FDA Sen. Chuck Schumer wants ban on flavored e-cigarettes that appeal to kids

[SeniorBoy]

This just came across the wire. Another "powerfull" politician wants to destroy vaping:

"The New York Democrat on Sunday cited a recent study that found the number of high school and middle school students vaping on the faux smokes tripled over a year, and 2.5 million teens now use e-cigarettes."

"He said the Food and Drug Administration should step in and prohibit candy, fruit and soft-drink flavors in the devices."

Source: Schumer wants ban on flavored e-cigs that appeal to kids - NY Daily News

HEY Chuckie! Smoking (combustables) rates in our youth have DROPPED along with the general population.

 

[KattMamma]

Yeah, adults couldn't possibly enjoy something that tastes good.

 

[AndriaD]

That makes me want to cook for him... and make everything taste GRAY.


Andria

 

[Hydroscopic]

“You’re not marketing cigarettes using the flavors cotton candy and Swedish Fish when you’re aiming at 45- to 50-year-olds,” Schumer said.

I'm pretty sure that they had both of those actual products available fifty years ago. Maybe, just maybe, the marketing is toward people that liked those flavors 45 to 50 years ago or at least anyone born before 1997?

Unless Schumer is implying or running on the presumption that the tobacco industry has successfully killed every smoker born before 1965 up to 1997 by now.

I missed the memo on having to outgrow certain flavors by age 45.

The alcohol industry must have missed that memo also. - "Jolly Rancher" infused rum or vodka anyone?

 

[AndriaD]

I'm pretty sure that they had both of those actual products available fifty years ago. Maybe, just maybe, the marketing is toward people that liked those flavors 45 to 50 years ago or at least anyone born before 1997?

Unless Schumer is implying or running on the presumption that the tobacco industry has successfully killed every smoker born before 1965 up to 1997 by now.

I missed the memo on having to outgrow certain flavors by age 45.

The alcohol industry must have missed that memo also. - "Jolly Rancher" infused rum or vodka anyone?

ROFL... I was born in '61, and I'm still here, having survived to switch to vaping. Neener! And now that I don't smoke, I can actually TASTE AGAIN!!!

Those congressidiots need a good thrashing.

Andria

 

[dmwalker24]

I'm as liberal as it's possible to be, and stuff like this makes me hate a particular branch of liberal thought. I can't say what actually popped into my head after reading this without violating forum rules. I'll just say... Leave us alone! Why some people can't manage to mind their own business and stop trying to run the lives of others is beyond me. What absurd arrogance to think that you need to save people from being able to make their own choices. As if any regulation would have kept me from trying smokes when I was 14...

I am hopeful though. If there's anything I know about how politics works in this country, it's that money talks. This is a massive industry worth Billions. The tax revenue alone is a powerful incentive for politicians to keep vaping around. Just look at what tax revenue is doing for the legalization of other things around the country. If we stand together and vote with our dollars while screaming at the top of our vapor filled lungs, I'm sure in the end we will be successful.

 

[navigator2011]

I'm starting to think the real problem is that people are viewing things through the wrong lens, so to speak. They appear to automatically view e-cigs as though they were more like, say for example, bidis or clove cigarettes, which both do lead to regular smoking (they sure did for me). It is with that mindset, fueled by the media campaign that I think leads many people to think a cigarette should not be flavored. I'll many people think tobacco is the default flavor once cotton candy is removed from the typical cig-alike. They just don't get it, and unfortunately the media is making sure that they won't get it.

 

[navigator2011]

I'm as liberal as it's possible to be, and stuff like this makes me hate a particular branch of liberal thought.

I think both liberals and conservatives have quite a lot to think twice about these days. Maybe, we should become libertarians.

 

[dmwalker24]

I think both liberals and conservatives have quite a lot to think twice about these days. Maybe, we should become libertarians.

I'm already there navigator! I do hate the baggage that comes along with the word libertarian though. Ayn Rand, Anarcho-capitalism, supply-side... But I'm totally on board with people being left to do whatever the hell they want so long as it doesn't hurt or infringe upon the rights of anyone else.

 

[AndriaD]

I think I'm just going to become an anarchist. At least they're honest -- no rules! no laws! Do as you please, and watch out for those you do it to!

Andria

 

[SeniorBoy]

Chuckie aka Desk Killer also has a Facebook page where you can post. I just did!

Senator Chuck Schumer | Facebook

 

[navigator2011]

I'm already there navigator! I do hate the baggage that comes along with the word libertarian though. Ayn Rand, Anarcho-capitalism, supply-side... But I'm totally on board with people being left to do whatever the hell they want so long as it doesn't hurt or infringe upon the rights of anyone else.

Well, it sounds like you're more in favor of "liberty" than anything else. I've never considered myself a liberal, but I do find myself more in favor of liberty now days, too. Hence my previous statement.

 

[navigator2011]

I think I'm just going to become an anarchist. At least they're honest -- no rules! no laws! Do as you please, and watch out for those you do it to!

Andria

At any rate, I can understand your frustration with things.

