[ Just paste broken links shown in purple directly into your browser - the extra line doesn't matter. Pls. PM me if you have more recent info. about proposed/actual legislation, if you think I've missed an important story, or if you want more tweaks to the formatting program. ]
1) The US government has officially endorsed the recent paper published by Dutra & Glantz in JAMA Pediatrics. This analysis looked at a survey of teens who had tried vaping one or more times (regardless of whether they had used nicotine in the PV: these two categories weren't distinguished). The published paper was interpreted by its authors and most media outlets as establishing that vaping was a "gateway" for minors to become regular tobacco users: in particular that teen who had vaped even once were "seven times more likely" to be(come) regular tobacco smokers, even though the study had no longitudinal information (in other words, they could've been regular tobacco smokers before they had tried vaping). For more details on the study. which conflates causation with correlation, see:
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/03/conclusion-of-new-glantz-study-on.html
2) FL's simple minor sales/possession ban has passed the sen., and a house equivalent is out of committe and ready for the house floor. However the house version prevents local jurisdictions from passing stricter laws ("pre-emption") and is facing stiff opposition from a FL cities lobby as well as the ALA (etc.).
3) SD Gov. Daugaard has signed SD's simple minor sales/possession ban; GA's simple minor sales/possession ban is ready for Gov. Deal's signature.
4) Democratic Rep.s introduce the PCECAA in the US House (Protecting Children from Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act of 2014). However there's very little media covarage. Perhaps this is because there were already three different outbreaks of stories on tbis identical bill, since it was first introduced in the US Sen on Feb 26.
5) Ireland Health Ministry to collect reports of adverse reactions to PVs.
Coverage: Ireland, US states: PA, FL, GA, MI, IL, MN, SD, CO, UT
Also: Gary Cox on the growth of non-CigALike vaping.
Not covered: A small number of California stories have piled up, which I intend to get done ASAP. There's also another horrendous piece from last week in HuffPo by NPR's shameless "Youth Radio" reporter Jenny Lei Bolario (who did a completely despicable story a month ago about kids and vape pens - in which she apparently published uncorroborated allegations from 8th grade kids, which were promptly picked up by news outlets around the world as hard facts.)
***
COLLECTIONS
1) COLLECTION 1: PCECAA INRO. INTO US HOUSE COVERAGE
2) COLLECTION 2: PHILADELPHIA COVERAGE
***
STUDIES, BLOGS, ETC.
Title: Tank You Very Much
(ECF's Info Zone)
Tank You Very Much - ECF InfoZone
Gary Cox on the fall of Cig-A-Likes and the rise of tankomizers, MODs and vaping as it was meant to be.
Title: HHS Healthbeat (March 27, 2014)
(US Gov't Heath and Human Services Dep't) http://www.hhs
.gov/news/healthbeat/2014/03/teens-and-e-cigarettes.html
The fact that the U.S. gov't is officially endorsing the Dutra & Glantz junk statistics "study" in JAMA Pediatrics which confuses causation with causality should be a surprise to no one. Whether we should be shocked and disgusted is yet another question. Here's the entire despicable blub, complete with paragraph breaks:
***
IRELAND
Title: Potential harm of e-cigarettes to be monitored
http://www.imt
.ie/news/2014/03/potential-harm-of-e-cigarettes-to-be-monitored.html
This brief story's novel content consists almost entirely of this unattributed sentence:
"The Department of Health will continue to monitor existing and emerging evidence on the potential harm and the potential benefits of e-cigarettes."
No press release or source is cited, however this sentence implies that it comes from the Minister: "There is also a concern that e-cigarettes may act as a gateway to tobacco smoking, the Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has warned."
(I believe what this means is that the Health Dep't is going to collect reports of adverse effects.)
***
US: NATIONAL
Title: U.S. surgeon general prefers Cincinnati chili over tobacco
(Cincinnati OH US local business paper) http://www.bizjournals
.com/cincinnati/news/2014/03/27/u-s-surgeon-general-prefers-cincinnati-chili-over.html
Noteworthy only for this brief statement on vaping:
"[U.S. Surgeon General] Lushniak said he didn't discuss electronic cigarettes during his lecture. 'But we do have a stance on that,' he told me. 'In essence, there are too many unknowns for us to advocate the use of e-cigarettes' as an aid to quit smoking tobacco. 'At the same time, what we know about e-cigarettes is they contain nicotine, an addictive product,' Lushniak said. 'It does have health effects, especially on the developing brains of children and adolescents. Certainly, (there should be) no use among the youth of America.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added, paren.s in original story]"
[Non-American readers may wish to know that the US Surgeon general isn't a "health minister" in any sense of the term. This role is played by a combination of US department heads, including the NIH, CDC, and FDA.]
