Smoking has been banned in most public places, and die-hard smokers are looking for new ways to feed their nicotine habit. One product, growing in popularity, is raising concerns with the FDA, but those looking to kick the habit say it has helped them. (more…)

Johnson Creek — Christian Berkey was a nearly two-pack-a-day smoker when he heard about electronic cigarettes, a device that vaporizes a solution of water, nicotine and flavoring without the smoke and the combustion. Berkey went on the Internet and ordered the device. “I was stunned. I took a puff, and it gave me the same experience as cigarettes,” Berkey said. “It looked like smoke coming out, but you can’t smell it. It addressed the tactile sensation of smoking.” There was one problem.

“I was not thrilled by the taste,” he said. “Chinese smoke juice had a chemical aspect to it.”

Berkey decided he could do better. He wasn’t worried about perfecting the pen-like device, which carries a battery and usually has an LED light on the end. He believed the solution to a successful smoking experience was to make the smoke juice taste better.

Berkey went to work, testing various formulas and trying to improve the taste. That was in November 2007. By February 2008, he started to see some results. Two months and countless variations later, he found the formula he liked.

Unlike the Chinese version, which contains countless ingredients, Berkey’s formula was simple, using only seven ingredients.

In July 2008, Berkey quit his job as a manager of an Apple retail store and took the plunge.

He started to talk about his product on online forums devoted to e-cigarettes. He offered consumers free samples. The feedback he was getting was good.

“They loved it,” he said. “No one wanted to touch the Chinese stuff.”

Ramping up

That was Berkey’s “aha moment.” He cashed in his 401(k) and started his business, called Johnson Creek Enterprises.

“It was not an easy decision, but I did it,” Berkey said.

Berkey convinced Heidi Braun, another Apple employee, to join him. A non-smoker and an asthmatic, Braun wasn’t exactly the ideal business partner for an e-cigarette smoke juice business.

“But I trusted Christian’s ability to come up with a business plan,” she said.

From that humble start, Johnson Creek Enterprises has grown to 14 full-time employees, has a thriving business that expects to generate $2 million in sales this year, and is looking to move into bars, restaurants, bowling alleys and taverns with sales of e-cigarettes and the company’s Johnson Creek Original Smoke Juice.

And the two did it with no advertising.

At their cramped headquarters in a Johnson Creek industrial park, Berkey, the CEO, and Braun, the chief operating officer, are proud of the quality controls they have in their business. The smoke juice is prepared and put in small bottles in a “clean room,” a controlled environment where products are manufactured, where lab technicians wear head-to-toe lab coveralls and goggles.

The company claims to be the first company to produce smoke juice in the United States. It lists its ingredients on every bottle, uses child-resistant caps on the bottles, and shrink wraps the bottles for extra safety.

Berkey and Braun say business is so good, they plan to add as many as 12 to 14 more employees in the months to come. And they are looking for a bigger building to handle their needs.

Johnson Creek Enterprises produces 10 different flavors in four nicotine strengths for the firm’s Johnson Creek Original Smoke Juice line. And it offers six flavors in three nicotine strengths for the Red Oak, propylene glycol-free smoke juice line.

A 1-ounce bottle of smoke juice costs $19.95. A half-ounce bottle costs $9.95.

Regulators take notice

The business is not for everyone. The Food and Drug Administration conducted a lab test of electronic cigarette samples it said contained carcinogens and toxic chemicals, such as diethylene glycol (DEG), an ingredient used in antifreeze.

Moreover, the FDA warned that smoke juice and e-cigarettes are being marketed and sold to young people, and contain no health warnings. The flavors, the FDA said, “may appeal to young people.”

The FDA study, Berkey said, did find DEG but in trace amounts. Asked whether the FDA had tested Johnson Creek smoke juice, Berkey said he could not comment.

“I know regulation is coming, and it’s fine,” Berkey said. “We definitely look forward to working with the FDA.”

Berkey and Braun also are anticipating July 5, when state businesses must go smoke-free. The company has an exclusive agreement with Blu electronic cigarettes, and hopes to convince the owners of bars, restaurants and other public places to sell the e-cigarettes and their smoke juice in their establishments.

“We have a lot of folks who are interested in this,” Braun said.

The new law does not forbid the use and consumption of e-cigarettes, but both Berkey and Braun agree their venture will only succeed if they educate the public about the device and their smoke juice.

