"The e-cigarette is not an ordinary product," said French Health Minister Marisol Touraine. "We need to apply the same measures as there are for tobacco."
Interestingly enough, France isn't the only country taking issue with the e-cig. Many countries have already outlawed e-cigarettes all together. Countries like Turkey, Brazil, Singapore, Argentina and possible next Italy. Italian health ministers are recommending a ban on e-cigarettes in public and the sale to minors and pregnant women.
Marisol Touraine also said, "Smoking an e-cigarette is smoking." I tend to agree with her. While technically safer than the traditional cigarette, the so called water vapor also contains propylene glycol which is an irritant to the airways and (get ready for this) formaldehyde. Right! The liquid that held the two headed pig you saw at the county fair last year. That formaldehyde.
If you're considering switching to e-cigarettes, hey, why not, it's got to be better than a regular one, but does that make it safe or safe-er? Standing one legged on a 100 foot ledge is dangerous. Standing on the same ledge with both feet; still dangerous.
Why should you raise a red flag or at least an eyebrow? Because Big Tobacco is getting in on the action. That's why.
Lorillard bought blu ecigs (so Steven Dorf now works for Big Tobacco) and Camel, which was my brand of choice when I was choosing to smoke is selling their e-cigarette called Vuse.
These are the same guys who manipulated nicotine levels to make them more addicting and then denied that cigarettes were addicting. The same people who hired doctors, actors and opera singers to promote their deadly product. How long will it be before some Doctor Oz looking guy is featured on an infomercial talking about the "safe and effective" use of the Vuse to quit smoking regular cigarettes?
My advice, is if you're going to stop smoking, then STOP smoking. Cigarettes, electronic or otherwise are nothing more than a delivery device for nicotine. So is the patch and the gum. They even call it that. NRT. Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Sooner or later you're going to have to combat the Nicotine demon. Rip that sucker off like a band-aid. Big tobacco has had enough of your money, time and life.
Do yourself a favor and throw 20 bucks at the book that will change your life, how you see yourself as a smoker and give you the tools you need to not quit, but just stop smoking once and for all.
