As someone with no less than four family members working for "big pharma", and having met many who work (even in high positions) within those companies, I abhor the demonization of and blanket assumptions made about them. There's a manufactured "Us vs. Big Pharma" idea that's just garbage. Big Pharma doesn't want you to die from Cancer, or have you reliant on drugs for the rest of your life. There is no conspiracy, even with eCigs. You'd also know that given how long it takes to get drugs, new treatments or even cross treatments (using say, an anti-depressant for physical pain) approved, there's no way Health Canada is in cahoots with Pharmaceutical companies.
Nicotine is a hefty and dangerous stimulant and also controlled substance in Canada, and eCigs emit enough second-hand aerosolized nicotine to be a concern. It's nothing to do with what Big Pharma wants, but the safety of others around the e-smoker:
http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/6/655 (With four months of peer review, written by no less than 6 doctors; science I'm more willing to trust than the word of an eCig manufacturer)
eCigs are as much a concern as someone aerosolizing amphetamines in the chair next to you in a restaurant would be.
One example re Pharma:
http://www.tobaccotoday.info/2014/0...inst-electronic-cigarettes-dr-michael-siegel/
You might want to have a look at these studies:
http://onvaping.com/the-ultimate-list-of-studies-on-e-cigarettes-and-their-safety/
Peering Through the Mist: Systematic Review of what the Chemistry of Contaminants in Electronic Cigarettes Tells Us about Health Risks: A comprehensive review, by a Drexel University professor, based on over 9,000 observations of e-cigarette liquid and vapor. He found “no apparent concern” for bystanders exposed to e-cigarette vapor – even under “worst case” assumptions about exposure.
Contaminants In Ecig Eliquids And Workplace Health Risks (PDF): A study that reviewed available data on chemistry of e cig aerosols and e liquids. This study found no evidence supporting the claims of e cigarette vapor exposure negatively effecting the health, and safety, of the workplace. Published January 2014.
Cytotoxicity evaluation of ecig vapor extract: A 2013 study designed to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of 21 eliquids compared to the effects of cigarette smoke found ecig vapor is significantly less cytotoxic compared to tobacco.
Ecigarette toxicants study: Levels of selected carcinogens and toxicants in vapour from electronic cigarettes have been found to be 9 to 450 times less than tobacco cigarettes in 12 brands studied; leading the researchers to conclude “substituting tobacco cigarettes with e-cigarettes may substantially reduce exposure to selected tobacco-specific toxicants”. The study was first published online on March 6, 2013.
Is Passive Vaping A Reality?: This study sought to identify and quantify the chemicals released on a closed environment from the use of e-cigarettes – the findings? There’s little to be concerned about with regard safety. This research again confirms the type and quantity of chemicals released are by far less harmful to human health compared to regular tobacco cigarettes.
In fact, it “could be more unhealthy to breath air in big cities compared to staying in the same room with someone who is vaping.”
Indoor Vapor Air Quality Study: Data at Clarkson University’s Center for Air Resources and reviewed by an independent toxicologist indicates electronic cigarettes produce very small exposures to byproducts relative to tobacco cigarettes. The study has been peer reviewed and will appear the Journal of Inhalation Toxicology.
E-cigarettes: harmless inhaled or exhaled: Report from Health New Zealand stating e-cigarette vapors do not contain substances known to cause death in the quantities found.
Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (PDF): This research acknowledges that no drug is safe, but the emissions associated with the e-cigarette brand tested appear to be “several magnitudes safer” than tobacco smoke emissions.
E-cigarette Vapor And Cigarette Smoke Comparison: High nicotine e-liquids were vaporized in a series of experiments and the emissions compared to tobacco smoke. The study results indicate “no apparent risk to human health from e-cigarette emissions based on the compounds analyzed”.
Propylene Glycol Safe: Monkeys and rats were exposed continuously to high concentrations of propylene glycol, a common component of e liquids for periods of 12 to 18 months. Results of the research state “air containing these vapors in amounts up to the saturation point is completely harmless”.
ETA: Long-term effects of inhaled nicotine: A study where rats were given inhaled nicotine at twice the amount of heavy smokers, which found “increase in mortality, in atherosclerosis or frequency of tumors in these rats compared with controls. Particularly, there was no microscopic or macroscopic lung tumors nor any increase in pulmonary neuroendocrine cells. Throughout the study, however, the body weight of the nicotine exposed rats was reduced as compared with controls. In conclusion, our study does not indicate any harmful effect of nicotine when given in its pure form by inhalation.”
And this:
