Making the Electronic cigarette a Medicine
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ECD: I actually spoke to the MHRA and they gave me two reasons why they think it should be regulated as a medicine. One, it was the only way that (the MHRA) can regulate it, and two, because it contains nicotine, and apparently they have had legal advice that nicotine is a medicine.
What's your take on that, specifically that nicotine is a medicine.
David: That nicotine is a medicine? So cocaine's a medicine, heroin is a medicine as well? Alcohol is a medicine? Where are these people going? This strikes me as nothing more than a power plan by a group of public paid officials. This isn't about tobacco reduction or improving people's lives, this is about a chance to expand an empire, increase the amount of staff and get more government funding.
ECD: Well the funding would come from the companies who were producing the electronic cigarettes, not from the government. The MHRA is funded by pharmaceutical companies.
David: Aren't they attached to the government?
ECD: They are a government body funded by pharmaceutical companies.
David: Well, personally if I was an electronic cigarette smoker I wouldn't have any problems with having regulations to make sure there was a certain level of manufacturing standards.
ECD:I think we need it. We really want regulation because we have to deal with competition from people bringing in electronic cigarettes made overnight in China with no inspections, no insurance, no lab studies, no quality control - nothing. And it makes it difficult to compete. So we would like regulation.
David: Exactly, sure. There is no problem in my mind having standards of manufacture, quality standards and things like that. But if it gets around to the stage where they ban these e-cigarettes, I think that is quite appalling.
ECD: Well, some people think it is a plan to ban e-cigarettes, I think it could possible be a plan by the pharmaceutical companies to take the industry over or maybe it is something different I am not sure. But I am just thinking if you are regulating on the basis it as nicotine then surely you also have authority over cigarettes. in America now the FDA was defeated in court over their attempt to ban e-cigarettes, and part of the reason was that the judge said if you can do this you can also regulate cigarettes.
And there are vegetables which contain nicotine, albeit very low levels of nicotine, and at the other end you have cigarettes with much higher levels of nicotine.
David: I think this is more about central government power and empire building than it is about good regulation.
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