Move to ban electronic cigarettes in Oman
Mon, 19 March 2012
By Conrad Prabhu - MUSCAT — Oman’s health authorities are mooting a ban against the marketing and sale of so-called ‘electronic cigarettes’ in the Sultanate. Also called e-cigarettes, these electrical devices simulate the act of tobacco smoking by producing an inhaled vapour which has the physical appearance, appeal and often the flavour and nicotine content of inhaled tobacco smoke, but supposedly without its health risks.
The drive to outlaw electronic cigarettes is being spearheaded by Oman’s foremost anti-tobacco campaigner, Dr Jawad A al Lawati (pictured), who is also Director of the Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Surveillance & Control at the Ministry of Health. The issue is expected to figure on the agenda of next month’s meeting of the National Tobacco Control Committee, which will discuss a number of initiatives, including a draft National Anti-Tobacco Law.
According to Dr Al Lawati, local authorities have yet to approve the sale and distribution of electronic cigarettes in the Sultanate. “In other countries, these are marketed in the guise of smoking cessation devices, although they haven’t yet been approved by international health agencies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The efficacy and safety of these cigarettes is yet to be proven.”
In the
Sultanate, electronic cigarettes are clandestinely sold by some distributors who manage to smuggle the product into the country. “We understand there are 2 -3 consignments of the product confiscated by the Royal Oman Police Customs pending a decision on their legal status. As such, any sale of these devices in Oman remains illegal for now,” the official told the Observer.
Electronic cigarettes are typically portable, cylindrical devices that use heat to vaporise a propylene glycol or glycerin based solution into an aerosol mist similar to the way a nebuliser or humidifier vaporises solutions for inhalation. Similar in appearance to cigarettes, the electronic versions are generally reusable with replaceable and refillable parts.
In many countries around the world, the e-cigarettes are promoted as an alternative to tobacco smoking. They mimic the sensation generated by tobacco-based cigarettes but supposedly without the adverse health risks associated with smoking.
But despite these purported health benefits touted by manufacturers, the FDA has warned that e-cigarettes can be highly addictive and could contain dangerous chemicals like nicotine.
The agency has further warned that children could be encouraged to try tobacco products as a result of e-cigarette use. It has also taken some manufacturers to task for “making
unsubstantiated drug claims and using the devices as delivery mechanisms for active pharmaceutical ingredients”.
The World Health Organization has also refused to endorse the device as a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy for want of “rigorous, peer-reviewed studies” supporting the contention of manufacturers.
According to Dr Al Lawati, an outright ban on electronic cigarettes is even more imperative in light of a recent incident in which a device exploded in a man’s mouth in the US state of Florida.
The man, described as a smoker who had switched to electronic cigarettes in an effort to quit smoking, lost some of his teeth and part of his tongue when a battery inside the device exploded at his home last month.
In the
Sultanate, electronic cigarettes are clandestinely sold by some distributors who manage to smuggle the product into the country. “We understand there are 2 -3 consignments of the product confiscated by the Royal Oman Police Customs pending a decision on their legal status. As such, any sale of these devices in Oman remains illegal for now,” the official told the Observer.
Electronic cigarettes are typically portable, cylindrical devices that use heat to vaporise a propylene glycol or glycerin based solution into an aerosol mist similar to the way a nebuliser or humidifier vaporises solutions for inhalation. Similar in appearance to cigarettes, the electronic versions are generally reusable with replaceable and refillable parts.
In many countries around the world, the e-cigarettes are promoted as an alternative to tobacco smoking. They mimic the sensation generated by tobacco-based cigarettes but supposedly without the adverse health risks associated with smoking.
But despite these purported health benefits touted by manufacturers, the FDA has warned that e-cigarettes can be highly addictive and could contain dangerous chemicals like nicotine.
The agency has further warned that children could be encouraged to try tobacco products as a result of e-cigarette use. It has also taken some manufacturers to task for “making
unsubstantiated drug claims and using the devices as delivery mechanisms for active pharmaceutical ingredients”.
The World Health Organization has also refused to endorse the device as a safe and effective nicotine replacement therapy for want of “rigorous, peer-reviewed studies” supporting the contention of manufacturers.
According to Dr Al Lawati, an outright ban on electronic cigarettes is even more imperative in light of a recent incident in which a device exploded in a man’s mouth in the US state of Florida.
The man, described as a smoker who had switched to electronic cigarettes in an effort to quit smoking, lost some of his teeth and part of his tongue when a battery inside the device exploded at his home last month.
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