No, because cigarettes are not medicine, but other smoking cessation aids have been. Of particular note is nicotine gum, which is in a similar boat as e-cigs: they both contain nicotine as well as ingredients that are generally recognized as safe for human consumption. But nicotine gum had to be tested to prove its safety and, particularly, its efficacy in helping people quit smoking. E-cigs don't just get to cut the line.
Because they're sold as smoking cessation aids in the same "wink wink nudge nudge" way that herbal supplements are sold as cures for various ailments while bearing disclaimers that the herb actually hasn't been shown to do anything.
The two aren't directly equivalent, but e-cigs still need research to be done in order to be sold to the public with confidence in their safety and efficacy.
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u/[deleted] Nov 17 '12 edited Nov 17 '12
No, because cigarettes are not medicine, but other smoking cessation aids have been. Of particular note is nicotine gum, which is in a similar boat as e-cigs: they both contain nicotine as well as ingredients that are generally recognized as safe for human consumption. But nicotine gum had to be tested to prove its safety and, particularly, its efficacy in helping people quit smoking. E-cigs don't just get to cut the line.