Published on August 19, 2009 at 3:05 AM
In a letter sent to Congressional members on August 14, the Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) criticized the recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study on electronic cigarettes as it failed to follow standard scientific protocols and was too narrow in scope. In addition, the letter called on Congress to enact legislation that would make it illegal to sell electronic cigarettes to those below the legal age of smoking.
“Our products are not intended for those under the legal smoking age. We are extremely careful to market only to committed, adult smokers looking to avoid the toxins found in combustible cigarettes. We would like to see legislation that will back up our efforts in restricting sales to those underage,” said ECA President Matt Salmon.
The letter called on Congress to urge the FDA to conduct further studies on electronic cigarettes and to take a more scientific approach, follow standard protocols for proper study design, to include a significant sample of products on the market, and to study the potential for giving smokers an alternative that reduces the known risks found in traditional cigarettes until they can make the commitment to quit.
“We readily acknowledge the health risks of cigarette smoking and advocate smokers to quit. However, we recognize the struggles many have in quitting and offer an alternative to adult smokers who want to avoid the toxins found in cigarettes. The more than 1 million users of electronic cigarettes also like the fact that they can use these products in the workplace and in public without violating any laws or policies and not annoy or expose non-smokers to tobacco smoke,” said Salmon.
www.ecassoc.org