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Federal law would block FDA reviews on e-cigarettes
No, this is not a repeat from 1964. Congress has blocked a funding bill amendment that would have allowed the FDA to review and approve electronic cigarette brands before they hit market. Republican Andy Harris said, "I think most people realize that they are less dangerous than cigarettes, and yet we're subjecting them to a higher level of regulation." However, the World Health Organization (WHO) is now set against e-cigarettes and early research has shown that vaping may have a toxic effect on lung cells. Democrat Rep. Nita Lowey, who introduced the original amendment, said she was "shocked" by the "objectionable" decision to kill FDA pre-market reviews, adding "many of these products are aimed at children."
Wales to ban e-cigarettes in public places
While the debate over the risks of e-cigarettes continues to rage on, some governments aren't taking any chances and have enforced new rules to limit their use. Belgium and Spain have already introduced public bans, and now Wales is planning to do the same. The Welsh Government today announced that it will seek to prohibit vaping in "enclosed public spaces" as part of a new Public Health Bill designed to "protect the health and wellbeing" of people living in the country.
Juul is the e-cig that will finally stop me from smoking (I hope)
I started smoking at 13. To be honest, I can't even pin the blame on peer pressure. Maybe it was my teenage desire to rebel; maybe I just wanted to look cool. I'm not sure why I started, but I know that I've never been able to stop. And I haven't had a day without a cigarette in at least 14 years. I've owned four e-cigarettes over the past three years, and despite my efforts to transition to vaping full-time, none of them have been able to replace tobacco for me. They have nonetheless been a good supplement, filling in when I'm unable, either due to social niceties or because it's forbidden, to smoke the real thing. Enter Pax Labs, the company behind the excellent loose-leaf vaporizer of the same name, which claims it's solved all my e-cigarette issues with its first attempt, the $50 Juul.
Some e-cigarette flavors may have toxic effects on lung cells
E-cigarettes may be a popular alternative to the traditional smoke sticks, despite contrasting opinions on how safe they are. Adding to the list of harmful effects, the American Thoracic Society published research at its annual conference that certain flavors used in vaping liquid may alter cells in lung tissue. During the study, researchers exposed human airway epithelial cells to doses of 13 e-cig flavors for periods of 30 minutes and 24 hours. 5 of the 13 displayed "adverse effects to cells in a dose-dependent manner." Of those five, three flavors -- Hot Cinnamon Candies, Banana Pudding (Southern Style), and Menthol Tobacco -- were toxic to lung cells at higher doses in the 30-minute test. What's more, when cells were exposed for 24 hours, the same trio of flavors stunted cell growth as the dosage increased. Also of note: the flavorings' negative effects didn't occur with nicotine or the e-liquid vehicle on its own (propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin).
The best portable vaporizer (so far)
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read the full article below at TheWirecutter.com. After testing ten portable vaporizers so far, we recommend the Crafty, a new portable model from Storz and Bickel. Out of all the models we tested, the Crafty was one of the few that could produce the kind of truly tasty, powerful vapor you get from a much bigger unit. At $400, it's an investment, but will make up its cost over time because it vaporizes cannabis more efficiently than its peers. The Crafty heats the herb at the optimal pre-combustion level and keeps temperature constant for the duration of a session, while its cooling unit and swiveling straw keep potent draws comfortable and tasty. As a result, it delivers cleaner, purer, better-tasting vape, and higher highs than the competition.
Oxford Dictionaries names 'vape' as the word of 2014
Welcome, friends to the intersection of stories about silly words and stories about electronic cigarettes. Every year, Oxford Dictionaries chooses a single word that defines the world that we live in, and the word that defines 2014 is vape. The term fought off strong competition from bae, contactless, normcore and slacktivism to emerge as the winner. It's been a big year for electronic nicotine delivery systems (as they're officially named), since some medical professionals came out in favor of it, saying that it's less harmful than the real thing. That feeling wasn't shared by the World Health Organization, however, which wants e-smoking regulated in the same way as cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos. We're going to go out on a limb and say that 2015's word will probably describe the antsy feeling you get when you can no longer vape in public spaces -- does Vanger work for y'all?
