Experts warn people to stop using electronic cigarettes

Published on September 1, 2009 8:26 AM

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Several weeks after the results of laboratory tests by American Food and Drug Administration showed that the majority of electronic cigarettes contain dangerous chemicals and even carcinogens, the UK Parliament expressed concerns over the safety of these devices and declared that it would seek implementation of a ban on the electronic cigarettes that would fail toxicity tests.

The electronic cigarettes can be bought in numerous places across the UK, including small kiosks, shopping malls and even pubs. Many smokers use them in order to mimic smoking, especially in those places where tobacco products are prohibited, since the devices not only look like conventional cigarettes but as well evaporate a cloud of vapor resembling smoke.

However, health experts said the safety of these products has not been established as they have been relatively new on the market.

During a special news-conference, the spokesperson for the Health Department said that they have performed laboratory investigation of the samples of electronic cigarettes sold in the UK and found that all the samples failed to comply with safety and toxicity standards.

The spokesperson admitted that government has introduced a bill that would halt the sales of electronic cigarettes that didn’t comply with safety standards, in order to guarantee that only those devices that would comply with all the standards would be selling in UK.

Whereas a comprehensive ban is not intended, trading standards monitoring agency has been cooperating with importers to verify the selling devices have the appropriate health warnings and several brands have already been detained from distribution.

“These devices failed to comply with a wide range of safety standards,” stated Catherine Sparrow, Local Government Association advisor. She called pubs and restaurants owners to verify that the devices they are selling have appropriate labels and safety certificates. “The retailers are responsible for the safety of products they sell,” she added.

The concerns have risen after the US officials issued warnings over the hazardous chemicals contained in electronic cigarettes, making the devices even more harmful than ordinary cigarettes.

However, retailers of e-cigs in the UK denied the allegations.

The chairman of E-Lites, leading seller of electronic cigarettes in the UK said that the devices are much safer than tobacco. He added that those brands that were found to contain carcinogens by US scientists, have not been represented in the UK market and named the devices “life-saving” products.

Jonathan Almotte, manager of a pub that sells up to 5 kits of electronic cigarettes each week, said the major advantage of electronic cigarettes is that they can be used in pubs and other enclosed public places where tobacco is banned. He added that he believes that the devices have been a safer alternative for smoking.

However, other retailers were not so optimistic about the future of the devices, as they decided to halt the sales of electronic cigarettes until the receipt of the analyses results in order to confirm their safety for human consumption.