http://www.tobacco.org/newsfeed/category/ecigs.rss Latest top tobacco news headlines en-us http://www.hawaiireporter.com/electronic-cigarettes-debated-at-legislature/123 http://tobacco.org/news/333629.html A bill that would ban the sale of smokeless electronic cigarettes to minors and impose the 70% tobacco tax on the devices was briskly debated at the state Legislature today. All of the testimony favored a ban on sale of the products to minors but more than 1,000 individuals and companies protested imposition of the tobacco tax on “e-cigarettes”. The devices deliver vaporized nicotine mist to users but contain no tobacco and generate none of the carcinogenic smoke generated by a burning cigarette, proponents said. State Health Department Director Loretta Fuddy told members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, “There is very little known about the long term health effects of the use of e-cigarettes or the vapors given off. Recent studies have shown that within one liquid nicotine cartridge there is enough nicotine to cause serious illness or even death.” . . . Cory Smith, president of local retailer Volcano Fine Electronic Cigarettes, said the product actually helps tobacco smokers quit their habits and produces none of the second-hand smoke issues associated with traditional tobacco cigarettes. "The tohacco tax is aimed at deterring tobacco use and generating revenue to pay for health care costs associated with tobacco-related harms,” Smith said. "Since the research thus far indicates that e-cigarettes show promise as a means to deter tobacco use and thereby reduce the cost of tobacco-related harms, it makes no sense to subject e-cigarettes to the tobacco tax,” Smith said. Taxing e-cigarettes at the 70% tobacco rate would shut down his business and drive customers to the internet Hawaii Reporter Jim@hawaiireporter.com (JIM DOOLEY) Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705399076/House-panel-forwards-ban-on-hookah-e-cigarettes.html?s_cid=rss-30 http://tobacco.org/news/333590.html Hookah pipes and e-cigarettes would be banned in public places under legislation a Utah House committee approved Thursday. HB245 sponsored by Rep. Bradley Last, R-Hurricane, proposed to amend the state's Indoor Clean Air Act to define the use of electronic cigarettes and hookah pipes as smoking, therefore prohibiting their use in public places. "I understand that there are strong feelings about this," Last told the House Government Operations Committee. "I think this is a very good place to start regulating, making sure we protect the public even though there are some things we don't know necessarily." Rep. Craig Frank, R-Cedar Hills, voted against the bill, saying he lacked data on the effects of e-cigarettes and hookah pipes and how the devices fit into the indoor clean air act. Deseret News romboy@desnews.com (Dennis Romboy) Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.kitv.com/news/30411302/detail.html http://tobacco.org/news/333566.html But others say, e-cigarettes are just part of the smoking problem. A bill making its way through the legislature would treat it as such. Joey Farrington, 28, has been smoking since he was 12 years old. He says e-cigarettes have changed his life. "It's kept me off real cigarettes for about two years, and I'm so thankful for that," said Farrington. But a bill that defines electronic cigarettes as a tobacco product and taxes them the same as regular tobacco products would raise the price of e-cigarettes about 70 percent. So a $70 e-cigarette now would cost $119. That would be too expensive for Farrington. "It would make me go back to smoking real cigarettes," Farrington said. KITV Ch. 4 honnews@ibsys.com Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.marketwatch.com/story/green-nicotine-leads-the-way-in-preventing-minors-from-using-electronic-cigarettes-2012-02-06 http://tobacco.org/news/333459.html Amidst a flurry of scrutiny about the electronic cigarette industry, Green Nicotine once again finds itself standing out from all other electronic cigarette companies. Recent attacks on the electronic cigarette industry stem from concern that minors are finding it easy to get their hands on e-cigs. Ease of access, coupled with enticing flavors, has made it increasingly convenient for minors to gain access to electronic cigarettes. As government agencies become more involved in monitoring electronic cigarette companies to prevent the targeting of minors, Green Nicotine has set the standard for ethical self-regulation. "I cannot speak for other electronic cigarette companies, but I can tell you that Green Nicotine has made it a mission to prevent minors from getting ahold of our electronic cigarettes. CBS MarketWatch Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2012/02/07/news/news13.txt http://tobacco.org/news/333430.html An advocate for electronic cigarettes spoke to the Saugus Board of Health Monday night, to plead her case that e-cigarettes should not be banned for public use. Karen Carey of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association, said she had been a pack-a-day smoker for 36 years before finally quitting after trying an e-cigarette. "Overnight I became a non-smoker," said Carey. "I have not smoked a cigarette since Aug. 7, 2010, which is the day I bought my first e-cigarette kit. Now whenever someone lights a cigarette I want to leave the room." An e-cigarette is a nicotine delivery product that reproduces the act of smoking, but the user inhales a mist from a small vial of heated "e-liquid," placed in cigarette-shaped device. The Board of Health has been meeting with Joyce Redford of the North Shore/Cape Ann Tobacco Alcohol Policy