Maureen Busalacchi, executive director of Smoke Free Wisconsin, isn’t buying it. Johnson Creek’s efforts to get into the restaurant and bar business by selling the e-cigarettes and the smoke juice may confuse people.

“And it’s appalling they are trying to get kids addicted to nicotine,” she said.

Berkey understands that. Puffing on an e-cigarette, he and Braun argue that people should educate themselves on the product.

“This is an alternative. It’s better than smoking,” Berkey said.

From jsonline.com, June 21, 2010

Electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigs” as they are sometimes called, are a fairly new take on an age old habit. These battery powered devices look practically identical to an actual cigarette and are about the same size as one. Contained within the unit is what is called an “atomizer”, which is a piece of micro technology that is the key component to how the device works. Small, disposable cartridges full of nicotine infused e-liquid are inserted into the atomizer, which in turn is screwed onto the battery, which composes the main bulk of the electronic cigarette. From there the process is about as user friendly as it gets. By either inhaling directly from the unit (automatic function), or pressing a button while inhaling (triggered function), the unit immediately vaporizes the e-liquid into a thick, white, odorless vapor that is identical to smoke. The process is so seamless, that many people claim the experience is indiscernible from that of traditional smoking.

Much of the hype of this new product is attributed to the many benefits it holds over tobacco. For instance, the vapor produced by the e cigarette is completely odorless and leaves no hint of ever existing on your person or your surroundings. And since the byproduct is only vapor second hand smoke is not an issue, which means most smoking bans and restrictions do not apply to the electronic cigarette; you can use it virtually anywhere. But perhaps the most significant aspect of the e-cig is the fact that its nicotine liquid and the vapor produced by it contain none of the tar, chemicals, or carcinogens that tobacco is known to possess.

There is an automatic led light built into the tip of the e-cig to simulate a lit cigarette. No sort of ignition is ever required while using an electronic cigarette because all of the vaporization takes place within the unit and is a flameless technology. This means no lighters or matches will ever be needed again and more importantly, no risk of cigarette burns in furniture or falling asleep with a lit cigarette. No more ash all over the car dashboard, no more over flowing ashtrays and no more cigarette butts; it’s an amazing experience to feel like you have just smoked a cigarette and yet still feel very fresh and unsullied.

Each individual nicotine cartridge has a nicotine level, ranging from HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW and NON-NICOTINE. This innovative feature makes it suitable to tailor the experience to exactly what the user wants, and makes it convenient to gradually swap out to lower levels and ultimately use non-nicotine cartridges, if one wished to do so. In addition to nicotine levels, e cigarettes also give you the option to select a variety of different flavors per cartridge. And with each individual cartridge equaling between a half to a full pack of cigarettes and a FIVE pack of cartridges typically about $9.99, it’s easy to see the potential money to be saved when converting from cigarette to e-cig.

This is a product that should have been around decades ago and it’s finally here, showing us that tobacco is no longer the only choice.

officialwire.com, by Lincoln Anderson, June 17, 2010

First, there are significant differences between an e-cigarette and a conventional tobacco one. The electronic cigarette is not lit by fire. There is no smoldering or burning of any substance. Instead, the electronic cigarette contains liquid nicotine encased in a plastic filter combined with a micro-heating element. When you inhale or ‘puff’ on this alternative cigarette, the heating element warms the nicotine in the filter to produce a stream of vapor. This is inhaled and exhaled in the same way as a traditional cigarette. To enhance the experience and sensation of smoking, the vapor is flavoured to replicate the taste of either a tobacco or menthol cigarette. The e-cigarette is designed to simulate smoking a real cigarette and should not be confused with a regular nicotine inhaler.

There is no tar, carbon monoxide, tobacco or secondhand smoke with the e-cigarette. Also, there is no physical smoke or passive smoke. A non-lingering vapor is emitted, similar to steam from a boiling kettle. This vapor or steam is virtually odorless and vanishes within seconds.

The UK smoking ban does not apply to the use of e-cigarettes. The electronic cigarette can ‘legally’ be used inside any public place including leisure and hospitality establishments, places or work, offices and shops.

The e-cigarette is usually purchased as part of a kit. These kits include a rechargeable cigarette battery, the e-cigarette, a charger and nicotine cartridges. You can order an Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit direct from VIP.

