Attorneys General Asked to Ban All E-Cigarette Sales Success in Oregon Could Serve as Model/Precedent, Says ASH

Attorneys general in 49 states are being petitioned to ban the further sale of e-cigarettes until their safety can be determined by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA].

They are being petitioned to follow the lead of the Oregon Attorney General's office - which has just obtained such court orders - by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the group whose legal petition, and scheduled appearance on NBC-TV Nightly News, precipitated last week's FDA warning about some of the dangers of e-cigarettes.

SEE: www.pr-inside.com/fda-to-regulate-e-cigarettes-as-toxins-r140360 .. AND ash.org/ecigpetition

The Oregon Department of
Justice filed late Thursday two legal settlements that prevent two national travel store chains from selling "electronic cigarettes" in Oregon. The action is the first of its kind in the country, and prevents Oregonians from buying potentially dangerous products that the FDA has yet to review or approve.
SEE: www.doj.state.or.us/releases/2009/rel073009.shtml

ASH, which in the past successfully urged state attorney generals to crack down on the illegal sale of cigarettes over the Internet, and to take action against the use of cartoon characters in cigarette ads, is providing the attorneys general with background information about the known dangers of e-cigarettes, information about the successful legal action in Oregon, and information about many of the potential dangers of e-cigarettes not included in last week's FDA report.

These potential dangers include possible contamination, smokers who otherwise would quit remaining addicted to nicotine, the high risk nicotine poses for people with risk factors for heart attacks, the propensity of inhaled nicotine to sustain or even trigger an addiction, etc.

SEE: www.pr-inside.com/fda-ignores-major-dangers-of-e-cigarettes-r140 ..

ASH reminds the attorneys generals that all other nicotine administration products - including nicotine gum, nicotine patches, nicotine inhalers, and nicotine sprays - could only be sold after approval by the FDA. All must bear appropriate health warnings, and some are available only with a doctor's prescription.

"Favor," a cigarette-like product similar to e-cigarettes, which likewise released nicotine but used a different method, was banned from the market by the FDA after the agency received a legal complaint from ASH. Nicotine lollipops have likewise been banned.

“Until the FDA acts, it is appropriate for attorneys general to act to protect their health of their citizens. The Oregon Attorney General has provided a roadmap and a precedent for others to follow, and ASH petitions them to do so without delay,” says public interest law professor John Banzhaf, Executive Director and Chief Counsel of ASH.

PROFESSOR JOHN F. BANZHAF III
Professor of Public Interest Law and Executive Director
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
2013 H Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA
(202) 659-4310 // (703) 527-8418 // ash.org/

Contact Information:
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
America's First Antismoking Organization

2013 H St., NW
Washington, DC 20006

Contact Person:
Law Professor John Banzhaf
Executive Director and Chief Counsel
Phone: (202) 659-4310 // (703) 527-8418
email: email

Web: ash.org