Ashtray Blog: An Electronic Cigarette Blog

Health Canada does not allow smokers to switch from the tobacco cigarettes to electronic cigarettes.

That’s despite the fact scientists like Professor Michael Siegel estimate that electronic cigarettes could be between 100 and 1000 times safer than regular cigarettes.

In a statement which portrayed a (deliberate?) ignorance of the product, Health Canada stated:

“Although these electronic smoking products may be marketed as a safer alternative to conventional tobacco products and, in some cases, as an aid to quitting smoking, electronic smoking products may pose risks such as nicotine poisoning and addiction.”

Nicotine Addiction

Numerous studies have shown that e-cigarettes deliver less nicotine than cigarettes. And as smokers are already addicted to nicotine, it seems ridiculous to stop smokers from using the device on the basis of addiction.

Nicotine Poisoning

But what about the danger of nicotine poisoning?

And how many deaths does nicotine poisoning account for?

I checked with Paul Bergen of TobaccoHarmReduction.org and he told me that according to data from the American Association of Poison Control Centres deaths from nicotine poisoning are as follows:

2004: 0
2005: 0
2006: 0
2007: 0
2008: 0

(Of course, there was the boy who nearly died last year – after being given nicotine gum by evil nicotine peddlers anti-smoking advisors.)

Is nicotine really the problem?

But let’s just assume nicotine is as bad as Health Canada says it is.

If nicotine is so bad, why does Health Canada, in almost the same breath, recommend nicotine products manufactured by pharmaceutical companies:

“Health Canada has authorized the sale of a number of smoking cessation aids, including nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine inhaler, and nicotine lozenges.”

But the real reason can not be ignorance about the dangers of the nicotine in e-cigarette.

Because when I telephoned Health Canada on behalf of a Canadian user who had been forced back to tobacco cigarettes after his e-cigarette had been confiscated, they told me that even zero-nicotine electronic cigarette kits could not be sold.

So, what’s the real reason for the ban, Health Canada?

Also see: Health Canada takes on the anti-tobacco industry on the Tobacco Harm Reduction blog.

“Ahhh,” said the journalist, as he blew out a cloud of e-cigarette vapour from the NJOY duo I had given him.

“That’s what I have been missing.”

He hadn’t had a cigarette for a few days, but had desperately missed the hand to mouth action of smoking.

This, he told us, felt just like a real cigarette, even though it had no nicotine kit. (I had given him one of our zero nicotine cigarettes.)

Unfortunately, a lot don’t, and I wasn’t surprised to see in a recent survey that some smokers surveyed hadn’t found them as satisfying as real cigarettes.

A lot of devices continue to be made without supervision in Chinese factories by retailers out to make a quick buck rather than build a long term future based on product satisfaction and good customer service.

“It came to pieces in my hand.”

A recent example came from one of our newest customers.

She had ordered from a company called NJOY-UK. (The company, which is based in Cyprus, is currently being sued by our American supplier NJOY over misuse of their name.)

The e-cigarette came in a battered box and, when she opened took the e-cigarette out, it fell to pieces in her hand.

We’ve now sent her the real thing.

It’s okay, but…

Another well-read blogger complained recently that while the device he had bought was okay, it wasn’t as good as the real thing.

It’s going to cost us £45,00, as we are sending him an NJOY DUO kit to try out.

Personally, I am convinced that he will find ours much more like a real cigarette. I’ll keep you posted as to what he says!

(And we’ll also be linking to the article once it is complete – unfortunately I have to keep mum until it has been published.)

Threatening the industry

Unfortunately, inferior products threaten the industry.

Some of our customers tell us they have tried the cheap versions and now want to try a quality e-cigarette, and others are attracted by our one year warranty.

However, I am sure many more are put off forever, returning to the tobacco cigarettes that may well lead them to an early death.

It was all DUO last month, with the 2in1 electronic cigarette kit out-stripping sales of all other kits! However, top sales goes to our (DUO!) refills.

1. NJOY DUO REFILLS

Position one goes to our very long lasting DUO refills!

NJOY DUO Refills.

We’ve lumped them together here, but their position in order of preference is:

High Nicotine
Medium Nicotine
Menthol Medium
Menthol High

2. DUO Electronic Cigarette Kits (2in1)

Our newest and most advanced electronic cigarette starter kit is also our most popular. The device features an advanced integrated atomiser and refill cartridge (known as a cartomiser), making changing cartridges a doddle and removing the need for fiddly atomisers.

