E-Cigarettes are not approved by the FDA

E-cigarettes are now available in Malaysia.  Just 2 months ago a saleslady came to my clinic to promote them.   Above is a picture of the "cigarette" which even lights up when smoked.  I tried it cough ..... cough ...... cough!!!  Nope its not for me or my patients who are trying to quit smoking.  I shall continue to use NRT instead.

Below is an article is from Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine on e-cigarettes.

"With the third and largest of the U.S. tobacco companies planning an e-cigarette product launch this fall, this next frontier for "Big Tobacco" provides renewed presence in a declining marketplace. It's also a potential gateway to new smokers, particularly among teens and in emerging/foreign markets, according to behavioral scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that provide inhaled doses of nicotine vapors and flavorings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about 6% of adults have tried e-cigarettes, a number that has nearly doubled since 2010. Absent of tobacco, e-cigarettes have been promoted as a possible aid in getting people to stop smoking and thereby reducing their lung cancer risk.

However, MD Anderson cancer prevention experts Paul Cinciripini, PhD, director of the Tobacco Treatment Program, and Alexander Prokhorov, MD, PhD, head of the Tobacco Outreach Education Program, caution that more research is needed to understand the potential role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation.

"Independent studies must rigorously investigate e-cigarettes, as there's considerable potential benefit in these products if they're regulated and their safety is ensured," said Cinciripini. "But promoting the e-cigarettes already on the shelves as 'safe' is misleading and, if looked at as a harmless alternative to cigarettes, could potentially lead to a new generation of smokers more likely to become tobacco dependent."

With the impending introduction of another e-cigarette, Prokhorov and Cinciripini urge consumers to know the following information.

• E-cigarettes are unregulated and there's little research on their safety or efficacy as smoking cessation tools. "These products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and this is concerning because it's impossible to know what you're really getting or if it's safe. In one analysis nicotine levels have been shown to vary widely among e-cigarette products," said Prokhorov. For now, he recommends that those looking to quit stick with approved devices, such as nicotine inhalers.
• Switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes could help smokers avoid approximately 6,000 chemicals, some of which are human carcinogens. "Reduced exposure to harmful chemicals warrants research of these products as a smoking cessation vehicle," said Cinciripini. "Unbiased studies, free from the ethical and legal challenges of 'Big Tobacco'-sponsored trials, are needed."
• Branded as "safer," available in a variety of colors and flavors and promoted by celebrities, e-cigarettes could be a hook for future smokers. "E-cigarettes are a novel way to introduce tobacco smoking to young people, and their potential 'gateway' role should be a concern for parents and health officials alike," added Prokhorov. "Once a young person gets acquainted with nicotine, it's more likely that they'll try other tobacco products. E-cigarettes are a promising growth area for the tobacco companies, allowing them to diversify their addictive and lethal products with a so-called "safe cigarette," said Prokhorov. "Unfortunately, there's no proof that e-cigarettes are risk-free."

Cinciripini has more than 30 years' experience conducting basic and clinical research in smoking cessation and nicotine psychopharmacology. Prokhorov is the principal architect of MD Anderson's ASPIRE program, a teen-focused website and, Tobacco Free Teens, a smartphone app - both are new approaches to keeping young people free from the grips of nicotine addiction.

Kinta Electric Distribution

Perak River Hydro Electric Power

Leong Sin Nam was also in the Kinta Electric Distribution Board of Directors. 

The article below is from  Ipoh Echo.  To read more please go to http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2013/02/01/recognising-perak-hydros-contribution-to-perak-2/

Chenderoh Dam on the Perak River

 

"The scope of work, costing GBP3.5 million saw the construction of the hydro-electric power generation plant across the Perak River where it joined the small tributary, Sungai Chenderoh. Called the Chenderoh Dam, construction work started in March 1927 and was completed in June 1930. It was officially opened by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Iskandar Shah and the British High Commissioner then, Sir Hugh Clifford.