It is estimated that 1 in 10 smokers in the UK will switch from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes by 2012.

ukpressreleases.co.uk, By: Press Room, June 16, 2010

The typical electronic cigarette looks no different than a traditional smoke at a distance, only it weighs about as much as a heavy pen. The devices have been available for years, but haven’t been noticed much until the beginning of this year, said Rebecca Ryan, director of health promotion for the American Lung Association in Vermont. Currently few, if any, regulations govern the devices, she said. Megan Surdam, 21, of Woodford, who works at the Beverage Den & Smoke Shop on North Street said the den has sold about 100 PureSmoke starter kits. The kits sell for a little over $50 and come with an “atomizing cartridge,” an “atomizing device” and battery components. The cartridge looks like a filter and screws into the battery pack, which is painted white to look like the paper wrapping on a traditional cigarette.

The cartridges deliver a dose of nicotine, the addictive chemical found in tobacco smoke, when the user inhales off it, said Surdam. With the PureSmoke variety, the tip lights up to simulate a lit cigarette. The cartridges sell for $30 and are roughly equal to a carton of normal cigarettes.

Most people who buy them have heard about them someplace else, she said, and are trying to use them as a quitting device.

“They work really good if you are committed to it,” she said.

The e-cigarette’s role as a quitting tool and its status as a tobacco product are the root of the questions. “Our position is we are with the Food and Dug Administration’s (FDA) position that the product is a drug delivery device, not a tobacco product,” said Ryan.
In April, the lung association, the American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network sent a letter to the FDA urging it to ban the sale of e-cigarettes until regulations could be imposed on their safety and restriction their availability to children. The letter accused e-cigarette manufacturers of making false claims as to the product’s safety.

Sheri Lynn, Tobacco Control Program Chief for the Vermont Department of Health, said there are no FDA regulations of e-cigarettes, which raises concerns about consumer safety. She said carcinogenic substances have been found in some of the e-cigarettes, especially the ones manufactured overseas, and while the risk to others from second hand smoke may be negated, there is still concern over the person using the product.

The PureSmokes at the Smoker’s Den don’t contain tobacco, and legally could be sold to those under 18.

“Store policy for us is we wouldn’t sell it to anyone under 18, just like we wouldn’t sell a non-alcoholic beverage to anyone under 21,” said Jim Brown, manager of the Smoker’s Den.

Brown said the e-cigarettes are not designed to be smoking cessation devices, but are cheaper than traditional smoking and because they only produce a light vapor when the user exhales, can be used in places where smoking isn’t allowed.

“They are growing in popularity,” he said.

Brown first heard of them from customers who were interested, then read up them in trade magazines. He said his current supplier deals with PureSmoke, LLC, a California company, which was part of the reason he ordered that brand after doing some research. Brown said he heard of concerns about ones made overseas and wanted an American company that would back the product.

Tina Zuk, of the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Vermont, said her organization has not approached any lawmakers about legislation regarding the e-cigarettes but is keeping a close eye on them. She said the fear is children will use them and move on to cigarettes.

How prevalent their use has become is difficult to determine, said Lynn. They are new enough not to have been added yet to surveys asking youths and adults about their tobacco usage.

Gwen Hannan, who runs the Quit-in-Person branch of the Vermont Quit Network at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, said a few of her clients have mentioned the product to her. “It’s wishful thinking that this is something that will give them all of the joy, but none of the pain,” she said.

She said there have been no studies on the effectiveness of the e-cigarette as a quitting tool, and added that there are multiple methods of getting free products such as patches, gum, and lozenges if a person wants to quit smoking. She said the e-cigarettes feed the addiction but appear to do nothing to treat it.

June 7, 2010, benningtonbanner.com

The electronic cigarettes were developed in China and they have yet not been admitted as an alternative measure to quit smoking. Specialists on the subject have pointed out the importance to inform the people about these devices which facilitate the inhalation of nicotine, a highly addictive substance. Professionals dedicated to the subject explain that “the cigarettes are electronic devices introduced worldwide in 2008 and not yet patented, which are battery operated and provide the user a dose of nicotine in the form of a vapor with a similar physical and taste sensation as that of smoking.”

Doctor Alejandro Videla, member of the medical staff in the Pneumology area of the Austral University Hospital (HUA) and first vice president of the Toxicology Argentine Association informs the people about the device characteristics as follows: “Although many smokers thought they had found an alternative solution to combat their addiction, it is important to point out not only that this product is illegal in Australia, Denmark, Canada and Finland, while in our country it’s being sold even over the internet, but also that there is evidence that it doesn’t prove to be an effective method to overcome the addiction, nor there is any certainty regarding the effects it may cause in the organism. It is because of that reason that presently they don’t serve as a valid alternative.”

