potentially effective in helping people quit smoking tobacco cigarettes. As of now, conclusive evidence is not available, but employers as well as human resources managers who have developed plans to help their employees quit smoking are keeping close track of the debate. This is because they may be bound to accommodate e-cigarette smokers. As of now, e-cigarettes have not been approved by Health Canada as a product for nicotine replacement or for helping to quit smoking of tobacco cigarettes. 

Final Thoughts

According to many of the action groups of non-smokers, the increased availability of e-cigarettes has served to re-normalize smoking (after the ban imposed on smoking tobacco cigarettes in public places and workplace) and thwarted the progress made in the reduction of tobacco usage. 

Health Canada has not yet specified the legal framework as regards the usage of electronic cigarettes. The regulatory authority also has not clarified as to whether the controls applicable for tobacco products will also be valid for e-cigarettes. As of now, many of the employers have chosen to treat electronic cigarettes on par with tobacco cigarettes, especially because of the uncertainties related to health benefits and regulatory control. In fact, they have deemed that electronic cigarettes should be a part of the efforts being made to maintain a tobacco-free workplace setting. 

It is important that employers monitor advisories issued by Health Canada as regards e-cigarettes on a continuous basis. If they have questions related to establishing policies or how they can incorporate policies on electronic cigarettes into their existing workplace policies, they can get in touch with one of the members at McMillan’s Employment and Labor Relations Group.

Are E-Cigarettes Proven to Help Quit Real Cigarettes? July 16, 2014 10:47

It has not been scientifically determined as to whether electronic cigarettes can really help you to give up smoking of tobacco cigarettes. This is because it is a new product in the market and data has to be collected over many years and analyzed before drawing conclusions. The data collected has to be then tested and reviewed by the scientific community. Therefore, any consensus on whether e-cigarettes are helpful in helping people quit smoking can be arrived at only after many years. 

In Canada, this process is one that has not even bugun, so it will likely be many, many more years before Heath Canada will actually able to present any concrete evidence as to the ability or non-ability of electronic cigarettes aiding in the efforts to quit smoking amongst Canadians

If are going through this article, the chances are that either you or someone close to you must have been able to reduce the number of tobacco cigarettes they smoke with the help of e-cigarettes. Many people have even been able to quit smoking tobacco cigarettes. Anecdotal evidence points out that people who are using e-cigarettes are able to reduce their use of tobacco cigarettes. If you ask a person who is smoking e-cigarettes, he/she will tell you that they have been able to at least cut down on the use of traditional cigarettes. 

For many smokers, the goal is not to reduce their use of tobacco cigarettes, but quit smoking. It does not matter what Mr. Twain says about quitting, it is very difficult to give up smoking despite the fact that high quality e-cigarettes and e-juices are available now.

Here is a quote from an e-cigarette user who wants to quit. Please check it out.

Who Said It is Easy to Quit Smoking

Many smokers who turn to the e-cigarette believe that it is a magic potion which will help them quit smoking. Of course, some are able to quit and live happily ever after, but for some others it is a struggle that they have to contend with. 

Ultimately, the truth is this. E-cigarettes cannot provide the magic solution that smokers are looking for. However, they can be a very handy tool which will help them quit their smoking habit. We all recognize the fact that it is not easy to make the switch, but if you have already started smoking e-cigarettes or thinking about trying out e-cigs, don’t give up even though you experience the craving for cigarettes at times. Stick with it and strive for a smoke free life. You will be glad you did.

New Controversial Electronic Cigarettes Make Big Claims July 9, 2014 09:22

The number of brands of e-cigarettes currently available in the market is about 500 and every month at least 10 more new brands are getting added. One of the newly added local brands has been strongly criticized by doctors as well as concerned parents.

The "Get" brand of e-cigarettes sold by several Canadian e-cigarette retailers comes with names such as "Get-Energized", "Get-Relaxed", "Get-Lean" and "Get-Intimate". The manufacturer claims that these e-cigarettes will help people experience a boost in energy and libido. They further claim that they can also help people to lose weight as they are capable of suppressing ones appetite.

Whereas the key ingredient of "Get-Lean" e-cigarettes is hoodia, a herbal supplement that is widely promoted as a diet pill, "Get-Energized" and "Get-Intimate" e-cigarettes contain caffeine and epimedium (purportedly a natural aphrodisiac), respectively.

It is not possible to know how much of these ingredients are present in their e-cig products as the packaging does not provide any information. Moreover, the website for getvapes.com is under construction at the time of this writing.

According to Dr. Milan Khara who heads the Smoking Cessation Clinic at the General Hospital in Vancouver, Canada, the dosages and quality of these products are not controlled in any manner as they are not subject to any regulations.

The ingredients found in these e-cigarettes are natural health products as far as Health Canada is concerned. In an email, Health Canada noted that for legally selling the products in the country they need to have natural product authorization numbers. However, theses e-cigarettes packages displayed on racks meant for special promotions by Rexall drug stores throughout Canada do not carry any authorization numbers.

Dr. Khara opined that the target market for this particular electronic cigarette is teenagers as well as young people. Denying Dr. Khara’s claim, Derek Tupling, Rexall’s corporate communications director, said that the drug store does not market or promote these products to young people. He added that e-cigarette can be legally sold in Canada.

The concern voiced by health officials is that such designer e-cigarettes may make children turn to smoking tobacco eventually. Dr. Khara said, “These products are likely to set kids on track for the use of traditional cigarettes."