American Lung Association

[autumnbreeze]

The Associated Content website wrote an article American Lung Association Supports Food and Drug Administration Finding that E-Cigarettes are Harmful and Contain Carcinogens - American Lung Association

The article basically states that the ALA is lobbying to have electronic cigarettes banned. After some pointless correspondence with their helpline, I called and asked who is the best person to email regarding their policies. I was told Erica Sward esward@lungusa.org is the person to talk to/email.

I know the ALA is one of many organizations that are against ecigs, but it doesn't hurt to contact them all.

Here's their response to my first email:

No one knows what consumers are actually inhaling by using e-cigarettes, other than the companies themselves. There is no evidence that they are safer than cigarettes. The American Lung Association is very concerned the manufacturers of these products are making unverified health claims. It would be tragic for a smoker to think they are doing the right thing by switching to these products rather than quitting.

The FDA has asserted authority over e-cigarettes, calling them a drug-delivery device. The American Lung Association believes that any decision regarding e-cigarettes be based on actual scientific evidence and data. Only the Food and Drug Administration has the ability to make this determination. The American Lung Association strongly agrees with the FDA that these products are drug-delivery devices and as such, should not be sold until the FDA has determined their safety and efficacy. Information about e-cigarettes can be found on the FDA website -
FDA and health experts warn against use of e-cigarettes - CNN.com

Obviously, this is ridiculous. Please, please, please if you guys have a few minutes, email Erica Sward at esward@lungusa.org and tell her, IN A NICE WAY, why the ALA shouldn't lobby to have ecigs banned, how they've helped you and that ecigs are hands down safer than analogs.

You might want to add in your email that On Wednesday, April 14th, 2010, Kathy Drea, the paid lobbyist for the American Lung Association, stood up and lied to the Human Services Committe of the Illinios House of Representatives. Her lies were refuted with written information from Illinois vapers.

Keep on vaping!

 

[JerryRM]

I don't think there is any nice way to say to her "mind your own business and get out of my life". I am that much angry at those "busybodies".

Sorry for the rant.

 

[autumnbreeze]

Haha, I know it's hard. That's why I stressed in a nice way.

 

[kristin]

It would be tragic for a smoker to think they are doing the right thing by switching to these products rather than quitting.

Here is where they are right - but misguided.

They think that the majority of people who use ecigs are using them to quit or in lieu of quitting. According to a source at the ALA, the only calls they get to their hotline about ecigs are about using them to quit. they don't get that 80% of the people using ecigs have no intention of quitting nicotine. We wanted to quit tobacco, not nicotine. We would still be happily smoking and killing ourselves without ecigs!

Did you see my article about the ALA? Maybe email the link to her! American Lung Association Vs. Electronic Cigarettes - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com

 

[autumnbreeze]

Kristin, I did see your article, which was what prompted all of this. (I'm April, btw)

And you're absolutely right that they're misguided. I liked smoking cigarettes because of the nicotine. I just didn't like all of the nasty stuff that came with it.

 

[kristin]

Also tell her that the FDA testing has already determined that, other than one anomaly, ecigs are no more harmful that the nicotine patch and that a federal judge has ruled that ecigs are NOT a drug delivery device and the FDA cannot regulate them as such. Just because there is a stay by the appeals court on the FDA's ability to stop shipments from Smoking Everywhere and Njoy doesn't change Judge Leon's ruling!

 

[kristin]

Kristin, I did see your article, which was a great find and prompted all of this. (I'm April, btw)

And you're absolutely right that they're misguided. I liked smoking cigarettes because of the nicotine. I just didn't like all of the nasty stuff that came with it.

April??? What are you doing in Autumn?? LOL! Sorry, didn't know that was you!

 

[autumnbreeze]

I signed up on here before any other site. I decided to just go by my name on the other site.

 

[PaulB]

Looking around the ALA's website (lungusa.org) and doing some other searching was rather revealing. I was looking for any indication of the Association's stance on medical [that stuff] I figured I would get all kinds of results. Although I found a small handful of acknowledgements of respiratory harm potential of that substance in general, I saw no mention of an ALA position for or against its medicinal use.

This tells me that the American Lung Association knows that staying out of an issue is an option. I can only guess why they've picked that one to ignore and this one to pursue (wrong-headedly). Could it be that they fear alienating their funding base by coming out against medical [that stuff]?

 

[MaxUT]

I don't think there is any nice way to say to her "mind your own business and get out of my life". I am that much angry at those "busybodies".

Government thinks they own us, much as a dairy farmer owns a herd of milk cows. It won't be too long before they forbid activities like hang gliding and mountain climbing, "for our own good."

 

[vapordraggin101]

I sent a email with the link to your article kristan and also a link to this forum.

send send send

 

[Tom09]

Doesn’t it seem ironic to have ALA in a section about „Organizations with the Ability to Listen“? But seriously, it’s great to great to see April in Autumn asking her questions.

 

[sheep]

Sorry if this is the wrong place but I'm feeling angry and wanted to vent. What is making me angry is people like Kathy Drea and other ALA lobbyists. To her our lives are nothing but statistics. I turned to vaping instead of smoking because of my own concerns with my own health. Kathy Drea, and the ALA have a very different agenda. They are concerned with "public health". They are concerned with big picture things like preventing teenagers from starting smoking, and with social engineering in the push to "denormalize" smoking. They're not concerned with our lives, they're concerned with the lives of people who have yet to try a cigarette. We've already been written off.