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: E-cigarettes: a doctor's view of the good, the bad and the ugly
(US Nat'l network) http://www.foxnews
.com/opinion/2014/03/28/e-cigarettes-doctor-view-good-bad-and-ugly/
Yes, the good Dr. says that vaping can play a role in cessation. He cites the Lancet study in which a small number of smokers were given "CigALikes" (not of their choosing), and the quit rate was slightly above the patch. (As ECF readers know, modern evidence suggests that 7% is a very low one-year-out figure for cessation among tobacco cigarette smokers who wish to quit, and who make a serious effort to try vaping). But before you cheer on this physician, here's the obligatory "concern":
"But if I see e-cigarettes as a potential tool to quit for adults, at the same time, I am very concerned about the growing role e-cigarettes are playing for teens, many of whom are non-smokers the first time they try an e-cigarette. According to the Centers for Disease Control e-cigarette use among high schoolers is now up to 10 percent, double from a year ago, with 80 percent also smoking tobacco. Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the CDC and a top expert in preventive health, told me that e-cigarettes can be a gateway drug, with nicotine addiction leading to more tobacco use. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
[Hmm, is that a scientific concept? As in "breathing can be a gateway behavior to hard drug addiction? Does the CDC actually have data which separates correlation from causality?]
Sadly, the writer also seems to have fallen prey to the notion that vapers are buying buckets of "poison by the barrel" (as a NYT business writer recently put it, in a recent outburst of alarmist journalism):
"The low concentration [in commercial e-juice] is less risky, but Vaporworld, for example, sells a gallon of liquid nicotine at 10 percent concentration for only $195, and Liquid Nicotine Wholesalers charges $110 for a liter at the same concentration. With this high concentration, experts say that just a tablespoon could be enough to cause serious harm. Nicotine is a potent neurotoxin which can be ingested or absorbed through the skin, leading to seizures, vomiting, and rapid heart rate. The number of poisoning cases linked to e-liquids was 1,351 in 2013, up 300 percent from the year before. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
(Ah yes, the "linkage" - more good science.) And finally we discover that he wants to make vaping into medicine, where - as vapers all know - it will become incredibly efective (i.e. we can show up for our "methadone"):
"I believe that in the right hands, e-cigarettes can be an effective tool for quitting smoking, perhaps the best we currently have available. Unfortunately, they are frequently not getting into the right hands, and I also know many smokers who carry both cigarettes and e-cigarettes around, and don't actually cut down on tobacco. [...] I wish there was a way of regulating e-cigarettes so that a doctor has a definite role, and can guide her patients to e-cigarettes to be used as a treatment rather than as another party chemical. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
And this is what some of vapers' would-be supporters in the public health community say about vaping? Gheesh.
Title: Liquid Death From E-Cigarettes? You've Got a Long Way to Go, Baby
(US Nat'l news) http://www.huffingtonpost
.com/dr-amy-fairchild/liquid-death-from-ecigare_b_5044145.html
[Authors are ID'd as Dr. Amy Fairchild, and Dr. Ronald Buyer, both Prof.s of Sociemedical Studies at Columbia's School of Public Health.]
It's nice to see a piece by credentialed authors that makes mincemeat of the despicable use of small context-free numbers as a hysteria generation mechanism during the recent mass insanity over poison center calls.
"We need to take a cold, hard look at the evidence now and keep our eyes trained on the data as we move forward so that we can understand the population effects of e-cigarettes. Those of us who have taken a cautious stand in support of e-cigarettes based on tobacco's harvest of death need to be prepared to change our position based on the science. We must also be vigilant about efforts to distort data. That was the strategy of Big Tobacco. It shouldn't be the strategy of public health."
No junk.
Title: Unfounded reports being used to discourage e-cig use
(Ind. nat'l web site associated w/ Clarity) http://www.examiner
.com/article/unfounded-reports-being-used-to-discourage-electronic-cigarette-use
While this article is entirely junk-free and contains no factual errors that I can spot, it does turn out that the author owns a vape shop, as one can see by clicking on his name in the story: http://www.examiner
.com/business-in-knoxville/jeff-sherwood
It's also worth noting that the "Knoxville Business Examiner" is neither a newspaper, nor a web site in its own right. If it's a title, then it exists only in the minds of the publishers of this web site (examiner.com).
While it certainly is much worse to twist facts, present context-free alarmist data, and/or uncritically echo junk statistical analysis as scientific truth, the failure to clearly and transparently disclose a financial interest and the fabrication or at least misleading characterizations associated with an author's qualifications constitute an unacceptable deviation from the minimal standards of good journalism.
