Minors and Vaping...bad news

[Mac]

We knew it would happen sooner or later. Frankly, I was surprised when a 13 year old started participating on this very forum. But it is definitely bad when a news agency sends minors on an undercover sting operation to bust a PV kiosk:

E-Cigarettes Under Fire - NBC Action News KSHB-TV 41

Excerpts:
"Despite ECA goals, we were clearly told it's a healthy alternative at Independence Center and Oak Park Mall kiosks by companies that are not part of the ECA membership.

At Smoke51, the owner calls it a "healthy alternative."

His salesman says, "It's not harmful to you."

The salesman went on to say, "You're getting a cigarette with all the pros and not the cons. It saves your life and it saves your health."

In Independence Center, the flavors were pushed to a minor we sent to the kiosk.

"Most girls really like it again my wife absolutely loves the blueberry. It gives you Vitamin D and it gives you the exact same thing you get out of a regular cigarette the only difference it's not killing you," the salesman said at Smoking Everywhere."

More:
John Wickwire says his 17-year-old son came home from the mall and talked all about electronic cigarettes. John says his son was with a group of teens who were all under age 18 except for one.

"He came home all excited, and I was like, freaked, and I think he was surprised by how I reacted.

Last excerpt:
"However, when our minor and intern went to his kiosk, they were offered an e-cigarette with no nicotine.

Our intern asked, "So what's the point of that?"

The salesman answered, "An oral fixation. It just feels like a cigarette if you want to try the zero one I'll let you try it."

A few seconds later, our minor was puffing away on a product that looked like a cigarette but supposedly has no nicotine."
--------------------------------

I understand the concept that if kids are going to smoke...vaping is safer. I understand that some venders say stupid things (example-blueberry eliquid gives vitamin D). I understand that teens look older than their age.

I understand, but the majority of nonsmoking/nonvaping society we live in, do not.

Smoke51 and Se are two very different companies with two completely different products. I am confused by your post.

And whoever said "It saves your life" ought to be slapped.

[tissan88]

I think that some sort of ID should at least be presented when trying an e cig in a kiosk !!
I know that in our society , any sort of press is considered good; But we cannot afford the bad press right now.

[ECGuy]

"Most girls really like it again my wife absolutely loves the blueberry. It gives you Vitamin D and it gives you the exact same thing you get out of a regular cigarette the only difference it's not killing you," the salesman said at Smoking Everywhere."

And I was so hoping I was wrong when i saw this and thought "Let me guess: smoking everywhere".

Are those guys just out to torpedo the whole industry? They are really going to be single handedly responsible for the downfall of vaping. When a kid walks up to your kiosk you tell him "get lost kid, you don't want to start smoking anything." ARGGGG

DEG in the juice, Credit Card fraud, non delivery complaints, Salesmen who insult Gov officials in proceedings, caught on tape selling to kids...... What's next? Why is it always Smoking Everywhere that's mentioned in these cases?

I certainly don't agree with their marketing strategies nor claims, however, the kiosk's are NOT employee's of those companies.

Now, you do have a point there. I was thinking the same thing after I posted my first rev of this. I know exactly where the kids can go in my neighborhood to buy PM's products.

But here's the kicker, for Big Tobacco and for the E-Cig industry. Where's the press release saying
"Company announced today that their distributor agreement with Mall Kiosk has been revoked and instantly demanded that all their products be returned and that all marketing with their name and trademarks instantly cease. "we take this very seriously and will not tolerate any of our distributors selling to minors, said Company spokesman".

When I see that press release, my opinions on this particular company might change. But i'm not going to hold my breath.

Now is not the time to cry "But they don't work for us, not our fault", It's the time to say "we will not stand for this" PERIOD. Or else the "won't someone save the children" crowd will certainly enjoy all the great ammo we just parachuted into their camp to shoot us with.


EDIT: Ok, after reading the whole article, I do see that the Smoking Everywhere employee did ultimately refuse to let the kid try it for fear he might get fired. I have to give them credit for that. I'd rather see him say "get lost kid, these are not for you" than "I have kids to support and they'd get mad at me", but in the end he refused and perhaps the end result is most important.

[martha1014]

I know a lot of you have bought cigarettes where you ask for them and when the cashier enters the price it comes up as asked them for an age. The cashier can over ride this but it calls this to her attention. If all stores have this feature it would certainly decrease sales to minors.