Trading addictions: the inside story of the e-cig modding scene
There is a rapidly growing subculture of e-cigarette users across the globe who spend countless hours tricking out their hardware. Vape modding, as it's known, blends technical craftsmanship, engineering creativity and artistry into one -- and unbeknownst to most, it originated right here in the UK. Some do it to get better hits, while others do it to give their e-cigs a unique look. The modders are also the staunchest of users, who credit vaping with allowing them to kick the tobacco habit. But as I found out, through the process of modding, these ex-smokers may have just traded one addiction for another.
The World Health Organization is officially against e-cigarettes
Doctors think that the World Health Organization should ease off against electronic cigarettes, if only because the dangers have to be less harmful than the real thing. For its part, however, the WHO disagrees, publishing a report saying that it wants these nicotine delivery systems to be regulated with the same scorn as cigarettes and cigars are today. Research into the relative harm of "electronic nicotine delivery systems" is still pretty nascent, but the report claims that while the water vapor they emit has a smaller concentration of nicotine, it may spread more widely in the air -- increasing the risk to children and pregnant women in the vicinity. The WHO concedes that e-cigarettes are preferable to the real thing, at least for now, but only in nations where tobacco smoking is being rapidly reduced. The downside, of course, is that there's no consensus -- beyond a few studies -- that the technology actually helps people to kick the habit.
Doctors urge the World Health Organization to lighten up on e-cigs
The World Health Organization suspects that e-cigarettes should be treated with the same regulatory scorn as Tobacco, even if it hasn't yet made this conclusion legally binding. A group of 53 doctors, however, are now urging the WHO to take a gentler approach. They've signed an open letter admitting that while the dangers of vaping aren't fully known, the technology is vastly preferable to people choking down on the real thing. One of the signatories, Professor Robert West, can back up his claims with the study he published last week, which says that e-cigs are much more effective at getting people to quit than patches or cold turkey. We're expecting a lot more back-and-forth on this matter in the next few months, since the WHO's anti-smoking treaty group doesn't meet to reveal its final decision on the vaping issue until mid-October. [Thanks, Ronny]
Engadget Daily: Microsoft Surface Pro 3 review, hacking Watch Dogs and more!
We put Microsoft's new Surface tablet through the review ringer, took a look at vaporizer technology, found out just how realistic hacking in a video game can be, and discovered that Sony's new console's raking in the cash. Read on for Engadget's news highlights from the last 24 hours.
What you need to know about vaporizers
Smoking is bad for you. There! We said it right up front. There's no reasonable line of argument that can lead to any other conclusion: smoking kills lots of people, around 50 percent of its long term users. But with all that said, people love to smoke. Heck, I smoked for many, many years and I still would if it had a few more vitamins. But bottom line, tobacco products smell awful, give you bad breath, have become socially unacceptable, cause all kinds of cancer and, ultimately, kill people. What if we were to tell you we've found a new way to get all the nicotine into our bodies with technology, and none of the harmful smoke? Well, good news, we can! Let's talk about vaporizers.
Study suggests e-cigs trump patches for quitting smoking
The use of e-cigs, or vaping as it's often called, is not only more acceptable as far as stink factor and convenience go, but may now finally be considered a real tool in the quest to kick the habit. Fans of vaping have always claimed that this was the case, but there's never been a real study to back them up, and let's face it: "We think it is," is a bit vaporous. Researchers from the University College London followed some 6,000 people's efforts at quitting between summer 2009 and February 2014. The adjusted results suggest that e-cig users were 60 percent more likely to succeed than those trying nicotine replacement or quitting cold turkey. Of course, all of these people have had to find their own path or program, seeing as the e-devices aren't a recognized method to most in the health industry. Perhaps now we'll start to see programs put together tailored to help smokers butt out. While this research does bode well for the e-cig industry, bear in mind this is only one study and we've yet to hear anybody weigh in on the health concerns. By the by, we expect a study claiming the exact opposite findings from the nicotine patch people to land in three, two, one... [Image credit: Shutterstock/PhotoSGH]