The fact is, any of us dying from cancer would be seen as a benefit to the Kathy Drea's of the world, another statistic to use in the advancement of their agenda.

Rant over!

 

[JerryRM]

Sorry if this is the wrong place but I'm feeling angry and wanted to vent. What is making me angry is people like Kathy Drea and other ALA lobbyists. To her our lives are nothing but statistics. I turned to vaping instead of smoking because of my own concerns with my own health. Kathy Drea, and the ALA have a very different agenda. They are concerned with "public health". They are concerned with big picture things like preventing teenagers from starting smoking, and with social engineering in the push to "denormalize" smoking. They're not concerned with our lives, they're concerned with the lives of people who have yet to try a cigarette. We've already been written off.

The fact is, any of us dying from cancer would be seen as a benefit to the Kathy Drea's of the world, another statistic to use in the advancement of their agenda.

Rant over!

Yes, the ALA and other "do-gooders" like them have but one purpose as far as tobacco use is concerned..."exterminate it" and anything that even resembles smoking, even if it is not harmful to the user or others. I don't believe that they are concerned with anyone's life, present or future, but it's power and control over others that is their objective.

As far as I am concerned, the ALA should stick to the reason that it was founded, Tuberculosis, or go out of business.

 

[JoeD4]

I am about to send this email. Any suggestions or input is appreciated.
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I removed most of this post as the final version of the email appears below.

 

[autumnbreeze]

Sounds GREAT Joe! I hope others will send their testimonies and questions as well. Good for you!

 

[JoeD4]

Thanks for checking it out. Transmitting now...

 

[JoeD4]

I made some small changes to the email and sent it. It now reads thus:

Dear Ms Sward,

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. I just wanted to let you and the American Lung Association know that I have quit cigarettes for 90 days now. My lungs feel lighter, I am sleeping better, my clothes and hair don't stink, my breathing has improved, my voice is clearer, my singing voice is returning, I have more energy, and my smokers cough has all but vanished. My quality of life has improved! You may wonder what method I used. I have tried cold turkey, the patch, the gum, the lozenge, Chantix and Welbutrin. I have had nothing but short term (9 days or less) success with all of these methods. The miracle for me has been the e-cigarette. I understand that many are working toward banning these devices but please listen to my personal testimony. Looking back on my journey and why my quitting attempts in the past have failed I began to realize that while NRT provided me with nicotine it did not address the "pleasure" and habit of smoking. In my moments of failure I was not experiencing any intense withdrawal from nicotine so much as a CRAVING for the the sensation of smoke being inhaled into my lungs (sounds crazy I'm sure but that's how it is for many smokers). The E-cigarette addresses not only the physical nicotine addiction but also the psychological aspect as well. I get the nicotine my body craves AND the sensation of inhaling smoke. It is this combination of effects that has been the winning ticket for me. I originally purchased my e-cigarette as a "safer cigarette" with little hope of actually breaking the nicotine addiction. After my experience with it I now have hope that I can gradually wean off of the nicotine and then stop using the device all-together. Of course, I would want to keep the device around for those moments of weakness where I psychologically crave a cigarette. Using a nicotine free refill could satisfy the momentary urge WITHOUT reintroducing nicotine into my system. My wife has also had similar success using the e-cigarette as have many, many others.

When I started smoking in 1988 at age 14, I didn't know what I was doing. I wish I could go back in time and change my decision. I absolutely hate cigarettes and what they have done to my body. Unfortunately, the vice-like grip of cigarette addiction had proven itself too powerful a force...until now. For the first time in 22 years I am not smoking and have REAL hope of freeing myself from nicotine addiction or, at the very least, reducing the harm I am doing to my body as compared to smoking 1.5 packs per day of deadly cigarettes for the rest of my life. I would like to kindly ask that you and the ALA re-examine your position on these potentially life saving devices. As an adult of legal smoking age (I am a 36 year old male) I understand that e-cigarettes are not yet proven to be safe in absolute terms but, as a smoker/nicotine addict, I would be grateful for ANY reduction in health risk, whether it be a small percentage or (as some studies claim) 2 or 3 orders of magnitude. Further research can and should be done to see what benefit these devices may have and if they can be made even more beneficial. As for me, I can feel the difference in my health. I breathe easier, sleep better and have more sustained energy. My smokers cough decreases a little each day. My quality of life has improved and continues to do so each day. I feel like I have a new lease on life and a hope for a bright future. Please do not take this away from me. I urge you to listen to the stories of ex-smokers like me who have tried all else and finally found something that works for us. It's a matter of life and breath.

To learn about others like me please log on to www.e-cigarette-forum.com
You will find a community of e-cigarette users from all walks of life, each with different stories, goals and measures of success. All are fighting or have fought a battle against the same deadly foe: cigarettes. We finally feel like we have a fighting chance at victory!

Thank you again for taking the time to listen.

Sincerest and hopeful thanks,
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And then I signed it.

 

[harmony gardens]

Great letter, Joe!!

 

[Oliver]

Joe, please if you have the time, will you send your letter as a hard copy via post?

It is sooo much more effective to send letters than emails, and since you have taken the time to write such an excellent letter, I think it deserves to be transferred to paper

SJ