As Smoking Rates Rise, Electronic Cigarettes Offer Viable Alternative to Harmful Combustible Tobacco.

WASHINGTON -- The Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA) today urged decision-makers to seek alternatives to combustible tobacco that reduce Americans' exposure to the multitude of harmful chemicals and toxins found in cigarettes. His remarks came in response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study released last week showing that smoking rates among U.S. adults have risen for the first time since 1994.

"We applaud the valiant campaigns designed to encourage people to quit smoking and urge that federal, state, and local governments continue to warn people about this unhealthy and deadly habit," said ECA President Matt Salmon. "However, we also believe, given the CDC data, that harm-reduction strategies are desperately needed to reduce smokers' exposure to the thousands of harmful chemicals and toxins that are delivered through combustible cigarettes."

Salmon said that electronic cigarettes, battery-operated products that deliver an inhalable nicotine vapor, offer a viable and much-needed alternative to combustible tobacco. More than one million Americans have tried electronic cigarettes since they became available in the United States in 2007. Many use electronic cigarettes to avoid the toxins of combustible cigarettes and to protect nonsmokers from inhaling secondhand smoke, which is known to cause cancer, heart disease, and other health problems.

"According to the report, 46 million Americans smoke, costing the nation $96 billion in annual health care costs," said Salmon. "More than 400,000 people die every year as a result of their exposure to the toxins found in cigarettes. If we are unable to reduce the number of people who quit, surely we should look for alternatives that will at least lower the number of people who die each year from this harmful habit."

About the Electronic Cigarette Association

The ECA (www.ecassoc.org) is an association of private sector companies engaged in electronic cigarette technologies. Its mission is to provide the tools and information necessary for policy-makers, opinion leaders, media, and private sector companies worldwide to make informed decisions about the management and use of electronic cigarette technologies. The association institutes and promotes industry-wide standards and a code of conduct, works to maintain sound professional practices, educates the public and policy-makers on the industry's activities and potential, and works to ensure the ethical use of electronic cigarette technologies.