In an article proposed by EurekAlert", We learn that through" British American Tobacco ", the tobacco giants would like to see the establishment of global standards on e-cigarettes. According to them, they would be essential to promote innovations.
In a context or on a global scale there is a growing number of vapers, British American Tobacco (BAT) is working to develop and harmonize standards around the products of the vape. According to them, this would provide more reassurance to consumers about these products that can potentially reduce the harmful effects of smoking.
Marina Trani, R&D manager of Nicoventures (a subsidiary of British American Tobacco) clearly intends to state “ that standards must be harmonized in order to promote innovation »To the delegates of Euroscience 2016 Forum which will take place on July 26. "Different rules in different jurisdictions are too onerous and costly, especially for small businesses. This stifles growth and innovation, which in turn could stifle the potential of these products to reduce the harms of smoking. ", she says.
For example, the EU and the United States are worlds apart in terms of e-cigarette regulation. The proposed regulations in the United States (enacted in August) will require prior authorization to be given before any changes are made to a product. Whereas, the EU Tobacco Products Directive requires six months notice (rather than an authorization) for "substantial changeWe can clearly say that it is less restrictive. There is growing evidence that e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes.
Kevin Fenton, director of public health in England, recently said, " That much of the evidence we have shows that it is less harmful to use an e-cigarette than to smoke"
British American Tobacco was the first tobacco company to launch an e-cigarette in 2013 and was proactive in both developing the first voluntary product standard with the 
British Standards Institute (BSI), by advocating more harmonized standards. They are currently actively contributing to the work of developing European standards.
BAT has taken a leadership position in toxicological risk assessment through the publication of a guide that explains how to comply with BSI guidelines. The Dr. Sandra Costigan, Senior Toxicologist at Nicoventures, explains how the guide contributes to a safety aspect by emphasizing the evaluation of aromas for inhalation rather than for ingestion.
According to Dr Costigan “An aroma that is safe to ingest is not necessarily safe to inhale" The guide provides a scientific rationale for determining whether certain flavors can be used safely.
For Marina Trani, the vaping industry must continue its journey towards standards that will protect consumers and increase understanding of next generation products. According to her, this must be done on a global scale through clear and harmonized regulations that do not hinder innovation.
Source : eurekalert.org
