This is far short of an endorsement because I know little about their work and nothing about their finances or their clout, but
LCFA - Lung Cancer Foundation of America: seems to be an organization that is interested in dealing rationally with lung cancer, and as such might be more open-minded about harm-reduction strategies. Their chief interest seems to be in lung cancer research, which has traditionally been treated like a stepchild by ACS.
I wrote them a letter..
Lori Monroe, Kim Norris & David Sturges
Lung Cancer Foundation of America
15 S. Franklin Street
New Ulm, MN 56073
Dear Lori, Kim and David:
My name is George. I am 34 years old and had been a smoker since I was 14 years old. I have tried many times to quit, and honestly think I tried every method out there from chantix, to gum, lozenges, zyban, patches, cold turkey and even acupuncture. Many attempts and many more failures over the years had left me feeling powerless against cigarettes. I am happy to say that I am now smoke free and have finally found something that is keeping me off of cigarettes.
My solution has come through in the form of the electronic cigarette (aka personal vaporizer). This device has been an absolute godsend for me and many other smokers. Since I started using them, I have had no urges to smoke
tobacco cigarettes. I did not buy them to be a smoking cessation product or NRT, but merely as an alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes and all of the tar, chemicals, carcinogens and carbon monoxide they contain. I am writing to you because I feel these devices could be important tools to help people get off tobacco cigarettes and eliminate second-hand smoke exposure dangers to the general public.
I belong to a forum group on the internet (
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com). Through reading many posts from other members, and researching information through The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) website (
CASAA | The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association), I have learned that organizations such as the FDA and the American Lung Association are against these products being available to adults freely choosing to use them, and wanting them banned based on questions of safety
The standard response from contacting the ALA directly regarding electronic cigarettes seems to be in the form of a canned e-mail message along the lines of:
Thank you for your email to the American Lung Association. Until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determines that e-cigarettes are safe for consumers, the American Lung Association urges consumers not to use these products.
It seems illogical to me that organizations (especially the ALA) would take such a stance on any alternative to smoking tobacco, which we all know causes lung diseases, such as cancer. This kind of statement translates in my mind as the ALA telling me that I should just go back to smoking and the risks associated with smoking, because electronic cigarettes (the only thing that has ever helped me stay off tobacco) havent been proven as safe by the FDA, even though all real-world evidence and users experience proves them to be.
I urge you to visit the websites I have mentioned above, and get the facts about personal vaporizers, as well as how these devices are helping people like me not light up.
Thank you for your time,