From Bloombergs News on August 25, 2012:

E-Cigarettes Pose No Risk of Heart Disease, Study Finds

Dennis Quaid quit smoking over a year ago.  However, he is still using a SmokeStik as seen on the set of Beneath the Darkness recently.

Charlie Sheen does it. Lindsay Lohan e-puffs, too. The market for smokeless smokes has lit up. Does that mean you can smoke anywhere?

Are E-Cigs Cool?

We hear all the time from anti electronic cigarette people how they shouldn’t be used as there has not been any clinical studies done of them.  Well, here’s one clinical study.  Much more than I want to read, but if you’re interested:

Effect of an electronic nicotine delivery device (e-Cigarette) on smoking reduction and cessation: a prospective 6-month pilot study.

BMC Public Health 2011 11::786.

Happy Reading.

November 7, 2011

Here’s part of the Globe’s interview with Dr. Michael Siegel:

You’ve spoken publicly in favor of electronic cigarettes, metal look-alikes that provide nicotine but are less harmful that tobacco-based products.

A. Here we have a product that is much safer than regular cigarettes and by anecdotal evidence at least is helping literally thousands of smokers to quit smoking. Another major benefit of e-cigarettes is there’s no secondhand smoke. In some ways, this is the product we’ve been looking for all these years, [though] certainly more research needs to be done on safety and effectiveness.

Q. But some anti-smoking advocates seem to hate these e-cigarettes.

A. Anti-smoking groups just have trouble saying something good about anything that looks like and acts like a cigarette. And every one of the groups that has come out against e-cigarettes has taken money from or partnered with pharmaceutical companies. If e-cigarettes are successful, they will take over the smoking cessation market from the pharmaceutical companies. It may be subconscious, but because a lot of [anti-smoking groups’] money and support comes from pharmaceutical companies, they are going to stand up and protect the interests of those companies.

You can see the remainder of the interview at:  A Policy’s Smoke Screen 

John Stossel’s take on the FDA and their policies towards electronic cigarettes:

The FDA Kills Smokers

John Tierney wrote a good article in the Science section of the NY Times about electronic cigarettes.  Finally, somebody didn’t take the FDA’s press releases at face value but actually researched them and found out they were not based on science.  Here’s his article:

A Tool to Quit Smoking Has Some Unlikely Critics

Chantix (varenicline) is sold under the brand name Champix in England.  Look what they have to say about this drug and its side effects.  Yet the FDA continues to defend its use and at the same time tell us how dangerous electronic cigarettes are.  Once again it shows me that FDA guidelines are driven more by money than safety.

Anti-Smoking drug greatly raises suicide risk

Carrie Fisher went on the Today show to talk about her new book Shockoholic.  She brought along her electronic cigarette.  Check out her interview at:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45105861/ns/today-books/t/princess-leia-reveals-shock-therapy-possible-memory-loss/

New York Magazine has a brief article on electronic cigarettes and how they are becoming more popular:

http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/topic/e-cigarettes-2011-10/