E-cigarettes are promoted by their manufacturers as safer than traditional cigarettes because they do not burn tobacco. Instead, a lithium battery in the cigarette-shaped device heats a solution of nicotine in propylene glycol, producing a fine mist that can be inhaled to deliver nicotine directly to the lungs. An LED glows red at the tip, and they even emit puffs of white smoke similar to that seen in stage shows. They also come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate, mint and apple, which make them appealing to children and adolescents.

As for the analysis and the health authorities, worldwide outlook, the specialist said:”Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have conducted studies on the electronic cigarette and have found out that it contains carcinogenic elements. That is why the two institutions recommend not dispensing them as tobacco products but as devices that deliver nicotine, which must be regulated by organisms such as the National Administration of Medicines, Food and Medical Technology (ANMAT).”

With the advent of advertising and the increasingly frequent consultations of people, particularly smokers, on the electronic cigarette as a device which delivers nicotine without any other tobacco component, the Toxicology Argentine Association (ASAT) believes it necessary to warn people about the potential risks in the use of this device while ratifying the toxic element of this alkaloid, since it’s harmful effects on the various biological systems of the human body and particularly the cardiovascular system have been proved.

In this sense, the ASAT agrees with the statements given by the World Health Organization (WHO) on this specific topic, who determined in November 2008 through their regulatory body of tobacco products that:

1 – They deliver nicotine, but the allowable amount and its safety has not been yet established
2 – They might cause and sustain the addiction, although there is no evidence of this
3 – They are promoted for smoking cessation and they could be effective, but there is insufficient scientific evidence about the efficacy and safety of their use
4 – The inhaled nicotine may produce toxic, addictive and psychological effects. This product must be substantiated by scientific studies.

Michigan’s new smoking ban appears to be creating a boost in the e-cigarette industry.
At least one local restaurant says it’s looking at these electronic cigarettes as a way to keep their staff and customers smoking legally indoors.

Many who run bars and restaurants in Mid-Michigan say they’ve been struggling with ways to maintain their smoking customer base since the smoking ban went into effect May 1. For one local restaurant, it wasn’t just the customers they were worried about, but nearly their entire staff smokes.

The new e-cigarettes appear to have answered some of their problems already.

“It’s just steam. It’s water vapor, but gives the nicotine of each of these cartridges is about a pack of cigarettes,” said Cindy Guillie who owns Guillie’s Coney Island.

The tobacco-free cigarettes that just emit vapor turned out to be the answer to a troubling problem for management at Guillie’s Coney Island in Genesee Township, where all by two of their employees smoke.

“With them not being able to smoke here-it because very difficult for them to work a whole shift.

As the smoking ban was approaching in Michigan, Guillie says she and her husband began investigating the concept of e-cigarettes.

So there’s no smell, and there’s very little taste. “They’re exempt from all smoking bans because there’s no tobacco in them, and you don’t light them,” Guillie explained.

Now Guillie and all her employees are using them and finding them cost effective. She considers e-cigarettes more environmentally friendly and even offer benefits to employees who are no longer inhaling tobacco smoke.

“Nicotine does not cause cancer. The tar in the cigarettes causes cancer,” Guillie said.

Since she recommended them for the employees, Guillie said the e-cigarette concept has been catching on. “We’ve been selling these things like hotcakes. In fact, some bars rent them because they’re completely harmless.”

While some of her smoking customers still are choosing to take their food to go and smoke and eat at picnic tables outside, the e-cigarettes are turning into a solution for many customers who are looking to sit inside as a break from their outdoor work.

“Sit down have coffee, have some pop and go back to work because it’s their break time. So this is a solution to it,” said Guillie.

Guillie said the smoking units cost about $100 each with rechargeable batteries, and it’s about $2 a nicotine cartridge that lasts a bit more than a normal pack.

By Cathy Shafran, Abclocal

Children who want to act grown-up often pretend to smoke candy cigarettes. Nowadays, adults can pretend as well with electronic cigarettes like Cigotine.
Foxwoods Resort Casino and its sister property, MGM Grand at Foxwoods, now sell Cigotine kits and cartridges at four retail outlets. The “e-cigarette” will be permitted in areas now designated as nonsmoking.

