The e-cigarette industry launched the Electronic Cigarette Association to provide a platform to speak for the producers, distributors and retailers of electronic cigarettes. The trade association was formed in 2009 in Washington, D.C. and is funded through donations and by the members. The ECA answers questions about e-cigs, provides accurate information and focuses on public relations.
The ECA provides a collective voice for both e-cigarette providers and organizations by publicizing accurate information and providing the tools necessary to opinion leaders, policy makers and the news media. By instituting a code of conduct that is industry wide, the ECA hopes to reassure the public and legislators about the safety and purpose of electronic cigarettes.
Powerful lobbyists of big tobacco and large pharmaceutical firms have attacked e-cigarettes from the time the products were introduced in 2003. Pressure from these highly financed lobbies resulted in the FDA conducting a very limited and unscientific study of e-cigs and issuing a caution about their use.. The Electronic Cigarette Association aims to combat the push to ban the products. Results of the FDA testing found a trace amount of a risky compound but did not compare that result with a similar test for the compound in tobacco products. The big corporations realized in 2003 that the electronic versions could damage their profits and they have been applying pressure for a ban since then.
The e-cig is presented as a safer and cheaper alternative to tobacco products in the information disseminated by the ECA. Users are encouraged to share their stories about tobacco and e-cigs and urged to contact legislators and argue against any ban of the product.
When new products are introduced, especially if they are innovative, misinformation is to be expected. For generations the health risks of smoking tobacco have been well documented and accepted. Smoking tobacco products was totally acceptable for generations and accomodations (and ashtrays) for smokers were available wherever you looked. The macho Marlboro man died of lung cancer. The feminist Virginia Slims lady is not seen as glamorous by women today.
The number of ingredients, additives and compounds in tobacco are now fully understood as are the serious health risks involved in smoking. Public buildings and places of entertainment such as restaurants, theaters, and even bars have banned smoking and the trend toward non smoking public areas is spreading to more public places.
For years the public asked for a safer alternative to smoking tobacco and that is exactly what is provided by electronic cigarettes. Big tobacco stands to lose a lot of money as the popularity of e-cigs continues to grow as they provide an alternate nicotine inhalation system that doesn’t expose the smoker to the additives and burning chemical compounds of tobacco. Pharmaceuticals also stand to lose profits. Unfortunately, these two sectors provide a lot of money to legislators.
The first warnings on cigarette packs appeared after the surgeon general declared tobacco as a health hazard forty years ago. The FDA has refused to intervene in regulating tobacco products or additive and has shown no interest in banning the use of tobacco. Electronic cigarettes have been available to the public for only a few years yet the FDA has repeatedly mentioned banning or regulating e-cigs. The Electronic Cigarette Association was created to publicize the truth about electronic cigarettes in the hope that e-cigs will remain available to the public as a safer alternative to tobacco products.
Mary Kay Rivers has become an expert on all aspects of electronic cigarettes. Her publications about electronic cigarettes as an alternative and about the best electronic cigarette have become well-known.
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