Have you ever been told that you must wait 30 minutes after eating before you can swim? Though often touted as the truth, it’s actually a common misconception without any merit – just like the misconception that e-cigarettes are a safe way for smokers to get the nicotine they need without the dangerous side effects of regular cigarettes.
Ok, so e-cigarettes contain dangerous chemicals like cigarettes but it’s a way to quit, right? Wrong. It’s the three largest cigarette companies that make many of these e-cigarettes. Just think about it. Why would these cigarette companies create a product that would wean their customers away from them? They wouldn’t. E-cigarettes are actually a recruiting tool for big tobacco. Because tobacco use kills more than 400,000 people each year and thousands more successfully quit they need to attract more customers.
So e-cigarettes are dangerous and addictive but at least non-smokers don’t have to worry about the dangerous effects of second-hand smoke, right? Well, the jury is still out on the potential harm from exposure to secondhand emissions from e-cigarettes. But two initial studies have found formaldehyde, benzene and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (a well-known carcinogen) coming from those secondhand emissions. The danger was real enough for New York City to ban the use of e-cigarettes indoors.
Oh, did we mention there have been cases where the e-cigarette actually blew up in the face of a consumer? So, as Virginia drug and product injury lawyers we are concerned, especially since no e-cigarette has been approved by the FDA as a safe and effective product to help people quit smoking, despite numerous claims by tobacco companies. With all the concerns that e-cigarettes raise, it is crucial that the FDA intervene and set standards to ensure the safety of the e-cigarettes’ content and design. This will help inform and protect consumers from this new dangerous product capable of life long personal injury.
CT
Comments for this article are closed.