“It’s a clean, non-polluting product offering the same experience of a cigarette without releasing second-hand smoke,” said Roy Colebut-Ingram, director of advertising for Foxwoods.

This marks Cigotine’s first casino partnership, said Steve Bayonne, CEO of Cigotine LLC.

Unlike Atlantic City, where state law limits smoking, casinos in Connecticut are not bound by state or tribal law, but are considered a service for customers, Colebut-Ingram said.

Cigotine looks, feels and tastes like a tobacco cigarette, but without the tar, chemicals and negative societal effects associated with smoking, Bayonne said. It comes in varying strengths of nicotine, from zero to 16 mg.

Users inhale like a traditional cigarette, then release simulated smoke as an odorless water mist that evaporates, leaving no residue behind. The cartridge is not burned and does not give off ash, smoke or residual odor.

Not everyone is convinced of e-cigarettes and their advantages over real ones.

“Use of these products creates major enforcement challenges to monitor what is or is not a cigarette,” said Patrice Bedrosian, state director of communications for the Connecticut office of the American Cancer Society. “Use of e-cigarettes in public places turns back years of progress in both creating healthier workplaces and promoting environments that help reduce smoking prevalence.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration examined two different electronic cigarette samples and found they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals, including an ingredient used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans.

“The FDA is concerned about the safety of these products and how they are marketed to the public,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., commissioner of food and drugs.

Blumenthal: Be wary

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said consumers and retailers — including tribal casinos — should be wary of electronic cigarettes.

“They remain unapproved by the FDA. Their safety remains questionable at best following the FDA analysis,” he said. “Any carcinogen in a cartridge should be avoided, even banned, when the full extent of the ingredients and dangers are unknown.”

The deluxe kit sells for $129.95 at Foxwoods. Cartridges are also for sale at MGM Grand’s Effects and in Foxwoods at Pequot Trader, Essentials and Outpost.

By WILLIAM SOKOLIC, For The Norwich Bulletin

As the debate over the electronic cigarette continues , the device has found at least three true believers in Jackson County.
Mildred “Mikay” Barrentine, 30, along with Pat Manning, 37, and 45-year-old Linda Lockwood, the latter two of Altha, are enthusiastic about the e-cigarette. All three are long-time heavy smokers who have given up traditional cigarettes in favor of “vaping,” users’ common term for this alternative to smoking.

