- Apr 2, 2009
- 15,085
- 5,464
- 370
E..is for Ethylene - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
V A....is for ATSDR - ToxFAQs: Vinyl Acetate
ATSDR - Toxicological Profile: Vinyl Acetate
vinyl acetate
Way to go FDA, thank you for being our nannies and making sure we will not die in a house fire.
Force people to smoke carpet glue, instead
V A....is for ATSDR - ToxFAQs: Vinyl Acetate
ATSDR - Toxicological Profile: Vinyl Acetate
vinyl acetate
Way to go FDA, thank you for being our nannies and making sure we will not die in a house fire.
Force people to smoke carpet glue, instead
FDA Seeking Public Comment on Tobacco RegulationThe term "fire-safe" is controversial as no lit cigarette can truly be considered "fire safe." Some refer to "fire-safe" cigarettes as having RIP (reduced ignition propensity).
Fire safe cigarettes are produced by adding bands of EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) to the cigarette paper during manufacturing, in order to decrease burn rate at the bands.The combustion toxicity of EVA has not been studied to any extent, but combustion byproducts are known to include carbon monoxide and "unknown hydrocarbons".
In early 2009, opposition towards FSCs became evident through complaints made on social networking websites. There is also an online petition made by "citizens against fire-safe cigarettes" which cites many of the known hazards of these cigarettes in its petition.
Some of the many concerns voiced by smokers:
- The new cigarettes have an unacceptable "copper or metal" taste to them, which most smokers find unpleasant or even disgusting.
- The newly added chemicals in these cigarettes have not been put into proper testing or any studies and are not being looked at carefully enough by those who are putting these laws into effect.
- Fire Safe Cigarettes require that a smoker inhale in less than one minute or the cigarette will extinguish itself. The need to keep an FSC cigarette burning increases the number of inhales per cigarette, and thus increases the amount of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide intake into the smoker's lungs. The result is that the cigarette poses a greater health risk to the smoker.
- The Fire Safe Cigarette design has resulted in more frequent ash dropping, which may even be less fire-safe than regular cigarettes. Many smokers have complained that the added bands that are put in the cigarette paper make the ashes heavier, and therefore causes them to drop "randomly", burning into floors or clothing. These bands are put in the paper to help make the cigarette go out when it has burned down to one of them. But besides the annoyance to most smokers to constantly relight the cigarette, sparks have also been reported to fly off the cigarette when it has burned down to one of these bands and is relit.
- Having to relight cigarettes frequently or constantly increases the potential for more fire related accidents with matches and lighters than regular cigarettes which usually only have to be lit once.
- The added chemicals contained in FSC cigarettes have proven to be more toxic than regular cigarettes and cause increased health related problems for smokers. Symptoms/conditions include, but are not limited to: nausea, sores in mouth and throat, dry throat, constant headaches, extreme coughing, tightness in the chest, vomitting, body aches, pain in the abdomen and respiratory conditions including asthma and broncitis, as well as other possibly more serious health conditions.
- The Harvard School of Health reported that when comparing NY Cigarettes (FSC) versus Regular Cigarettes, the FSC cigarettes produced 13.9% more Naphthalene and 11.4% more carbon monoxide than regular cigarettes. Naphthalene is commonly found in moth balls, and exposure in high amounts can result in symptoms of acute exposure include headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, malaise, confusion, anemia, jaundice, convulsions, and coma.
- Phillip Morris USA has reported that the Adhesive ethylene vinyl acetate and polyvinyl acetate are used in the non-tobacco ingredients of cigarettes produced as a Side-seam adhesive. However, Phillip Morris USA fails to distinguish the differences in levels between regular and FSC cigarettes. The amount does not exceed .6 % combined. Since additional layers of paper are used in FSC cigarettes, more adhesive is needed in the form of ethylene vinyl acetate