E-cigarette's health effects have once again become a subject of scrutiny after a study in France revealed that "60 million consumers" have raised concerns about e-cigarette's effects, stated a France's National Consumer Institute magazine report on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration is planning to ban the online selling of e-cigarettes based on its latest discussions with the industry because of e-cigarette's increasing popularity amongst many people as a more suitable alternative for smoking tobacco.
At least 20 FDA staffers had participated in the discussions, which included conference calls and a series of meetings, held inside the FDA headquarters. The discussions primarily covered issues on the availability of online e-cigarettes to minors, the legal age to purchase the device, as well as the advertising standards to be imposed on e-cigarette television, radio, and print advertisements.
"It is true that more research is needed on the health effects of e-cigarettes. However, we do not need more research on whether e-cigarettes should or should not be included in proposed FDA regulations," FDA's Center for Tobacco Products director Mitch Zeller said.
E-cigarette is a device that utilizes heat for the vaporization of nicotine, used by tobacco chain smokers as an alternative for its alleged healthier promise or reduced health risks especially that of lung cancer.
Nevertheless, the report in France's National Consumer Institute magazine suggested that e-cigarettes could pose the same health risks similar to tobacco use because they contain a "significant quantity of carcinogenic molecules" as proven by recent e-cigarette health studies.
One study pointed out that "3 in 10 e-cigarettes contain levels of formaldehyde and acrolein that are nearly equal to levels found in standard cigarettes," a Yahoo! News report stated.
"This is not a reason to ban them, but to place them under better control," said National Consumer Institute's Editor-in-Chief Thomas Laurenceau.
The Seal Beach, CA City Council announced on Tuesday its move to place a 45-day banning period on e-cigarettes, to give sufficient time for the city to examine e-cigarette's health hazards.
On the other hand, Vap Shop in Paris - an e-cigarette store in Paris - representative Darren Moon told the Local on Aug. 26 that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco cigars, no matter what the composition of its vapor is. "The fact is, there have been no studies carried out into the long term affects [sic] of smoking e-cigarettes. We have no figures or feedback to go on," he added.
Nevertheless, the France's National Consumer Institute magazine report stated, "E-cigarettes are more than just a fad... E-Cigarettes' appeal stems from a variety of perceived advantages over traditional cigarettes, most commonly the perceptions that e-cigarettes are healthier, cheaper, and can be used almost anywhere ... Yet they may have some hidden dangers, including those of carcinogens and other dangers."
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