Authority on Dangerous Chemicals Available for Interviews
Image by Adrien Bisson for UMass Lowell
09/25/2019
Contacts for media: Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu and Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu
Moves by governors in Massachusetts and Rhode Island over the last two days to ban vaping products send a signal that the dangers linked to the habit are “unacceptable and that we need to regulate the industry,” according to an expert on public health and policy available for interviews on the subject.
Yesterday, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a public health emergency and announced a four-month ban on all online and retail sales of vaping products to allow time for medical experts to identify the cause of a rash of illnesses being attributed to vaping and to determine whether more regulation is needed.
Today, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo issued an executive order banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in that state, also citing concern over public health.
In Massachusetts, the number of cases of illness believed to be linked to vaping has nearly doubled since last week and nationwide, nine people have died. Chemical exposure being looked at as one of the potential causes.
“This is huge that states would intervene on this level, particularly given the vaping market and how powerful it is. We have not seen anything like this with smoking, for example,” said Joel Tickner, an authority on how toxic chemicals in consumer products can adversely affect people.
Tickner is an internationally respected expert on chemicals and safer alternatives who co-founded the Green Chemistry & Commerce Council, a collaborative of leaders in industry, research and government. His work includes research through the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production and serving as co-director of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute at UMass Lowell, where he is a professor of public health.
Tickner pointed to e-cigarettes’ flavorings, which are considered safe by the Federal Drug Administration for use in foods that are digested, but the same cannot be said when the substances are inhaled.
“Many can be strong respiratory irritants, similar to what we found out with artificial butter flavorings used in microwave popcorn that the FDA said were safe but turned out to decimate the lungs of workers inhaling the fumes of the flavorings while manufacturing the product,” Tickner said.
Tickner can provide interviews in English and Spanish. To connect with him, contact Christine Gillette at 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu or Nancy Cicco at 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu.