Jump to full article: Behavioral Health Central , 2010-01-26
Author: [Albuquerque Journal, N.M.]
Intro: Smoking indoors without the secondhand smoke? A nicotine rush without the cancer-causing chemicals?
For about 3 million people in the United States, electronic cigarettes sound like a dream come true.
Charlie Casados, manager of Smoke Source 51, started offering them at a booth in Coronado Shopping Center in July and sells 25 to 30 kits a day.
The devices may be popular with consumers who see them as a safe alternative to cigarettes but public health officials say too little is known to label them safe. . . .
The New Mexico Department of Health hasn't taken a stance on them, said David Tompkins, media strategist for the Tobacco Use, Prevention and Control Program administered by the state agency. Tompkins expects states to look at clean air laws to determine how -- or whether -- e-cigarettes should be included.
In New Jersey, the sale of e-cigarettes is prohibited to people under 19, and adults are barred from smoking them at work and in public places. This month, California Attorney General Jerry Brown filed suit against Smoking Everywhere Inc., claiming the company has no evidence to back up safety claims.
E-cigarettes remain an unregulated industry. That means no health warnings are required, unlike nicotine patches and gum. But that doesn't mean they are harmless, he said.
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