Not all electronic cigarettes comply with EU directives - authority

Keith Mizzi

Aug 1st 2012, 13:34

It is interesting how only negative / bad advertising is currently being made by the media about the e cigarette. It is also funny how the Maltese Media are trying to demonize this ''new thing'' they just discovered. Please note that the Electronic Cigarette has been around for about 6 years and so far no deaths have been attributed to it. On the other hand please see below some facts about Real Cigarette Smoking:

- Around 6 million deaths a year are caused by tobacco.

- Smoking is set to kill 6.5 million people in 2015 and 8.3 million humans in 2030, with the biggest rise in low-and middle-income countries.

- Every 6.5 seconds a current or former smoker dies, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

- An estimated 1.3 billion people are smokers worldwide (WHO).

- Over 443,000 Americans (over 18 percent of all deaths) die because of smoking each year.

I also smell Tax losses here, the government should also look at the long term effects to his pocket and not only short term. As using such electronic devices surely does a lesser harm then smoking the hundreds of chemicals found in normal cigarettes. It is true that studies by the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) found 1 harmful chemical in one of the 18 samples tested. I wonder how many harmful chemicals are found in all normal cigarettes?

I say Tax the Liquid since it has nicotine, do more unbiased research, publish it and let the consumers do their decisions.

With regards to CE Certified Electronic Cigarettes available on the Market. I say look for CE, ROHS, FCC and SGS approved products and not just CE.

Some of the the reputable companies that manufacture Certified Electronic Cigarettes are: Joyetech, Janty, Ovale and Ruyan.

J.C. Borg

Jul 31st 2012, 10:56

"should have the CE mark"

Even goods coming from China have CE (China Exports) mark.

The European Union should, if need be change the logo so that it will not be mixed with others on the market. Also I do not like to read just "Made in the EU", these might also be misleading.

Mark Borg

Jul 31st 2012, 09:25

I can imagine that a lot of these products are from China. I have had my fair share of trying different e-cigarette products and I blog about my e-cigarette experiences in my blog http://www.e-cigarette.com.mt .I stopped smoking using this device and so can any other smoker, just make sure that what you buy (like with every other product) is safe and abides by EU regulations.

Sylvana Zarb Darmanin

Jul 31st 2012, 08:45

I strongly believe that the Authority should provide concrete information about the e-cig as compared to the normal cigarette. Maybe they are both harmful to our health but one may be more dangerous than the other. As a smoker, I wish to switch to the e-cig as I know of many ex-smokers who stopped smoking after using the e-cig. On the other hand, I am afraid to start using the e-cig before hearing some facts about it. I urge the authority to research further and let us have the true picture of it all (ignoring the loss of taxes the Government collects from normal cigarette purchases).

Tony Zammit

Jul 31st 2012, 06:43

Till you have proved that E-Sig is more harmful I wouldn’t comment on them. One thing for sure there is no tar, No paper burning, No mess left behind can't even get a fine for throwing it on the ground, No ashtray and the list goes on. Bad thing for government is that there no taxation being collected..CE is that for China Electronics like other things being stamped on?

Keith Camilleri

Jul 31st 2012, 01:18

I've tried them and went back to the real thing. The way I see it, until someone tells me that they are not worse then cigarettes, I'm better off trusting the devil we know. Remember we are throwing actual nicotine on our tongue and our throat. This might not cause lung cancer in 25 years, but can cause throat , tongue and god knows what other cancer in maybe 2 years. Until WHO tell me I can, I won't !!!!

G Mugliett

Jul 30th 2012, 20:53

The main issue is the e-liquid, finally you inhale the smoke not the e-cig.
Chinese e-liquids does not even have a label, stating ingredients, where was made and who made them. Also Chinese e-liquids are synthetic ( artificial chemical made in factories )
On the other hand European liquids are made if natural vegetable jiuce extract , also you'll find a label stating all ingredients and who made them and expiry date.

Difference in price is minimal just around €1.50.

Louis Pace

Jul 30th 2012, 20:17

We don't know yet if they are harmful or not and they are trying to stop them already but they know what cigarettes do and all they do is add more tax not stop them altogether. They don't let you smoke cigarettes in public places because it is bad for others and they say that this is proven because of the thousands of chemicals in them and not just the nicotine, so these only have nicotine and much much less chemicals.

Now to an important part I used to vape three years ago but used to smoke also this was because the e-cig gave you less time it was very limited, now they have improved that with one battery you could get of over 12 hours of heavy vaping and less burnt vape flavour. Now three weeks ago I started again I went and bought one from Malta to try it out and have not looked at a packet of cigarettes again I still have the last packet in the car. Last Friday I went to pick my son from summer school and forgot my e-cig at home and while I was waiting for him I took a cigarette and with the secong drag I switched it off I didn't like it. I vape alot at home I even did one myself using usb supply and even do my own mix of juices and mostly without any nicotine at all just flavours that is to prove that I'm smoking because of the habit only.

Now I have a question on what I noticed lately, How many of you people that smoke goes somewhere with the family where you cannot smoke and you go outside to smoke as fast one and find that you feel dizzy as soon as you finish the cigarette...... with vaping this did not happen to me when I was vaping a 24mg nicotine juice..... Why not?????

Arsenio Ellul

Jul 30th 2012, 20:08

What are the results from the authority's investigation or research?

Mr Andrei Azzopardi

Jul 30th 2012, 19:21

"It advised consumers that inhaling vapours could not in any way be considered healthy." -- And, may I ask, inhaling cigarette vapor is more healthy?

A Camilleri

Jul 30th 2012, 19:12

I'm more concerned with the tar content of cigarettes. That's what clogs the lungs up like a chimney stack.

X Borg

Jul 30th 2012, 18:35

I think it would have been a service to consumers to name brands and models that actually do comply - there must be a register somewhere I guess.

Also, is the CE mark really something to rely on after all its usually only printed on the product or just a sticker. Anyone can print a symbol.

Albert Farrugia

Jul 30th 2012, 17:52

The only reason why e-cigarettes will soon be banned across the EU is that governments are afraid they will lose their lucrative cut they receive each time a normal cigarette is bought. So there.