It’s the start of my third year, but I need to clear up a few bits and pieces from last time. But first, I have a few news items that caught my eye, including some things from other Commonwealth countries. Then, it’s back to those bits and pieces needing tidying up.
Link for this episode
ACT of a loser.
Slap Upside the Head April Fool’s post.
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Hahaha….very funny using the clip from my show. Loved it! Still so sorry I messed up on the country. I do hope you forgive me. 🙂
Hi Arthur! I heard you speaking about cigarettes and the changes they are undergoing in NZ. Do you know about the e-cigarette? It’s an electronic cigarette that uses a cartridge filled with juice that contains varying amounts of nicotine. Basically it’s a propylene glycol suspension that contains the nicotine as well as flavorings. The only study done in the world so far was done in NZ. The devices were found to be safe.
http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-technology-1/Comprehensive-Safety-Tests-Published-on-Ruyan-28R-29-Smoking-Alternatives-3358-1/
I have been smoking these for a few months and have found they are a big change. For myself, I immediately went off smoking cigarettes. Many people do. The devices are simple to use and are sold in China and in the US, UK by vendors. The juice is made in China or domestically in the US. There is no second hand smoke with these as the vapor leaves no residue at all. The nicotine gets absorbed when you inhale it. All you exhale is water vapor or propylene glycol, which is an FDA approved food additive mostly used in stage smoke.
Anyway, for whatever reason, these have been banned in Queensland. I am not sure of the explanation. People do still sell them in NSW as far as I know. Your just not allowed to sell them in Queensland.
The FDA is considering banning them because they state that ecigarettes represent a ‘new drug delivery system’. You don’t have to use nicotine in the juice (many people don’t). Nicotine is also not regulated by the FDA, it’s regulated by the ATF. However, if you claim that something is a smoking cessation device (and some Chinese packaging does) that falls under the purview of the FDA.
An naturally, because they complain that there have ‘been no studies done’ they have decided to ban them. People are trying to motivate around this by switching around the packaging. That should work, but you never know. These things are suddenly mad popular, as they are dead cheap compared to cigarettes. We just had a hike in cigarette tax here at the federal level of over $1. States have followed behind this with their own increases, due to the ‘recession’.
Anyway, it seems that NZ is alright with these. They are much healthier than cigarettes as they have no by-products. The nicotine in these is not derived from tobacco plants, it’s derived from the nightshade family that includes tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes. Nothing burns, so nothing can catch fire, and there are no ashes or other garbage to contend with.
When I move to your part of the world, I should like to sell these I think. Set myself up as a distributor and ship around the world 🙂 We shall see how it goes 🙂
If you want to know more about these, go here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/
That’s a forum dedicated to e-smoking that is very informative.
Keep the information flowing! I am in the last stages of getting my Australian citizenship (by conferral, my mum was an Aussie) right so I can get an Ozzish passport an just be the hell away from here with my husband in tow.
Rhonda
Archerr: Of course I forgive you—I think…
Rhonda: I’d heard of e-cigarettes, but didn’t know much about them, just that there were moves to ban them in the US. Thanks for all the info and links! One wee correction, though: Tobacco plants are also part of the nightsdhade family(Solanaceae), but of the genus Nicotiana, while the plants we call nightshade is of the genus Solanum. The chief difference is that Solanum plants tend to be lower in nicotine but higher in tropane alkaloids, which are usually toxic.
No, I didn’t know all that—I looked it up. Well, you did say to keep the information flowing! Seriously, best of luck with your move!