BTW this article is also being discussed on ECF, here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo.../545036-electronic-cigarettes-really-bad.html
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Controversy Clouds E-Cigarettes
(American Chemical Society web site) http://cen.acs
.org/articles/92/i10/Controversy-Clouds-E-Cigarettes.html
[This story attracted little attention when it was first published on March 10th (I didn't even find it on Google). But recently I've seen at least a half-dozen links to it, so I'm going against my usual policy of not reviewing things that are more than a few days old.]
In a nutshell, this is a brazen hit job, cleverly disguised as a thorough and dispassionate review of the research. It cites three papers which many of us are already familiar with. Not a single one compares the levels of what was found in vapor with acceptable standards of air quality, either for the user or the bystander. This tactic of blithely reporting what "was found in e-cigarettes" without any context (for example, comparison with nicotine inhalers) is standard, although perhaps slightly less unforgiveable in a publication addressed to chemists instead of the public health community. That said, the context-free alarmist propaganda is brought to a climax by the presentation of the "research" on "third hand" [vapor].
Finally, we leave the realm of junk science far behind, for the even more phantasmagoric realm of junk statistics and fabricated allegations:
"The proportion of U.S. high school students who said they had tried e-cigarettes more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, a jump from 4.7% to 10%, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. About 76% of middle and high school students who said they used them in the past month had also used tobacco within the same period. So far, at least nine states have outlawed the sale of the devices to minors. Both Glantz and Goniewicz say FDA should adopt quality-control standards for e-cigarettes to protect consumers. Glantz also thinks the agency should crack down on claims by e-cigarette companies that the devices help users quit smoking because this has not been conclusively demonstrated. FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies, including patches, gum, and inhalers, are options with proven track records. [para break omitted]"
Once again the cherry-picked "facts" are stated without any explicit effort to guide the reader to conclusions. (It's a bit like saying that a criminal defendant was spotted at the scene of a murder: without mentioning that the "scene" was Grand Central Station in New York City during an ordinary busy rush hour.) This deceptive hit job has now been cited in at least a half-dozen other pieces, perhaps because it carries the imprimateur of a serious research publication - for example:
Title: Concerns over potential health risks of using e-cigarettes gaining momentum
http://www.news-medical
.net/news/20140328/Concerns-over-potential-health-risks-of-using-e-cigarettes-gaining-momentum.aspx
Title: E-Cigarette Brands Health Effects and Risk Review Studies: FDA, Tobacco Businesses Create Forum [sic] For Debate
(Nat'l US news collection site aimed at Latinos & Chicanos) http://www.latinpost
.com/articles/9616/20140327/e-cigarette-brands-health-effects-and-risk-review-studies-are-inconclusive-fda-tobacco-businesses-create-forum-for-debate.htm
In addition to the rather odd title (which appears to be designed to impress the reader with the promise of substance), this article seems to be intentionally dumbed down, both in terms of style and content. It contains a variety of unattributed sweeping characterizations and generalizations that would likely be considered unacceptable in a college freshman's homework, although it does link to NPR's search page for the tag "e-cigarettes" (in other words, the author may have learned everything he knows about vaping from NPR, which at least partly explains some of the claims in this short piece). That said, the conclusion is perhaps not as horrible as I feared, even if it appears to be based on a non sequitur, which could only be explained by the author's apparent ignorance of the difference between the two forms of FDA reguation (therapeutic vs. non-therapeutic tobacco products):
"When it comes to quitting cigarettes, the FDA has not yet released its approval. Therefore, there is no assurance that people who wish to stop smoking may use e-cigs to gradually withdraw from the vice. As of now, everything is inconclusive. No one has conclusive evidence on whether or not e-cigs are perfect alternatives."
---
US: FLORIDA
Title: E-cig bill runs into speed bump over state versus local authority
(Miami FL US local paper) http://miamiherald.typepad
.com/health/2014/03/e-cig-bill-runs-into-speed-bump-over-state-versus-local-authority.html
Title: E-cigarette bill draws lots of debate
http://www.miamiherald
.com/2014/03/28/4023511/e-cigarette-bill-draws-lots-of.html
Title: E-Cigarette Bill Draws Fire
(Miami FL US CBS affiliate) http://miami.cbslocal
.com/2014/03/27/e-cigarette-bill-draws-fire/
FL HB 169 is a minor sales/possession ban, which is very similar to SB 224 (the latter was unanmously passed by the sen. last week). However HB 169 contains one additional provision at the end:
(11) PREEMPTION - This subsection expressly preempts to the state the regulaton of products and activities under this section and supercedes any municipal or county ordinance on the subject.
Apparently the FL League of Cities and (surprise) the ALA both object to this provision. Article notes that FL's clean indoor air act also has a similar clause. In the case of HB 169, it appears that the principal effect would be to prevent local juridisctions from enacting stiffer penalties or more restrictive signage requirements (etc.). No junk.
