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The
Ruyan® (nicotine) e-cigarette
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This
nicotine inhaler mimics the smoking experience more closely than any
smokeless product to date and provides a rapid nicotine hit, without
causing smokers to cough. It looks, feels, and functions like a
cigarette.
It
gives the satisfaction of drawback, and gives a rapid nicotine effect
within seconds, rather than minutes required for an effect from oral
nicotine medications. It is likely to be popular as a nicotine
alternative to smoking among those keen to quit smoking.
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Description The Ruyan® e-cigarette is
a battery-operated nicotine delivery device, without the carcinogens and
toxicants. The white segment contains a re-chargeable battery (charged
overnight from the mains), the dark coloured
body contains a vapourising chamber. Near the
mouthpiece a replaceable cartridge contains a nicotine-containing solvent
(propylene glycol).
Marketing. For a You-tube depiction of
the e-cigarette in action see:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Ruyan+cigarette&rls=com.microsoft:en-nz:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7WZPA Ruyan® prefers to market its e-cigarette as a cigarette
substitute, for the smoker who wants to continue to enjoy the act of
“smoking”, but without the risks. Most countries, however,
only provide for the sale of nicotine as an aid to quitting.
Cost As a cigarette substitute it
is sold in China (300,000 sold pa) and from
2008 in the United States; also in Austria, and Turkey. The e-cigarette as of 9 April 2008 sells on the internet at US208. (http://www.ruyanchina.com) and cartridges sell at US $90 for 50. The
manufacturer states that each cartridge provide 300
to 350 puffs. The rechargeable battery lasts for 1300 puffs.
Mechanism. Lip pressure on the
mouthpiece activates the electric circuit, sparking vapourisation
of nicotine in a mist of propylene glycol, an FDA approved solvent.
Flavour essence makes up 0.6% of its weight, and it is tobacco-free. The
white vapour mist exhaled is not smoke, so it can be “smoked”
indoors. An artificial red light glow at the tip is generated by the
drawback.
Table 1 Nicotine doses deliverable from a
tobacco and a Ruyan® nicotine cigarette
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Per
puff
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Per
15 puffs
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Per
300 puffs
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Manufactured
tobacco cigarettes
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0.1
mg
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1.5
mg (1 cigarette)
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30
mg (20 cigarettes)
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Ruyan® 16 mg cartridge
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0.05
mg
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0.8
mg
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16
mg
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Ruyan® 11 mg cartridge
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0.04
mg
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0.6
mg
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11
mg
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Ruyan® 6 mg cartridge
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0.02
mg
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0.3
mg
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6 mg
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Ruyan® 0 mg cartridge
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0.0
mg
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0.0
mg
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0 mg
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- Ruyan® , nicotine content
confirmed by ESR.
Dosimetry. It is available from China in pipe and cigar forms. The
nicotine in the cartridge comes in four strengths, of 16 mg, 11 mg, 6 mg and 0 mg nicotine
content. Allowing 10% residual and 300 drags per tube, compared with an
average inhaled 1.5 mg of nicotine from a tobacco cigarette, then at 16
mg cartridge strength, two e-puffs equal one tobacco puff for nicotine.
Biological
effect. On
drawback, nicotine is apparently inhaled into the lungs within a few
breaths to give a noticeable nicotine effect within 20 seconds.
Legal status. New Zealand does not (yet) have Nicotine Regulations to permit sale as a
cigarette substitute. The legislation does not encompass the concept of
pleasurable, largely harmless nicotine, only of nicotine as an aid to
achieving abstinence. Ministry of
Health (Medsafe) ruled (August 2007) that the Ruyan® e-cigarette is a medicine, a type of
nicotine inhaler, which cannot be sold in New Zealand unless it meets
Medicines Act requirements for registration as a medicine. If it is
approved for general sale, then it will be permissible to advertise it,
as is the case for other nicotine inhalers.
Safety A range of safety tests are being
carried out by Health New Zealand Ltd at various New Zealand laboratories.
Efficacy Clinical testing has been
completed at Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland. The company will then decide
whether to apply for registration as a medicine.
Contra-indications:
Non
smokers. Nicotine-naïve non-smokers may experience
the same effects as first-time smokers. They may cough and gag at the
throat, and if they inhale into the lungs, nausea, dizziness and possibly
vomiting might occur
Pregnancy As
this device can deliver high doses of nicotine, it is contra-indicated in
pregnancy, unless the woman has not been able to quit smoking by other
means.
Cardiovascular
disease. Nicotine in high dose may trigger heart
beat irregularities.
Children.
It is difficult to unscrew, but once
unscrewed a child could be at risk of nicotine poisoning if they put the
cartridge in their mouth. Children can also be poisoned by the nicotine
in cigarettes. The lethal dose for a child is 10 mg. (For comparison, one
manufactured cigarette contains 13 mg of nicotine, and a hand-rolled
cigarette contains 9 mg nicotine.
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