 

[AC81]

I work in the heart of NYC. I have NEVER seen a teenager using an e-cig and I probably see 1,000 people walking around a day. If anything, they are smoking real cigarettes. None are vaping. Anytime I've gone to a B&M in NYC and a kid comes in with no ID, they are kicked out immediately. I see hundreds of people smoking everyday, blowing it in everybodys face, and maybe 1 or 2 vapers besides myself. Today I haven't seen any vapers. Just me. And when I do see someone vaping, its usually an old guy trying a Logic. I work right next to Grand Central station. Belly of the Beast. Literally the most congested place in the western world probably and I have never seen one teenager vaping, at least not that I could tell. Very few people even using open systems. If you go further downtown you will see a few people with mech mods and iSticks but most vapers I see are in the shops. I use a subtank nano when I go to work and people look at me and have no idea what I'm doing.

 

[Firestorm]

Apparently Senator Charles E. Schumer likes desserts and makes a mean apple pie:

 

[Hydroscopic]

If we stand together and vote with our dollars while screaming at the top of our vapor filled lungs, I'm sure in the end we will be successful.

I still like the idea of government elected officials wearing uniforms with patches like NASCAR drivers.
That way we could at least see who is sponsoring them without the guess work.

In terms of being regulated beyond reason regardless of the side: As an adult that grew up in the "parenting" age of 'if your not bleeding too much or missing then your fine', I can only imagine that the proposed over regulation is what it is like to have helicopter parents.

Those congressidiots need a good thrashing.

Ha! That requires Congress actually doing something. Even if it is taking a beating, that qualifies as actually "doing something" and therefore it is not permitted regardless of which side is in control.

Apparently Senator Charles E. Schumer likes deserts and makes a mean apple pie:

That's hilarious.

 

[Burn1ngChrome]

We should just eliminate

I am hopeful though. If there's anything I know about how politics works in this country, it's that money talks. This is a massive industry worth Billions. The tax revenue alone is a powerful incentive for politicians to keep vaping around. Just look at what tax revenue is doing for the legalization of other things around the country. If we stand together and vote with our dollars while screaming at the top of our vapor filled lungs, I'm sure in the end we will be successful.

Taxes on cigarettes are higher than the sales tax on vaping stuff, Especially in new york, and that's if its even bought local. You cant order cigarettes online and ship them to new york. I dont really see tax revenue as an incentive for politicians to gather behind vaping. Even cigarettes themselves cant have strawberry flavors etc. menthols have been even been argued against. I think if its money we're talking about, the money that matters will be in lobbying. Might take a joint effort with big tobacco i dunno. The whole argument with kids i think could be entirely diffused by some actual age safeguards. with some stuff like say checking ppls IDs at B&m's and the lack of print/tv ads (minus that awful stephen dorf blu nonsense), wouldnt the onus then be on the user themselves and say their parents?

 

[AndriaD]

I still like the idea of government elected officials wearing uniforms with patches like NASCAR drivers.
That way we could at least see who is sponsoring them without the guess work.

Right on! I'm all for it! I want to know who is paying for the laws that I'm subject to!

In terms of being regulated beyond reason regardless of the side: As an adult that grew up in the "parenting" age of 'if your not bleeding too much or missing then your fine', I can only imagine that the proposed over regulation is what it is like to have helicopter parents.

Heh... when my son was a kid, and I'd be going to take a nap, I'd actually tell him "wake me up if there's blood."

Andria

 

[dmwalker24]

Taxes on cigarettes are higher than the sales tax on vaping stuff, Especially in new york, and that's if its even bought local. You cant order cigarettes online and ship them to new york. I dont really see tax revenue as an incentive for politicians to gather behind vaping. Even cigarettes themselves cant have strawberry flavors etc. menthols have been even been argued against. I think if its money we're talking about, the money that matters will be in lobbying. Might take a joint effort with big tobacco i dunno. The whole argument with kids i think could be entirely diffused by some actual age safeguards. with some stuff like say checking ppls IDs at B&m's and the lack of print/tv ads (minus that awful stephen dorf blu nonsense), wouldnt the onus then be on the user themselves and say their parents?

I totally agree about age restrictions which as far as I've seen were almost universally adopted by the community on its own. The same is true for safety lids on liquid bottles. For some reason there is a strength in terms of advocacy, and personal responsibility in the vaping community that doesn't exist in other consumer groups. I've yet to come across the vaper that's like, "To hell with safety! If some kid drinks concentrated nicotine, that's their own dumb fault!"

New York is a bit of a special case. For us here in places like Texas I can tell you that any source of revenue that doesn't involve raising taxes on the rich or big business will be very attractive to local politicians. Regardless you are probably right that lobbying is going to be even more effective. It's a good thing we've got groups like CASAA.

 

[Marc411]

Well NY is the second largest benefactor of the MSA

It's an older article, Oct 2014 so I can only imagain they have more golf courses that are in need of repair and money is getting tight without all the cigarette money.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/opinion/how-the-big-tobacco-deal-went-bad.html?_r=0

New York

the tobacco companies agreed to make annual payments, in perpetuity, to the states to fund anti-smoking campaigns and public health programs. The industry guaranteed a minimum of $206 billion over the first 25 years.

Only a small fraction of the money has gone to tobacco prevention. Instead, the states have used the windfall for various and unrelated expenditures. In Niagara County, N.Y., $700,000 went for a public golf course’s sprinkler system, and $24 million for a county jail and an office building.