Although e-cigarettes are not marketed or proven in studies as a smoke cessation device, all three say it has worked for them.
They breathe better and cough less. They also food tastes better, and they can smell it better, too, because they are no longer using tobacco with tar and the hundreds of chemicals contained in regular cigarettes.
Their clothes no longer get the tiny holes that flying sparks from cigarettes can ignite, and they no longer have to worry about burning holes in the carpet or their cars, since there’s no ash and fire waiting to fall onto the floorboard while they’re driving.
They spend relatively less on vaping than they spent on cigarettes, they say.
They also no longer have to leave the comfort of indoors at public places to enjoy a drag — at least for now.
That could change as the nation grapples with how to regulate the devices. Whether they should be considered permissible in “smoke free” environments is part of that discussion.
The Food and Drug Administration says not enough is known about the health effects of the devices, and the FDA has in the past seized some shipments coming from China in an attempt to regulate them as drug-delivery devices. The FDA also wants to regulate their marketing techniques, and wants to know more about quality controls.
But the agency suffered a setback in January, when a judge ruled the FDA hasn’t got the authority to do so under present regulations. The judge ruled the devices should be treated like cigarettes, which are sold over the counter at almost every convenience store and in many other venues throughout the country. They are not considered a drug-delivery device, the judge reasoned.
“There is no basis for FDA to treat electronic cigarettes … as a drug-device combination when all they purport to do is offer consumers the same recreational effects as a regular cigarette,” U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon wrote in his decision.
“FDA cites no evidence that (e-cigarettes) … are any more an immediate threat to public health and safety than traditional cigarettes, which are readily available,” he continued.
Regular cigarettes carry a Surgeon General’s warning, something e-cigarettes are not subject to at present.
At least some self-governing providers, however, do place warnings on their devices advising that they’re not for children, pregnant women or non-smokers, but rather for those who already smoke and want an alternative.
The FDA did gain traction on another point, however, which will likely put e-cigarettes back under its regulatory wing soon.
The agency was recently given authority to demand that cigarette makers disclose what is in their tobacco products, and the authority to study them determine exactly what’s in them. Based on some cigarette manufacturers’ disclosures in the 1990s, it has been widely reported that cigarettes can contain almost 600 chemicals.
The FDA had done some preliminary tests of a few e-cigarettes back when they were being seized, and has issued a statement.
In a July 2009 agency news release, the FDA warned the public about the devices.
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that a laboratory analysis of electronic cigarette samples has found that they contain carcinogens and toxic chemicals such as diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze,” the FDA wrote.
“These products are marketed and sold to young people and are readily available online and in shopping malls,” the release continued. “In addition, these products do not contain any health warnings comparable to FDA-approved nicotine replacement products or conventional cigarettes. They are also available in different flavors, such as chocolate and mint, which may appeal to young people.”
FDA also pointed out that, while the food-flavoring ingredient has been found safe for that use, the effect when inhaled as a vapor hasn’t been studied.
Those who oppose the devices say they fear smokers will not give up traditional cigarettes but will simply augment or replace their old habit with a new one, increasing the amount of nicotine they use and therefore their health risks.
Barrentine, Manning and Lockwood reacted to those statements, saying that the manufacturers market to adults, not children, and in fact have statements on their cartridges which say e-cigarettes are not meant for kids.
As for the chemicals found in the FDA’s limited testing, the women say traditional cigarettes have those chemicals and a host more. E-cigarettes, they say, are infinitely safer than regular cigarettes, and should be left available for those who want a less dangerous puff.
All three said they’d most likely go back to regular cigarettes if e-cigarettes are pulled from the market.
They say they’re not tempted in the least to use regular cigarettes while this is available, and are even repulsed by the smell and taste of their old habit.
Barrentine, who closely follows online forums, said she has yet to find comments about any side effects. She thinks her chances of coming to harm with e-cigarettes is far less than if she were still smoking.
There are many variations, and Barrentine prefers the “silver bullet” version that delivers more vapor per puff than the more traditional-looking type. She makes her own flavored nicotine juice, instead of buying cartridges, and “tailpipes” it by squeezing drops straight into the atomizer.
Manning and Lockwood also use similar, less traditional devices, but Manning also uses the more traditional e-cigarette as well.
In the ones that look most like a cigarette, the main body of the device is actually a 3.5-volt rechargeable battery encased in a cylinder about the size of a cigarette. A short metal atomizer, about the size of a filter, is screwed into it. A mostly hollow cartridge, of the same shape but slighter bigger than the atomizer, contains an amount of liquid nicotine, propylene glycol (a substance used in food coloring), and flavoring.
The cartridge, which has a small opening, slips over the vaporizer like a glove. It resembles the filter-end of a cigarette. The user sucks air through the opening, an action which sends voltage to the battery and activates the atomizer. An element in the atomizer get hot, and brings the warmed air to the cartridge, which turns the liquid nicotine into a vapor.
The user expels the vapor, which resembles smoke but doesn’t smell or behave like it. The vapor quickly dissipates, and does not create as much volume compared to the amount of smoke generated by a burning cigarette.
The smell of the vapor depends on the type of flavoring used — and there are many, ranging from chocolate to coffee. The smell is detectible only briefly and at close range. The end of the battery, like the end of a cigarette, lights up while the user is inhaling, but no combustion is used in the process.
Several different views of the e-cigarette can be found by searching the term online.
The local health department has weighed in, as well. Adrian Abner, Tobacco Prevention Specialist with the Jackson County Health Department, said his agency takes the position that no nicotine is safe and advocates total cessation.
The health department provides FDA-approved cessation aids free of charge, he said, along with full support to help people quit.
He cited the FDA report as one reason for the health department’s concerns about the devices, beyond the fact that they deliver nicotine.
“There is help out there for quitting completely,” Abner said. “That includes free nicotine replacement therapy for those who wish to quit. We can order these and provide cessastion services.”

By DEBORAH BUCKHALTER, Jcfloridan

Washington — “Electronic cigarettes” that vaporize nicotine juice to inhale instead of smoke from burning tobacco do not deliver as promised, according to research at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“They are as effective at nicotine delivery as puffing on an unlit cigarette,” said Dr. Thomas Eissenberg, at the school’s Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies.

