Does The EU Require Additional Regulation Of Electronic Cigarettes?
Health organizations, retailers and government representatives continue to disagree on the potential benefits and drawbacks of electronic cigarettes. Created to simulate the act of smoking a traditional cigarette, e-cigarettes use heat to convert propylene liquids into aerosol mists. The mist, when inhaled, resembles the flavor, smell and appearance of regular cigarette smoke. The smoking devices are targeted towards smokers who wish to use products without tobacco.
Many researchers and lobbyists would like to see electronic cigarettes regulated more extensively. In the United States, e-cigarettes are currently legal at the federal level, but may be subject to regulation on a state-by-state basis. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lost a long legal battle to have e-cigarettes classified as drug-delivery devices during the early months of 2010. The classification would have required e-cigarettes to be regulated by the FDA. In 2011, the FDA announced that it would regulate electronic cigarettes as tobacco products and chose to temporarily abandon its quest to label them as drug-delivery devices.
The European Union has been far less kinder to tobacco companies that produce electronic cigarettes. This is surprising, as e-cigarettes are even more popular in Europe than they are in the United States. In 2009, the Electronic Cigarette Association estimated that at least 300,000 Europeans used e-cigarettes on a regular basis. Electronic Cigarette Association president Matt Salmon thought the number was even larger. Since then, electronic cigarettes have continued to grow more popular among Europeans. Many European users are upset by the actions taken against electronic cigarettes in the European Union.
A new anti-smoking campaign was recently launched by Health Commissioner John Dalli. In addition to encouraging smokers of traditional cigarettes and cigars to quit, Dalli wants to add new amendments that will cover aroma sweetening tobacco flavorings and non tobacco smoking products. These new regulations would cover a variety of smoking products, including the e cigarette. Those against the proposed regulations believe that limiting production of e-cigarettes could drive the industry to the black market and perhaps even worse, the Mafia. They also protest the regulations on the basis of scientific studies that suggest that e-cigarettes are substantially less damaging to one’s health than tobacco cigarettes and cigars. These studies have found that e-cigarettes pose a significantly smaller cancer risk than other smoking products and have a level of carcinogens close to that of most peanut butter brands. Despite a great deal of protest from European citizens, it looks like further regulations on electronic cigarettes and other smoking products will be passed in the near future.
