Have you seen the new, disposable flavored tobacco vape pen? Learn more.
Great read: Burning Questions: Are E-Cigarettes Safer than Traditional Cigarettes for Pregnant Women?, Reproductive Issues
A study by UNC School of Medicine researchers shows that e-liquids for e-cigarettes and other “vaping” products can be toxic to human cells. Some highlights from the study:
- Overall, they found that each e-liquid could have very different ingredients from the next. They also found that the more ingredients an e-liquid had, the more toxic it was.
- Two e-liquid ingredients seemed to be the most toxic: vanillin, which gives e-liquids a vanilla flavor, and cinnamaldehyde, which gives them a cinnamon flavor. These flavoring ingredients are used in many e-liquids. E-liquids with more vanillin and cinnamaldehyde were more toxic to cells.
- Because e-cigarettes and “vaping” products are relatively new, there has not yet been regulation on e-liquids. But the FDA is beginning to regulate e-liquid ingredients.
- The researchers have set up a database of e-liquid ingredients and toxicity data that anyone can access. The results from their tests can be found at www.eliquidinfo.org.
- Full-text journal article can be found here.
Find out what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says about e-cigarettes here.
The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine released a report summarizing the scientific findings about e-cigarettes. Find summaries of the report and the full report here.
Learn the facts, statistics, and regulations on e-cigarettes from Truth Initiative here.
Big tobacco and vaping
Many of the same tactics that big tobacco companies used to try to increase the number of smokers a generation ago are being used by the e-cigarette industry today. Advertisements specifically targeting young people, flavors that appeal more to younger consumers, and the positioning of e-cigarettes as innovative and modern are techniques that were used by cigarette companies in the past and are being used by e-cigarette makers today. E-cigarette makers are challenging FDA oversight of their products, effectively delaying regulation of their products and increasing potential harm to consumers, just as the tobacco companies did (Source).
Many other examples of the similarities between cigarette and e-cigarette advertising strategies have been compiled by The Smithsonian.
In December of 2018, Altria, the parent company of Phillip Morris, bought a 35 percent stake in Juul, the largest manufacturer of e-cigarettes. This cemented the influence of “big tobacco” on the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes. Read the details.
Find more information about electronic cigarettes, tobacco, and free 24/7 confidential support to quit at QuitlineNC.com.
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