His study, funded by the federal National Cancer Institute, is the first by American doctors to check the function of so-called “no-smoke tobacco” devices, which are unregulated in the United States for sale or use.

The units are shaped like a cigarette and contain a battery that heats a filament to vaporize liquid nicotine in a refillable cartridge. Smokers buy the devices to get around no-smoking restrictions and to attempt to quit conventional cigarettes.

Some users nickname what they’re doing as “vaping” instead of smoking, to reflect the vapor produced by the heating element. The devices are marketed as an alternative to smoking, but retailers avoid making claims about health or safety.

Fans have established a Web site, www.e-cigarette-forum.com. Founder Oliver Kershaw said the site “is the largest e-smokers community online with some 26,000 members, most of whom are in the U.S.”

Jimi Jackson, a former tobacco smoker in Richmond, Virginia, who sells electronic cigarettes, is convinced there are immediate health advantages in avoiding the known cancer-causing substances in the smoke of a burning cigarette.

“I smoked 37 years, and when I found them, I was, like, ‘Thank, you Jesus,’ ” Jackson said with a laugh, as a reporter visited his shop, No Smoke Virginia, coincidentally just a few blocks from where the research was conducted at Virginia Commonwealth.

In March, the Food and Drug Administration imposed a ban on continued imports of the devices, pending regulatory review for any health risks.

The latest clinical evidence suggests users are not getting the addictive substance they get from smoking tobacco. “These e-cigs do not deliver nicotine,” Eissenberg said of the findings he expects to publish in an upcoming issue of the British Medical Journal.

This past summer, Eissenberg recruited smokers without prior experience using e-cigarettes to volunteer to use two popular brands of the devices for a set period. The 16 subjects were regularly measured in a clinical setting for the presence of nicotine in their bodies, their reported craving for conventional cigarettes, and certain physiological effects such as a change in heart rate.

“Ten puffs from either of these electronic cigarettes with a 16 mg nicotine cartridge delivered little to no nicotine,” the study found.

But the units may deliver hazardous chemicals, according to preliminary checks by federal regulators. In a notice to importers, the FDA blocked continued shipments after finding diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze that is toxic to humans.

The government’s statement noted there are no health warnings on the products, and that “the FDA analyses detected carcinogens, including nitrosamines.”

The notice of the import ban says “the product appears to be a combination drug-device,” that “requires pre-approval, registration and listing with the FDA” in order to be marketed in the United States.

A company challenging the import ban claims in federal court documents to have sold 600,000 of the devices in a year’s time through a network of 120 distributors in the United States.

“We are on the verge of going out of business, which is why we are suing the FDA in U.S. District Court,” said Washington, attorney Kip Schwartz, representing a company called “Smoking Everywhere,” a U.S. wholesaler that was importing the devices from China.

The lawsuit questions the FDA’s authority to block shipments of a non-tobacco product, and says the agency has violated its statutory process for product review. Liquid nicotine is available on the open market through pharmaceutical houses and vendors who sell e-cigarettes.

A judge has yet to rule on the company’s request for an injunction that would allow imports to resume. “There has been no change,” said FDA spokesman Siobhan DeLancey. She said “a decision in the case is still pending, with no timeline.”

President Obama, who has described himself as an occasional smoker, has been offered one of the devices by Florida Rep. Cliff Stearns. The Republican lawmaker’s office said the president did not respond.

An administration spokesman last year said the White House was not aware of the offer.

In a copy of a letter to the chief executive dated March 26, Stearns wrote, “I have recently given out e-cigarettes to a few members of Congress and they have become quite a hit.”

Sales of the devices continue at shopping mall kiosks and small storefront retailers, apparently drawing from stock imported before the FDA began to block shipments from overseas suppliers.

By Paul Courson, CNN

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, were first made in China and are sold mostly on the Internet.
They are battery-powered devices which emit a “puff” or fine mist of nicotine into the lungs and are intended to replace normal cigarettes and help smokers quit.

The products are at the center of a legal battle in the United States between manufacturers and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates drugs and which wants to stop e-cigarettes from being imported into the U.S.

The FDA, which conducted research into e-cigarettes, has expressed concerns about their safety, and teams from Greece and New Zealand have also carried out studies into them.

But interpretations of the three reports vary, with the New Zealand study saying e-cigarettes should be recommended because they are safer than tobacco cigarettes, and the Greek study taking a broadly neutral stance.

