Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D Conn., is one of the most vehement advocates of restricting the sale of electronic cigarettes. He says the vapor producing devices, which are booming in popularity, have become “gateway nicotine delivery devices” for children and he advocates banning flavor options and online sales.
E cigarettes are hailed by the companies that produce them and former tobacco cigarette smokers who use them as potential life savers. U.S sales are expected to double this year to $1.7 billion, according to a Wells Fargo Securities estimate published in August. Year to date retail sales were estimated at around $700 million and online sales were pegged at $500 625 million.
Blumenthal isn’t sold on the health claims and says flavors make e cigarettes appealing for kids while online sales make them easy to acquire.
“I think flavors ought to be banned,” Blumenthal told U.S. News. It’s “completely disingenuous” to say adults are the primary users of popular flavor options, he said.
“There may be a handful of adults who like bubble gum flavored e cigarettes, but the overwhelming purpose,” he said, “is to appeal to kids.”
STUDY One in Five U.S. Smokers Has Tried an ‘E Cigarette’
But supporters of e cigarettes warn banning flavors could do more harm than good. “When people want to quit smoking, a lot of times they don’t want to be reminded of what a cigarette tastes like,” Gregory Conley, legislative director of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke free Alternatives Association, told U.S. News. He credits watermelon flavored e cigarette liquid with helping him quit conventional cigarettes. “If I was restricted to a tobacco flavor and a menthol flavor and Senator Blumenthal or the FDA got flavored electronic cigarettes banned, I would still be smoking.”
Conley now blends flavors to mimic the taste of the drink Hi C.
Just how would flavored e cigarette liquid be banned? “Perhaps the electronic cigarette industry would do so voluntarily,” Blumenthal says, “but if not, I think the Food and Drug Administration ought to.”
The FDA is currently considering how it will regulate the devices. It’s unclear what authority the agency will claim, or if Congress would need to first dole out more regulatory power.
RELATED U.S. News Talks With the CDC’s Anti Smoking Director About E Cigs
The Wall Street Journal reported in August that some FDA officials were discussing a possible online sales ban, although it’s unclear how serious that consideration is. Such a move could knock smaller companies without retail relationships out of the market.
Blumenthal said he supports the idea of an online sales ban “very much.” Such a ban would be “very appropriate,” he says.
“The online sales are obviously very anonymous and they are prone to children posing as adults,” Blumenthal says. “They must know there are all kinds of ways children can buy them.”
Celebrity endorsements, such as an August ad for the brand blu eCigs featuring former Playboy model Jenny McCarthy, are also intended to target children, Blumenthal alleged.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Sept. 5 that its 2012 National Youth Tobacco Survey found 10 percent of high school students tried an electronic cigarette at least once. More than 92 percent of high school students who reported trying an electronic cigarette had also smoked a tobacco cigarette, but the survey did not ask which they sampled first.
Corresponding 2012 data for conventional tobacco products will be released sometime in the next few weeks, CDC spokesperson Joel London told U.S. News. In 2011, the CDC found, 18.1 percent of high school students smoked a conventional cigarette in the past month and the CDC estimates between one third and one half of high school students have tried a tobacco cigarette at least once.
Congressional skeptics of the e cigarette industry, which is largely unregulated, pounced on the survey data. Five Democratic senators, including Blumenthal, issued a joint press release at the time promising regulation of e cigarettes. “This information is a call to action,” said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D Ill.
Best electronic cigarettes in australia – whysmoke e-cigarettes sydney
E Cigarettes The new cigarette smoking alternative for Australians
The question of where to buy electronic cigarettes has now been answered. Electronic cigarettes, E cigarettes or Ecigs offer a new alternative to the old tradition of smoking of regular cigarettes.
WHYSMOKE is Australia’s leading Electronic Cigarette suppliers. We are a 100% Australian owned and operated company based in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire. Our customers can choose to buy our ecigarettes online or visit our retail store located at Shop 3, President Lane, Caringbah NSW 2229.
Our range of e cigarette starter packs and accessories will help you switch to the new smoking alternative and give you the best chance at quitting smoking that money can buy. Buy your electronic cigarettes online with WHYSMOKE and break free from addiction.
WHYSMOKE are your one stop online destination for buying your electronic cigarettes and accessories. All our products have been carefully designed and tested, by us, to meet the highest quality control standards. You can smoke our e cigarettes virtually anywhere at any time, for a fraction of the cost of traditional cigarettes. Buy electronic cigarettes online from WHYSMOKE and save.
Interrupting your social activities to go outside and smoke a traditional cigarette is now a thing of the past when you buy electronic cigarettes online at WHYSMOKE. We stock only quality products to give our customers the very best electronic cigarette experience.
In the year 2012 TV is 3D, phone calls use video technology, books and magazines are digital instead of paper. This is the digital age, and traditional smoking has no place in this time. So ditch the stinky smokes for good, and buy your e cigarettes online through WHYSMOKE.
WHYSMOKE are the electronic cigarette suppliers with a commitment to your well being. If you are looking for where to buy electronic cigarettes, look no further than WHYSMOKE. Our smokeless E cigarettes are the perfect alternative to traditional cigarettes
Same look & feel of regular cigarettes, same satisfying sensation but 90% less expensive. Same satisfying sensation of smoking without all the harmful chemicals. Smoke anywhere at your desk, in a restaurant, even on a plane. No ash mess, no tar, no lingering smell on your breath or clothes. We are Australia s preferred electronic cigarette suppliers, offering exceptional flavour and exceptional service with all of our products. Our number one goal is building a long lasting relationship with each and every E cigarette customer.
We work hard to ensure all orders are dispatched from our Australian warehouse within 24 hours so we can get your electronic cigarettes to you sooner.
Our courteous and efficient customer service team is available to answer all your electronic cigarette questions any time. So don t hesitate buy your electronic cigarettes online today at WHYSMOKE.
Your journey towards a new life life begins today. Buy from our online electronic cigarette catalogue and notice the difference!