Program to update its tobacco policy to include e-cigarettes. If passed, the new policy would ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors under 18 and ban them from being used in public. Lynn Daily Item mtempesta@itemlive.com (Matt Tempesta / The Daily Item) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/feb/05/e-cigarette-bill-opponent-saw-smoke-and-mirrors/ http://tobacco.org/news/333315.html A St. Maries legislator raised fears about a “nanny state” when the Idaho House considered legislation this week to ban the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to children, but the measure ended up passing unanimously. State Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, cast the only “no” vote on HB 405, but then, at the last minute, changed his vote to “yes.” Harwood told the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, that he suspected the statistics Nonini cited in his opening debate for the bill were slanted and came from groups that really don’t want anyone to smoke. “I can’t speak for the New England Journal of Medicine,” Nonini responded, “but yes, they would encourage nobody to smoke cigarettes. … Panhandle Health, yes, I think they would support no smoking at all.” Nonini himself is a smoker. . . . State Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, told the House, “Most of you know in this body that I am a statistic. … I had the opportunity to quit smoking this last year, and I started smoking in my mid-20s. It’s not the kind of thing I like to stand up and announce to the whole world, but that’s what I did. … The statistics are, and it has been proven … that minors that start smoking, they have a lot more difficult time quitting than I did. And trust me, it’s not an easy addiction to overcome, and I probably will struggle with it for a long, long time.” The Spokesman-Review Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cn-creative-raises-series-a-funding-to-develop-first-medically-approved-electronic-inhaler-nicotine-replacement-therapy-for-smoking-cessation-138027628.html http://tobacco.org/news/333279.html CN Creative, Ltd. (CNC), a healthcare company providing innovative and sustainable solutions to reduce smoking and smoking-related illnesses, today announced it has raised a Series A financing round led by Advent Life Sciences. The financing raised 2 million pounds, equivalent to approximately US $3.1 million. CNC intends to use the investment to continue and finalise development of its Nicadex™ electronic inhaler nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) product for use as part of medically supervised smoking cessation programmes. . . . Nicadex is a hand-held device that delivers purified nicotine to the user through the vaporisation of a pharmaceutical-grade solution of nicotine. A rechargeable lithium battery powers the vaporiser that instantly turns the nicotine solution into a vapour that is inhaled by the user. Many users report that the sensation of using the Nicadex device is similar to smoking, but the vapour contains no smoke and none of the carbon monoxide, tar or thousands of toxic impurities that make smoking tobacco products so damaging to health. In addition, since there is no smoke, there are no smoke by-products that can cause "second-hand" harm to others. PR Newswire blindheim@biocompartners.com ( SOURCE CN Creative, Ltd. ) Wed, 25 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.worldradio.ch/wrs/programmes/abe/e-cigarettes---quitters-best-friend-or-hazardous-f.shtml?28779 http://tobacco.org/news/333135.html Electronic cigarettes can't legally be marketed as a tool to quit smoking--and no studies have been conducted to prove their effectiveness against nicotine addiction--but that's why 95% of e-cigarette users smoke them. The ones sold in Switzerland are nicotine-free, so what do they contain? ABE, the Consumer Show clears the air: worldradio.ch 88.4 FM IN GENEVA Switzerland Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2012/feb/02/house-backs-ban-e-cigs-minors-despite-charges-nanny-state/ http://tobacco.org/news/333104.html The House has voted unanimously, 68-0, in favor of HB 405, to ban the sale of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes to minors, but only after much debate and strong opposition from Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries. Harwood cast the only “no” vote, but then, at the last minute, changed his vote to “yes.” Harwood told the bill's sponsor, Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, that he suspected the statistics Nonini cited in his opening debate for the bill were slanted, and came from groups that really don't want anyone to smoke. “I can't speak for the New England Journal of Medicine,” Nonini responded, “but yes, they would encourage nobody to smoke cigarettes. … Panhandle Health, yes, I think they would support no smoking at all.” Nonini himself is a smoker. The Spokesman-Review Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://times-news.com/local/x1669707114/Smokers-find-vaping-electronic-cigarettes-beats-tobacco-version http://tobacco.org/news/333022.html FROSTBURG -- Kirk Valentine was smoking about two packs of cigarettes a day and wishing he could quit when he first learned about "vaping," the term for using an electronic cigarette. Now he's a "vaper" instead of a smoker -- a big improvement, Valentine and other e-cigarette advocates believe. "It's more pure. You're not getting all that chemical," said Sue Dicken, who with Valentine purchased supplies last week at The Vapor Room, a new e-cigarette store in Frostburg. "The smell is gone," Valentine said. "You don't feel so bad," Dicken said. "It's cheaper," said