10. An Alternative Solution
Related Links:
ECigarette Direct Response to MHRA Proposal to Regulate Electronic Cigarettes as Medicines
As stated before ECigaretteDirect, while objecting to labelling the electronic cigarette as a medicine, welcomes structured regulation ensuring that quality control and standards are met by all electronic cigarette retailers.
The product falls between two categories: it is neither a tobacco cigarette nor a smoking cessation product. All the research demonstrates that electronic cigarettes are an alternative and less harmful option for tobacco smokers to continue to enjoy nicotine, with no effect on other individuals by their usage. Most users of electronic cigarettes continue to use the electronic cigarette rather than ceasing to use nicotine.
There are risks involved in attempting to regulate electronic cigarettes as medicines. These risks include decreased availability and making the product less attractive to existing smokers. This will inevitably involve many current e-cigarette users switching back to smoking tobacco cigarettes, and many cigarette users failing to switch from smoking tobacco cigarettes to using electronic cigarettes.
As far as we know, no risk assessment has been carried out either of the inherent risks of the product or of the ramifications of making the product a medicine. Denial of access to this product will encourage people to return to tobacco cigarettes with their concomitant and fully-acknowledged dangers, leading to increased death and illness amongst nicotine users who will smoke cigarettes if unable to use this safer alternative.
In view of this, we suggest a middle way, where a regulatory framework is drawn up which will enable safe and effective regulation of the electronic cigarette by Trading Standards, thus avoiding the risks associated with regulating nicotine delivery devices as medicines (as outlined above).
E Cigarette Direct is the UK based online retailer of the NJOY electronic cigarette. E Cigarette Direct has a strong interest in promoting research into the electronic cigarette and tobacco harm reduction, and you can find interviews with doctors and scientists on its website as well as summaries of recent research.