Electronic Cigarette Organization Sponsors Auction for Research

The National Vapers Club is sponsoring an auction of high-end, custom electronic cigarette models and supplies and holding a "vape-a-thon" in order to raise funds to finance research on the safety and efficacy of electronic cigarettes.

"Some of the best modders in our community have donated some really special and unique mods and some of the suppliers have gone out of their way to donate some really sought after items as well!" said Spikey Babian, president of the National Vapers Club.

"Every penny from this auction goes directly to vaping research. It will be given to Vapers International Inc., which is a non-profit group doing research on the safety and efficacy of vaping."

"We will also take additional donations through vapersclub@aol.com by PayPal," added Babaian.

Electronic cigarettes first appeared in the U.S. market in early 2007, marketed as a "smoking alternative." However, the FDA has recently ruled that the devices are actually "drug delivery devices," fall under their regulation and retailers are making unproven claims that electronic cigarettes are smoking cessation devices. Their claim of jurisdiction has been challenged in federal court by two electroinic cigarette distributors and is now awaiting the judge's decision. (1)

In May 2009, the FDA did preliminary testing of eighteen electronic cigarette cartridges and announced finding trace carcinogens in the samples and less than 1% diethylene glycol in one cartridge and warned consumers to not use the devices. (2)

A study funded by Ruyan, an electronic cigarette manufacturer, was done in 2008 by Health New Zealand, an independent research company. The test results showed that the liquid and vapor was indeed "100 to 1,000 times safer" than tobacco cigarettes and contained acceptable levels of nitrosamines - no more than nictoine gum or patches. (3)

In spite of these findings and the anecdotal evidence to the contrary, anti-smoking groups and legislators have declared the electronic cigarettes as unsafe and also a danger to bystanders, in the form of "second-hand vapor."

Vapers International Inc. is a non-profit organization formed in September of 2009. According to it's web site, it was formed "by members of the vaping community as a means of gathering resources, funds and information to complete clinical research studies on nicotine vaporizers and electronic cigarettes."

"Determining whether or not vaping is safe is of utmost importance to the consumers utilizing these devices. Vapers International has established a mission to analyze and determine the components of the vapor emitted from the device during use and determine the level of risk encountered by the users of the device and bystanders of the user." (4)

Information about the online auction, which is scheduled to run January 1, 2010 through February 7, 2010, may be found at http://vapersclub.com/modauction.html.

Sources:
1. Smoking Everywhere vs. FDA, http://www.scribd.com/doc/14775111/Smoking-Everywhere-Verified-Complaint?secret_password=1ssh8mjyzy1urbwyeygd, Scribd.com
2. Food and Drug Adminstration, http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm173222.htm, FDA.gov
3. Health New Zealand, http://www.healthnz.co.nz/ecigarette.htm, Healthnz.co.nz
4. Vapers International Inc., http://vapersinternational.org, VapersInternational.org