Chenderoh Dam hydro power station had a 27,000kW hydro generating capacity and was linked to a steam-powered plant at Malim Nawar, 40km south, by a 66kVa transmission line. The purpose for Malim Nawar was three fold. Initially it would serve the consumers in Kinta while Chenderoh was being constructed. Subsequently it would act as a standby in case of breakdowns along the transmission lines and used as an auxiliary in times of drought at Chenderoh.
Work on Malim Nawar Steam Power Station (MNPS) began in 1927 and was commissioned a year later. MNPS carried power supply to 12 transformer sub-stations located throughout the Kinta Valley and provided mining consumers an uninterrupted power supply of variable capacities based on individual requirements throughout the year. Besides being a power station, Malim Nawar Station also had the capacity and capability to take on major repair jobs of the company’s electrical equipments.

In order to manage the distribution of power to domestic consumers and villages in the concession area, PRHEP created a subsidiary, Kinta Electric Distribution chaired by Colonel Cecil Rae and included a board consisting of Raja Chulan and Leong Sin Nam.

The office of PRHEP Company was located at Station Road, (Jalan Dato Maharajalela) currently a TNB branch office. In 1932, PRHEP purchased the Batu Gajah Power Station (BGPS) which was started earlier by the Malayan Tin Dredge Company for its own dredging operations. By 1935 after a financial restructuring, the company was free from debt and despite a downturn in the tin industry in 1937/38, paid out a healthy dividend of 7 cents in 1939. Indeed before WW2, PRHEP Company had the reputation of being “the largest hydro-electric project undertaken in the British Empire as well as being the single largest power producer in Southeast Asia”.
On a national level it contributed 55% of the total power produced in the Federation of Malaya. At state level its power supply grew from an initial coverage of 35 towns to over 60 towns and villages by the mid ‘50s."  ........  by James Gough

Remembering Dr. Lim Eng Cheang

I remember Dr EC Lim who was my doctor and family friend.  This tall, kind and soft spoken gentleman used to examine my throat, listen to my chest and gave me those "fearful" vaccinations in his clinic in Anderson Road.  I am very thankful to him for what I am today.  It is certainly very joyous to hear that his legacy continues with a huge donation from his Trust for the betterment of society.  This article below is taken from Ipoh Echo.

A five-storey rest and recreation centre for the aged will be built in Ipoh, on a piece of land behind YMCA Ipoh. The centre, costing RM2.5 million and named in memory of Dr and Mrs (Bebe) Lim Eng Cheang, will be funded by the Estate of Aunty Bebe, as she was affectionately called. There will be 28 units of one-bedroom suites with sizes ranging from 260 to 480 sq ft.

The suites will have a lounge area, kitchenette, attached bathroom and individual balcony, in addition to the bedroom. Each suite can accommodate up to two persons.  Common areas of this retirement lodge will include a lounge on ground floor, day care centre and a sky lounge, which is open to the public for rent for social functions. It can accommodate some 100 people. The building, which will have an indoor garden, will be serviced by two elevators.

Construction work will start in September and is expected to complete in a year’s time. Once ready, the suites will be rented out on monthly basis. Although YMCA is a Christian-based non-profit organisation, the retirement lodge will also be open to non-Christians.

The idea to set up a retirement lodge was first mooted during a retreat of the Board of Directors, in 2011. It received tremendous support from the community and church leaders, who see a unique set of problems faced by the ageing population, where the number one malady is depression. This centre will serve as a refuge for those who need a place to rest and a platform to forge relationships with people whom they can relate to.

The launching of this retirement lodge and the piling ceremony were held on Tuesday, August 20, at YMCA Ipoh. Among the guests were the trustees of Aunty Bebe’s Estate, relatives and friends. Dato’ Ngeh Koo Ham, Member of Parliament for Beruas and Sitiawan state assemblyman, graced the occasion.  Ngeh called on associations and societies to do their part to meet the various needs of the community, “It’s more blessed to give than to receive,” he advised.  Joining in the memory of the late Dr Lim were representatives from Society of Caring Hands, Kiwanis Club of Ipoh and the Dementia Society Perak, all beneficiaries of Aunty Bebe’s estate.

Dr Lim Eng Cheang was amongst the first batch of post-war medical graduates from King Edward VII Medical College, Singapore. Lim and his wife, Bebe, believed in sharing their wealth with those in need.  Aunty Bebe had willed that a portion of her estate be donated to charities in loving memory of her husband, Dr Lim Eng Cheang. The trustees subsequently decided that the recipients of the bequests be named after both Dr and Mrs (Bebe) Lim Eng Cheang.  Though they are long gone, their spirit of love and generosity continues to live in the community.

Emily

Parents with Dr Lim during a birthday party at home