Cancer, heart attacks, strokes – these are a few of the many commonly known affects of tobacco, acknowledged by its consumers while smoking persists in their daily routine. If a solution to the nicotine addiction that so many people, including many of the PCC students and faculty, are affected by exists, why would the U.S. Food and Drug Administration oppose it?The most common form of tobacco appears as a simple cigarette and countless methods to quit have surfaced in response. The tobacco industry has led to an interesting invention, the electronic cigarette or “e-cig,” supposedly a safer alternative to smoking and a would-be smoking deterrent. But it is foolish to believe in these claims.
Similar to the nicotine patch, the e-cig delivers nicotine to users to satisfy their craving. In theory, the user is to take a smaller dosage of nicotine over time to help quit the nicotine addiction. Unlike the nicotine patch, it also satisfies the user in the physical act of smoking because they are actually holding and inhaling the product.
There is one obvious dilemma about the e-cig. “It still delivers nicotine,” said Jo Buczko, student health services coordinator. “And nicotine is still a highly addictive drug.”
The e-cig is a battery-operated cigarette that includes an atomizer to convert chemical contents in a cartridge into vapor form to be inhaled by the user. No smoke or combustion is involved, leading to a misleading impression that it is a safer alternative. Depending on the variable contents in the cartridge, usually nicotine, it may potentially be more hazardous than the common cigarette.
On Sept. 9, the FDA issued warning letters to five electronic cigarette distributors for various violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), including unsubstantiated claims and poor manufacturing practices.
The FDA cites several unverified claims about the remedial properties of the e-cig products. Companies have been cited for incorporating the use of Tadalafil, an erectile dysfunction drug, and rimonabant, a weight loss drug, both unapproved in the United States, in e-cig products.
It is mystifying what the manufacturing companies are trying to promote through e-cigs with the bizarre range of functions. Is it simply a substitute for the cigarette? Is it the smoking deterrent that smokers have been waiting for? Is it the new weight loss program? A dietary supplement? Or even an Aphrodisiac?
If monetary gain is the only logical explanation, then it is clear that e-cig companies cannot be trusted.
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