The Honorable Yvette Alexander
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20004
Re: E-cigarette Regulations in the District of Columbia
Dear Chairwoman Alexander:
The popularity of e-cigarettes has risen because of claims from manufacturers that they are safer than conventional tobacco-containing cigarettes. This has led to an increase of e-cigarette usage among children and in public spaces, including areas that have been designated as “non-smoking.” E-cigarettes deliver nicotine much like a conventional cigarette, except in a vapor that is formed when the liquid inside of the replaceable cartridge is heated. These liquid cartridges have been reported by the manufacturers to be safer than tobacco cigarettes, but a recent study has reported that several of these cartridges contain chemicals that have been shown to cause cancer in humans.[1]
We appreciate all of your hard work and efforts to pass legislation that would allow the District of Columbia (DC) to regulate e-cigarettes the same way as conventional cigarettes, and also prevent them from being sold to minors under the age of 18. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still working on rules regarding the safety of these e-cigarette devices, but we already have substantial evidence that these devices contain chemicals that are harmful. We urge you not to wait for the FDA to determine rules, because meanwhile thousands of DC residents could be exposed to harmful vapors from these loosely regulated products.
As the chairperson of the DC Council’s Committee on Health and Human Services, you are in an important position to set a model for the nation on e-cigarettes. We would be glad to help you if you need research information to share with colleagues or to provide testimony at a hearing. We have summarized the available research and policy findings on e-cigarettes on our website, and made it easily understandable to consumers.
We would be glad to help in any other way as well.
Sincerely,
Diana Zuckerman, PhD, President
- Varlet et al. Toxicity Assessment of Refill Liquids for Electronic Cigarettes International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2015, 12:4796-4815.