Continued Use Of Deadly Tobacco Encouraged By FDA Position: Electronic Cigarette Debate Heats Up

Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Regulatory Affairs / Drug Approvals
Article Date: 06 May 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) issued an official statement on its website - http://www.ecigaretteassociation.org - in response to the FDA's recent inquiry into electronic cigarettes, many of which are being withheld from entering the country in what prominent harm reduction and policy experts are calling a potential public health disaster.

"The message that is being sent by the FDA to those who cannot stop smoking, or who do not wish to stop smoking, is that it is better to keep smoking tobacco, which kills more than 400,000 people in the US per year, is the leading cause of preventable death in our country and results in more death than AIDS, drugs, homicides, fires and auto accidents combined," said Matt Salmon, former US Congressman and President of the ECA. "It is time to stop misinformation, to put the needs of consumers ahead of special interests, to put public health ahead of stifling process, and to embrace the first true innovation in a centuries-old space."

View Video Message from Matt Salmon

The topic of electronic cigarettes has gained momentum with hundreds of thousands of US and global consumers successfully using the products, and then last week, the FDA was sued by an electronic cigarette company, Smoking Everywhere. The "Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act" will also play a role and is being marked up in the Senate next week.

The ECA Web site provides the following resources:

- Expert Interview Sources
- Data Resources
- Eye-opening Quotes
- Electronic Cigarette Myths & Facts
- Smoking Fact Sheets

The ECA is an association of private sector companies engaged in electronic cigarette technologies. Its mission is to provide the tools and information necessary for policy-makers, opinion leaders, media, and private sector companies worldwide to make informed decisions about the management and use of electronic cigarette technologies. The association institutes and promotes industry-wide standards and a code of conduct, works to maintain sound professional practices, educates the public and policy-makers on the industry's activities and potential, and works to ensure the ethical use of electronic cigarette technologies.

Source
The Electronic Cigarette Association

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