Valentine, 42, of McCoole. Cumberland Times-News kbarkley@times-news.com Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/coeur-dalene-rep-worries-about-e-cigarette-sales-to-minors/Content?oid=2593573 http://tobacco.org/news/332999.html Coeur d'Alene Republican Rep. Bob Nonini says he wants to do something about unethical retailers who market electronic cigarettes to Idaho minors. He's upset enough to introduce legislation to ban sales of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18--a component currently missing in Food and Drug Administration guidelines. "They come in all sorts of different sizes and shapes," said Lora Whalen, director of the Panhandle Health District as she passed out pink and purple e-cigarettes to the committee. "They can fit into all manner of pockets or in a child's locker." Boise Weekly subscriptions@boiseweekly.com (Andrew Crisp Unda' the Rotunda | Boise Weekly) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/jan/30/idaho-bill-would-ban-e-cigarettes-kids/ http://tobacco.org/news/332976.html Current Idaho law bans tobacco products from being sold to children, but doesn't cover a new product called “e-cigarettes,” electronic cigarettes that contain no tobacco, but instead allow users to inhale a nicotine-infused mist without creating smoke. Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, is sponsoring legislation to change that, and his bill was endorsed unanimously on Monday by the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee, which sent it to the full House with a recommendation that it pass. Health districts around the state, including the Panhandle Health District in North Idaho, support the move and asked Nonini and co-sponsor Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, to pitch the legislation. The cities of Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Hayden already ban e-cigarette sales to minors, as do Spokane County and the cities of Spokane and Spokane Valley. Nonini said the products contain “large amounts or what could be considered deadly amounts of nicotine.” The Spokesman-Review moondawg66@hotmail.com ( Betsy Z. Russell The Spokesman-Review) Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.tobaccolawblog.com/2012/01/new-mexico-bill-would-more-than-double-tobacco-products-taxes-and-perhaps-tax-e-cigarettes/ http://tobacco.org/news/332963.html A bill has been introduced in the New Mexico legislature that would more than double the tax rate on OTP -- tobacco products other than cigarettes, such as smokeless and cigars -- from 25% of the product's value to 57% of the product's value. Perhaps more significant is the bill's expanded definition of "tobacco products," which would be redefined to include "any product containing tobacco that is intended or expected to be consumed without being combusted, unless it has been approved by the United States food and drug administration as a tobacco use cessation product and is being marketed and sold for that approved purpose." This could arguably cover electronic cigarettes Tobacco Law blog— Troutman Sanders LLP bryan.haynes@troutmansanders.com ([item undated] Troutman Sanders Tobacco Law Team) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9502336.Mother_shocked_at_electric_cigarette_ban/ http://tobacco.org/news/332909.html A WOMAN said her birthday night out was spoilt after she was asked to leave a York bar for using an electronic cigarette. Cherry Knott, 59, of Kingsway West in Acomb, York, was celebrating her birthday with her daughter, son and his partner in Yates’s in Lower Ousegate, when they were approached by a member of staff who asked them to stop using the e-cigarettes or to leave the venue. The mock cigarettes emit an odourless water vapour and simulate smoking by producing a mist which is inhaled. The group, who say they have used the cigarettes indoors in other venues in York without any issue, questioned the member of staff before deciding to leave. Mrs Knott said they had been in the bar for a while and had even discussed the cigarettes with a barman, before being asked to leave by a member of staff who said they might encourage people to light up genuine cigarettes. York Press kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk (Kate Liptrot) UK Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1688039.php/Trade-in-e-cigarettes-booming-despite-health-concerns http://tobacco.org/news/332857.html Berlin - Concern is rising over the use of electronic cigarettes - or e-cigarettes - that produce an aerosol mist for inhaling rather than tobacco smoke and are used by many smokers to help kick the habit. . . . 'Consumers should be able to rely on a product that is safe from a health viewpoint and that is by no means certain in the case of the e-cigarette,' Martina Poetschke-Langer of the DKFZ German cancer research centre says. She cautions that lessons should be drawn from the mistakes of the past when promoting a new product. . . . Poetschke-Langer says the e-cigarette is likely to be just as addictive as the ordinary kind and notes that there is no good evidence that they assist in stopping smoking. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found carcinogenic substances like nitrosamines in the liquid, and there is little clarity on whether there might be effects on 'passive smokers' in the immediate environment of the e-smoker. The product is banned in Norway, Turkey, Switzerland and even in China, where it was invented some 10 years ago. There are strict controls in Denmark, Canada and Austria, and the European Commission is probing the health effects. Monsters and Critics Germany Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:00:00 GMT