Feb 2, 2009 10:00 pm US/Eastern
The Safe Cig: A Stop-Smoking Solution?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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Makers of the Safe Cig, an electronic cigarette, claim it will help smokers get the feeling of smoking without the health dangers.
CBS
A local company is selling a device they say is a safer way to get nicotine and a way to quit smoking. But as we found, there's no proof of that, and it may be dangerous. CBS 3 medical reporter Stephanie Stahl has the story.
They say it has the taste, the feel, the draw of a real cigarette. They're called electronic cigarettes. We found one brand called The Safe Cig at a local mall.
"I was actually really impressed," said shopper Andrew Popielarski.
Jonathan Deak of The Safe Cig showed us how they work.
"This is same nicotine that goes into cigarettes. It's delivered in water vapor, not in harmful smoke," said Deak. "Looks like a real cigarette. Gives you the sensation of real smoke. You're getting your nicotine instantly, except you're not getting all the things that are killing you, such as carcinogens, chemicals, poisons, tars."
The problem is the vapor you see has not been proven safe. And selling The Safe Cig here is illegal.
A letter sent to The Safe Cig from the FDA says, electronic cigarettes are "new drugs" and require "approval... to be legally marketed." But The Safe Cig isn't FDA approved.
Despite that, The Safe Cig and other electronic cigarettes, many made in China, are being sold across America in malls or on websites.
"It's a bonanza for people trying to make money off of nicotine," said Dr. Michael Thun, who works in epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society.
Dr. Thun says, the so-called Safe Cig could be dangerous because nicotine is toxic in high doses.
"The quality of these products isn't strictly monitored," said Dr. Thun. "And when all of these products just sidestep that process, that's a huge hole. You could drive a truck right through that hole in the regulatory system."
Jonathan Deak maintains his product is safe, showing us test reports from China on mice.
"This has been proven, you know, with myself first of all, and with what I've seen in the past with all my customers," said Deak. "And I really believe in this."
We asked The Safe Cig for an ingredient list. The company says, The Safe Cigs contain water, nicotine, and propylene glycol.
The FDA told us it is investigating why these are being sold. The agency also says it's seizing electronic cigarettes at customs as shipments come into the country.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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