R.J. Reynolds to Study Secondhand E-Cig Smoke

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- With more news about electronic cigarette use coming out every day, Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) is taking matters into its own hands by conducting a clinical trial in Atlanta.

The No. 2 tobacco company in the United States, through its subsidiaries R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. (RJRVC), wants to get a better understanding of secondhand smoke, or vapor, from e-cigarettes compared to leading brands of combustible cigarettes, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The clinical study will look to quantify the emission factors of e-cigarettes. 

The study is not yet open for participant recruitment, but the company plans to enroll 72 participants and complete the study by December, the business journal reported. It will be conducted at Clinical Research Atlanta in Stockbridge, Ga.

This clinical trial comes as RAI makes a push into the electronic cigarette market. Last year, the Winston-Salem-based company launched its VUSE digital vapor cigarette through RJRVC. VUSE first hit shelves in Colorado, before expanding to markets in Utah. The digital vapor cigarette became a national product last month.

For more information on the upcoming study, click here.