NJOY DUO Electronic Cigarette Starter Kit

3. NJOY Pro White Electronic Cigarette Kit

We still sell a few NJOY Pro White kits – we’ve kept these on for now because customers who have bought our older kit recommend it to their friends, who then want the exact same model.

The NJOY Pro White Electronic Cigarette Kit.

4. The NIC Electronic Cigarette Kit

This is a super kit – along with the NJOY DUO it feels like smoking a real cigarettes – but it looks very different!

An NCIG E Cigarette.

5.

Electronic Cigarette Batteries

Check out these superb coloured batteries – just because it feels like a cigarette doesn’t mean it has to look like one!

Superb coloured batteries from NJOY.

6. Electronic Cigarette Car Ready Kit

Get amazing value with our NJOY car ready kit!

Get ready for the summer holidays with our car ready kit!

7. Leather Pouch

This stylish NJOY leather pouch will keep your trusty e-cigarette safe from the British weather!

Keep your e-ciggy safe and dry in this super leather pouch.

8. Car Charger

Charge while you drive, vape when you arrive! Also comes as part of our car ready kit.

Charge while you drive!

9. Metal Cases

These electronic cigarette metal cases provide a snug fit for your NJOY – check out the pics on our e-cigarette cases page!

These provide a snug fit for your NJOY e-cigarette.

10. Atomiser

We don’t sell as many of these as we used to, because most customers go for the NJOY DUO and these don’t require atomisers. (And did we mention all our products come with a one year warranty – meaning in the rare event of a failure you get the part repaired or replaced – for free!) However, some customers like the additional peace of mind that having a spare atomiser for their older NJOY PRO gives them.

A handy spare atomiser!

From Canada to New Zealand to Europe, e-cigarettes with nicotine have been made illegal.

However, in most of these countries e-cigarettes without nicotine are legal.

That’s why we have come up with the Zero Nicotine Electronic Cigarette Kit.

Suprisingly, it may still give just as much pleasure.

Some studies suggest that the role of nicotine in addition has been overestimated.

In Tobacco Abstinence Sympton Supression Dr Thomas Eissenburg findings suggested that smoking stimuli played a large role in the pleasure of smoking.

Of course, with billions at risk, the pharmaceutical companies who dominate the nicotine cessation market, and who fund research and anti-smoking organisations and anti-smoking conferences, are not going to publicise their findings.

As Professor Siegel says:

The overemphasis on nicotine replacement therapy for treatment of “nicotine” dependence is no coincidence. I believe that the strong influence that Big Pharma money has had on the tobacco control movement has contributed to this apparent distortion of the role of nicotine compared to behavioral factors in maintaining smoking addiction.

The No Nicotine Electronic Cigarette Kit

But enough about politics.

For the pleasures of smoking without the nicotine, we bring you the Zero Nicotine E-Cigarette Kit.

Click here to check it out: The Zero Nicotine E Cigarette Kit – because you don’t need nicotine to enjoy a smoke!

An e-cigarette kit with no nicotine.

The UK Regulatory Policy Committee (RPC) has issued a withering criticism of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)’s consultation letter calling for the regulation of electronic cigarettes as a medicine, pointing out out that there is insufficient evidence that the electronic cigarette poses a risk to public health.

The MHRA, while acknowledging the device has the potential to save lives, has recently called for the regulation (by themselves!) of e-cigarettes in a move which is likely to lead to a de-facto ban on the device. (In contrast to MHRA claims that the devices are not regulated, Trading Standards currently oversees the safety and supply of these products in the UK.)

However, the RPC’s opinion issued on the letter criticised the MHRA on a number of grounds, including the following:

• there was insufficient evidence that the device poses any risk to health;
• the MHRA has failed to consider how their regulation will affect tobacco products;
• the MHRA has failed to provide a robust assessment of costs and benefits;
• the MHRA has failed to state the legal case for regulation;
• the MHRA has failed to estimate the impact upon competition, and the implications of raising new barriers to entry.

Key Quotes:

Health

The RCP argues that the MHRA does not:

“provide sufficient evidence to suggest that there is a sufficient risk to public health from currently unlicensed NCPs which would justify the future regulation of these products.”

Tobacco

As we said in our own response, regulating e-cigarettes on the basis that they contain nicotine and affect the metabolism could affect tobacco. The RCP agrees, stating:

“…it is not clear from the consultation letter how this will affect tobacco products (e.g. cigarettes), which also contain nicotine and hence will be within the scope for these new regulations.”

