煙草在線據《愛爾蘭獨立報》報道編譯　　愛爾蘭今年的電子卷煙銷售增長了三倍——但吸煙者仍然不能確定使用電子卷煙的好處或是風險，而有關當局也仍然沒有明確誰應該負責管理電子卷煙。

　　電子卷煙能輸送尼古丁，但卻沒有燃燒煙草和焦油的致癌效應，但它們相對的新穎性意味著醫生對它們的健康影響還不是很確定。

　　愛爾蘭的衛生當局還需要做出決定，電子卷煙因使吸煙者離開傳統卷煙而對使用者有好處，還是因電子卷煙輸出致癮的尼古丁而對使用者有威脅。愛爾蘭衛生部說，電子卷煙沒有被當作醫藥來管理，是因為它們沒有被作為吸煙替代品來銷售，而是作為戒煙輔助產品來銷售。電子卷煙不屬于煙草立法的管轄內，因為它們不含任何煙草。

　　愛爾蘭衛生部說，電子卷煙被默認由國家消費者保護局實施的一般產品安全法所覆蓋。

　　不過，國家消費者保護局說，含有尼古丁的電子卷煙應該由衛生部或愛爾蘭醫藥管理局負責管理。

　　愛爾蘭醫藥管理局說，它認為電子卷煙是釋放尼古丁的系統，這使得它們成為只能通過藥店出售的醫藥產品。但由于缺乏管理法規，愛爾蘭制藥業協會指示自己的協會成員不要在藥店出售電子卷煙。電子卷煙現在在愛爾蘭全國的很多便民店和超市內出售，包括像Supervalu這樣的大型零售商。

　　在位于都柏林的商店出售Ovale牌和Ecirette牌電子卷煙的Alex Pescar說，在過去一年里，電子卷煙的銷售增長了3倍。

　　他說：“就像我們在1月份時看到開始使用電子卷煙的人激增一樣，人們開始使用電子卷煙的關鍵原因是，他們想要戒煙。另一個重要的原因，是吸卷煙的成本太高了，于是人們開始轉向這些作為更便宜的替代品的電子卷煙。”

　　都柏林人Alec MacNeil說，他注意到，自從他在6個月前開始使用電子卷煙之后，他的精力和總體健康狀況都有了巨大的提高和改善。

　　在經濟方面，他也能感受到影響，因為他現在一周花6歐元用于電子卷煙，相比之下，他以前每天吸20支卷煙，一周花在吸煙方面的費用就達到60歐元。

　　他說：“由于缺乏相關的法規，我一開始對于使用電子卷煙非常謹慎，但我為了戒煙，嘗試過所有別的東西，現在我真希望，這些電子卷煙早在幾年前推出就好了。”

Ireland: Electronic Cigarette Sales up But Risks Still Unknown

　　SALES of electronic cigarettes have trebled this year -- but smokers are still uncertain about the benefits or risks of using them and the authorities remain unclear about who is responsible for regulating them.

　　Electronic cigarettes deliver a nicotine kick without the cancer-causing effects of burning tobacco and tar, but their relative novelty means doctors remain uncertain about the health effects.

　　The health authorities have still to decide whether they are of benefit to users by getting them off conventional cigarettes or a threat because they deliver addictive nicotine. The Department of Health said that they were not regulated as medicines because they were marketed as smoking alternatives rather than aids to quit. And they don't fall under tobacco legislation because they don't contain any tobacco.

　　It said they were by default covered by general product safety regulations enforced by the National Consumer Agency (NCA).

　　However, the NCA said electronic cigarettes containing nicotine were the responsibility of the Department of Health and/or the Irish Medicines Board.

　　The Irish Medicines Board said it considered them nicotine-delivery systems, which would make them medicinal products that could only be sold in pharmacies. But the lack of regulation has led the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland to instruct its members not to sell them in pharmacies. They are now on sale in many convenience stores and supermarkets around the country, including major retailers such as Supervalu.

　　Alex Pescar, who sells the Ovale and Ecirette brands in his Dublin store said sales had trebled in the past year.

　　"The key reason people start using them is that they want to quit, as we see a surge of new faces in January," he said. "The other big reason is the cost of smoking cigarettes is so high that people are turning to these as a cheaper alternative."

　　Dubliner Alec MacNeil said he had noticed a huge improvement in his energy levels and general health since switching to electronic cigarettes six months ago.

　　The impact has also been felt in his wallet, as he is spending €6 a week on them compared to €60 a week for his former 20-a-day habit.

　　"I was cautious about using them initially because of the absence of regulation but I had tried everything else to quit, and now I wish these had been out years ago," he said. Enditem