A representative of a pharmaceutical company says e-cigarettes have not yet proven themselves harmless, and this is why importing e-cigarettes loaded with nicotine is banned.
Vísir spoke to Þorgerður Þráinsdóttir, the Director of Trade and Marketing at the pharmaceutical company Lyfja, who also said that there is “no demand for e-cigarettes”. Despite the lack of demand, the Icelandic Medicines Agency, the Consumer Agency and customs officials recently made a joint statement to the general public, warning that any e-cigarettes coming to Iceland that are found to include nicotine cartridges will not be permitted entry.
Sigríður Ólafsdóttir, who works in the supervisory department of the Icelandic Medicines Agency, pointed out that both European and North American authorities have questioned the safety of e-cigarettes. Nicotine levels dispensed from a single inhalation can vary as much as 60%, she said.
At the same time, it should be noted that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while also worried about the lack of oversight in the manufacturing process, concede that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco cigarettes – a product which is freely sold in Iceland.
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