Impact on Competition

The RCP stated that the consultation had failed to take into account the effect of the regulation on competition.

“The IA [Impact Assessment] does not provide an appropriate assessment of the impact of the proposed regulations on competition…”

“The regulations are likely to create additional barriers to entry…”

Who are the RCP?

The RCP (link) are a government advisory committee set up in 2009 to provide “strong and effective external scrutiny throughout the policy making process,” which they certainly seem to be doing so here.

Full Opinion

For their full opinion on the MHRA consultation, see The Regulatory Policy Committee opinion: Consultation on regulation of nicotine containing products.

Thanks Kate!

Thanks to Kate from Vapers Network for forwarding the RCP’s opinion to me!

We have added a new flavour to our selection of refills!

ECigaretteDirect is now offering Vanilla flavour in our selection of NJOY DUO refills.

To check them out click here: Electronic Cigarette Vanilla Flavour!

NJOY!

There’s an awesome blog post over at Zofryer.com.

The writer attended a meeting by Banzhaf, and Banzhaf asked his security guards to throw him out.

The security guards, however, were more interested in the e-cigarette.

Check out the full story here, and click here to see what real scientists say about Banzhaf’s health claims.

Smoking a cigar? Can't have that now, can we?

Anyone who reads Professor Siegel’s blog knows that the anti-smoking lobby lie almost daily.

But for those who don’t, Harry Phibb’s latest article in the Daily Mail is a shocker.

In it he points out how our very history is being changed, doctored and manipulated to provide a politically correct past that we never had.

Incredibly, we are so now ashamed of one of the greatest heroes of our time that we have to doctor his pictures.

Winston Churchill may have saved us from defeat against a fascist enemy that sought to take away our freedom and our way of life, he may have lead us to a historic victory against all odds – but he’s not good enough for 21st Century Britain.

Because he smoked.

Pictures of him and other historical figures have been doctored to remove evidence of their smoking habit.

In the second world war we fought for liberty, choice and freedom.

We fought against a man who twisted and perverted truth, who sought to control the way people lived, who sought to remove the freedom of choice.

If Churchill was alive now, he would be shocked at the way society is treating smokers.

Banning smokers from hospital waiting rooms. Refusing smokers jobs. Inventing statistics to justify discrimination.

And rewriting our country’s history.

[For the original Phibbs article see: I’d like fewer smokers, but not at the cost of living in a society which has sacrificed truth and freedom.)

I crouched down besides the looming brick wall. It was night, it was dark and the rain was hammering down.

I was here to interview Kate of Vaper’s Network, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly a figure dropped down besides me. I could just make out a white face surrounded by a veil, and a large e-cig clamped firmly in her mouth.

“Quick,” she said. “The Mother Superior has let the MHRA loose.”

Kate grabbed her smoking habit, and we ran.

Luckily, with just seconds to spare before the MHRA tore us to shreds, we made it to the safety of Kate’s local vaper-friendly pub.

For the resulting interview check out An Interview with Kate of Vaper’s Network on the website.

Dear Keith

I read your article on the electronic cigarette on the Bennington Banner (http://www.benningtonbanner.com/ci_15241325) with interest. However, I fear that you deal with only one side of the story.

First, there are many scientists who have spoken out in favour of the electronic cigarette. We have interviewed some of these scientists and you can find the interviews on our website: http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/interviews/electronic-cigarette-interviews.html. As there are two sides to the argument I believe it is only fair to get the other side of the story – not from retailers, who have a commercial interest, but from campaigners for tobacco harm reduction.

Secondly, you fail to acknowledge that the groups you interviewed have a financial conflict of interest. Many anti-smoking organisations receive support from the pharmaceutical industry that manufacture nicotine cessation aids. In total, this support over the last ten years has totalled nearly a billion dollars. According to one industry report the nicotine cessation industry is under threat from the electronic cigarette.

I hope you consider interviewing experts who support the electronic cigarette if you consider writing a follow up story.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards

James Dunworth

Follow up:
I had a quite nice reply from Keith:

James,

Thank you for your interest in the article. Currently I have no plans
for a follow-up story. The E-cigs were in the news, and it’s common
practice to localize larger stories, hence Smoker’s Den. I’m not
saying I won’t do a follow-up, but it likely won’t be until there’s
some legislative movement. At that point I’ll certainly consider the
info you’ve provided.

Thanks,
-Keith Whitcomb
Bennington Banner