“The limited information given in these three reports represents all the knowledge we currently have about e-cigarettes,” Andreas Flouris and Dimitris Oikonomou, of the Institute of Human Performance and Rehabilitation in Greece, wrote in the British Medical Journal.

“This may be one reason why the battle…between the FDA and e-cigarette manufacturers has been so heated.”

A U.S. judge last week granted an injunction barring the Obama administration from trying to ban imports of e-cigarettes, saying the move was part of “aggressive efforts” by the FDA to regulate “recreational tobacco products.”

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, killing more than 5 million people a year. A report by the World Lung Foundation last August said smoking could kill a billion people this century if trends hold.

Flouris and Oikonomou said that while “alternative smoking strategies are always welcome in an effort to reduce the threat to public health” caused by tobacco, safety was also vital.

“More rigorous chemical analyses are needed, followed by extensive research involving animal studies and, finally, clinical trials in humans,” they wrote.

USACIG, Inc. and Hop-on, Inc. today hailed last Thursday’s federal judge’s ruling saying the Food and Drug Administration must stop interfering with importing electronic cigarettes. The judge also indicated the devices should be regulated as tobacco products, rather than drug or medical devices.

Jay Pignatello, President of USACIG, Inc., stated, “The smoking public is one of the largest marketplaces in the world, and smoking is a social activity. USACIG is coming to market at the best time. It is very simple — USACIG is an American company. We produce our nicotine with American by-products. With all due respect to products made in China, you don’t know what you are going to get. Our product lasts longer and tastes better. My dad smoked and I wish he had a product like this that avoided the side effects of tar in traditional tobacco. We are an American company, delivering an American product, through American intellectual property with American product development expertise. When you use our product, it is like driving a Chevy.”

Pignatello continued, “USACIG is committed to being the top supplier of electronic cigarettes in the USA. We believe our product is the safest, best tasting, and least expensive in this marketplace, and will soon be available in a wide array of big box stores. Our relationship with Hop-on, combined with our experienced sales team, has us awaiting signed Letters of Intent, and our sales will increase exponentially. Additionally, we will soon be conducting a unique launch of our cigarettes to some specific retailers, at no cost to the public. Our goal is to deliver a brand name and product that everyone will be comfortable and familiar with.”

Peter Michaels, President of Hop-on, stated, “Judge Leon’s positive opinion helps us in there should be no government roadblocks to slow down our progress launching our products in the US. I have worked through issues with government bureaucracy before, and Judge Leon’s decision should make my life easier. Our products virtually have none of the cancer-causing chemicals of traditional cigarettes, but the FDA says it has not been proven safe. Our goal with USACIG is prove our products are safe, affordable for everyone and profitable for our company. We experienced no issues importing our electronics into the US market. Our product is better, less expensive, and the technology behind our cigarettes is made in America.”

With the passage of landmark tobacco legislation last year, Judge Leon added, the Food and Drug Administration’s new tobacco division will be able to regulate the contents and marketing claims of e-cigarettes in the same way it is about to begin regulating traditional tobacco products. But the agency’s drug division cannot ban the devices, the judge ruled.

About USACIG, Inc.

USACIG is the only US-based manufacturer making the actual nicotine cartridges/products in the US. The Electric Cigarette(TM) is an alternative to traditional tobacco products. It is a battery-powered device providing inhaled doses of nicotine by delivering vaporized water, propylene glycol, nicotine solution and other non-carcinogens. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation. USACIG, Inc. is a US-based manufacturer of “The Electric Cigarette” and “The Electric Cigar”(TM). USACIG manufactures its cartridges in the United States and the electronics are manufactured in China. USACIG also has US-based doctors on its board monitoring and supervising medical related issues or opportunities. For more information, visit www.USACIG.com

About Hop-on, Inc.

Hop-on, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: HPNN) offers multi-media services and has secured licensing agreements from essential patent holders for GSM, CDMA and WIFI technologies. Since its inception, known for developing the world’s first disposable cell phone, Hop-on currently remains one of the few US-based manufacturers of cellular technology. The Company also distributes The Electric Cigarette and the Electric Cigar.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933, and are subject to Rule 3B-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All Statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and other results and further events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Future events and actual results could differ materially from those set forth in, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements.

Contact for USACIG, Inc.:
David Worley
Email Contact
Contact for Hop-on, Inc.
Danny Coleman
949-756-9008