I don't think ecigs should be advertised or sold in malls. Cigarettes are not sold this way. They should be behind counters just as cigarettes are. I found in all of the Pilots and Kangaroo stores ecigs are behind the counter and have the same regulations as cigarettes..

Times have definitely changed over the years. When I was young our parents sent us in the store to purchase their cigarettes. I started smoking on the weekends when I was 16 and they were sold freely.
I don't have the statistics on this but there has to be fewer minors today who smoke than when I was younger.

Store ownes don't deliberatily sell cigarettes to minors. It is not worth the price they would have to pay when fined. I think it is absent minded employees or those who just don't care.

[martha1014]

Cigarettes and inhalation of nicotine is a disgusting habit and something I wish I have never started. Ecigs or cigarettes should not be adverstised for any reason. I mean I loved the Marlboro Man when I was younger and thought this was cool. There were advertisement all over the TV, newspaper, billboards and almost all media outlets when I was young.I look back at this and see how wrong it was.

[Brewster 59]

This is an complete witch hunt. How many AM/PM markets have been caught in stings? Do they talk about banning tob? How many places have been caught in a sting selling Alch are they talking about banning that? This is all about tax revenues and control. Even if we found a way to 100% percent make it impossible for a minor to purchase this prod the nannys would just find a different arguement of why this should banned.

[ECGuy]

Either lazy journalism or a concerted PR stunt, but the same exact story, same guy, same voice overs almost, this time in AZ. Both stations are owned by Scripps, so it could just be lazy journalism. Or it could be drug companies pressuring the media to run the same story over and over and over again.

Keep your eyes out, i'm afraid this won't be the last we see of this story.

ABC15 and John Wickwire Catch Another Mall Kiosk Selling E-cigs to Children | Electronic Cigarette Blog - Dec 7 09

[oldlady]

This is totally a witch hunt organized to push the regulation of the e-cig as an emerging technology.

The reason we will see this story everywhere is because journalists are developing a herd mentality. The newspapers and broadcast agencies are so underpowered and underfunded, they literally have no time or incentive to double-check facts and sources. They simply repeat whatever is "fed" to them.

If a human-interest story makes a big, sensationalist splash in one market, it will be repeated everywhere.

This is why we no longer get real news in this country.

[sMuCk_fOg]

A state of ninnys and nannys.
By the time I turned 12 years old I had already smoked both Cigarettes
(Camel Non filtered) and had smoked ......... and Hashish.
I had also tasted Whiskey and beer. AND I rode around in the car...
Get this...with NO seatbelt. We also played tackle football...
with NO helmets...OR pads! I have pictures of me stradling an open fire pit at at the beach at the age of 14 with my jeans on fire, I just put them out with beach sand,no big.

When I was a a teenager we raced Muscle cars down the street in our neighborhood every day...no one ever got hurt,much less killed.
I also rode around in the BACK of an open pick up truck! WOW!
Surely I must be dead by now,or at very least have been sent to prison.
But NO, I'm now 51 years old,Healthy as an OX,
(evn having smoked Marlboro Cigarettes for 40 years)
I've never spent a day in jail, I have worked for the same company
for 27 years and haven't called in sick in the past 11 years.
I've also been Married to the same woman for 25 years.
Chilax America,
Let people LIVE their lives.

[McCordRM]

Another stupid move by SE. Worthless company ruining things for everybody.

There is absolutely NO reason for these kiosks to be allowed in malls. The dude working the register at 7-11 isn't puffing away on a cigarette telling you to try it, so why do we need clowns pushing e-cigs in malls. People working at grocery stores aren't pouring shots for people to sample as they're walking through the store.

Bottom line - you don't need to give out samples of minor-prohibited products, and things will turn bad if they continue to do so.

Arg. That is exactly the wrong attitude.
"Blame the victim, not the criminal."

You're saying that E-cigs should be outlawed in public because some
asshat is breaking the law?? Let's close down ALL the bars because
someone let a minor in. The problem isn't WHERE E-cigs are being sold, the
problem is the guy that handed one to a freaking minor and gave out
false information. ATTACK THE GUY BREAKING THE LAW, not the rest of us.