---
US: GEORGIA
Title: E-Cigarette Bans Advance in Minnesota and Georgia
(US Nat'l Assn for Convenience and Fuel Retailing site) http://www.nacsonline
.com/news/daily/pages/nd0327144.aspx#.UzTKlc5obfg
GA's HB 251, a simple minor sales/possession ban, is ready for Gov. Deal's sig. Sen passed the identical SB 347 last week. No junk, although this story is noteworthy in that it never describes the use of PVs as "smoking" - the word "vaping" is used several times. [The portion of this story dealing w/ MN is moot.]
---
US: MICHIGAN
Title: Video: Should E-Cigarette Juice Be Child Proof?
(Gr. Rapids MI US local fox affiliate) http://fox17online
.com/2014/03/27/video-should-e-cigarette-juice-be-child-proof/
This is the usual content-free fluff that one can expect from local news, although it's not particularly awful. As usual it implies that nothing is known about vaping. It also suggests that ingestion of 0% e-juice can be harmful, which is a rather clear indication of the writer's level of ignorance.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: A different cigarette
(Houghton MI US local paper) http://www.mininggazette
.com/page/content.detail/id/533636/A-different-cigarette.html
Although this story contains no specific junk other than the cessation falsehoods that you see below, the message that PVs have no redeeming virtues to society is abundantly evident:
"However, the several studies that have been done don't show e-cigarettes are a useful tool for quitting tobacco cigarettes, [health officer/executive officer of the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department Guy] St. Germain said. 'There's no evidence of smoking cessation with these cigarettes,' he said. Electronic cigarettes or similar devices function by burning liquid nicotine and turning it into a vapor, which is then inhaled by the user, St. Germain said. The devices are high-tech nicotine delivery systems. 'That's all it is,' he said. 'It has no other purpose. [...] St. Germain said Michigan has come a long way toward reducing the negative health effects of second-hand tobacco smoke, and he doesn't want to see those benefits reduced by the expansion of the use of e-cigarettes. 'I hope we don't back track with these devices,' he said. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
The piece also helpfully quotes Mitch Zeller's "concerns" from the FDA website.
---
US: ILLINOIS
Title: E-cigarette store planned for Oak Park [and not all the locals seem to like it]
(Chicago IL US local paper) http://www.chicagotribune
.com/news/local/suburbs/oak_park_river_forest_forest_park/ct-ecigarette-store-oak-park-tl-0403-20140327,0,4892278.story
New vape shop will be on a corner which will be:
"One of the first things to greet new visitors arriving in the village on Metra or CTA trains. For some downtown business owners, that's fine. For others, it's a problem. 'I understand the need of property owners to rent out spaces, but unfortunately it's on a key corner, and it might not send the best message to folks seeing Oak Park for the first time,' said Bill Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Law Offices on Marion Street. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
Another business owner said that it's preferable to a vacancy, a third said that he would "wait and see."
The would-be vape store owner, identified as a 52 y.o. former business consultant who quit smoking by switching to vaping, defended herself:
"She said she works to dispel notions that e-cigarettes are associated with drugs. She said she sells no products that could be used for drugs. She said signage will be minimal. 'We are not a head shop, we are not a pawn shop and we don't sell crystal m_th. We just help smokers not smoke. And I just can't imagine what you can find that's wrong with that,' she said. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
Previously, this space has reported several stories about the reluctance of landlords to rent to vape stores.
[ IL currently considering two bills that require vaping supplies (but not non-cigarette tobacco) to be behind the counter, see: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...counter-exempts-tobacco-specialty-stores.html and one bill that would require special packaging: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-e-cig-products-sold-il-protect-children.html Also worth watching: SB2659, which would ban smoking in cars containing a minor - however the definition doesn't currently include vaping (and is still in the Public Health Cmte, with a status of "postponed." See: Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB2659 And HB 689, which would mandate special packaging in order to protect children (which only has one sponsor at the moment: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-e-cig-products-sold-il-protect-children.html ]
---
US: MINNESOTA
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Flash Points: E-cig fumes equally annoying
(St. Cloud MN US local paper) http://www.sctimes
.com/story/opinion/2014/03/27/flash-points-e-cig-fumes-equally-annoying/6971541/
This seems to be a place where people can post random opinions on certain topics. Somehow this made it into my daily Google search.
Q: What, if anything, should the Legislature do this session in regulating e-cigarettes?
[ No apparent current threats in the MN legislature, now that Gov. Dayton has indicated that he wouldn't support an indoor vaping ban in public places. ]
Title: Letter to Sen. Sheran from MN Resident
(MN Vapers' web site)
Letter to Sen. Sheran from MN Resident | Minnesota Vapers AdvocacyMinnesota Vapers Advocacy
An excellent reaction to Sen. Sheran's use of the term "addicts" to describe vapers. (It seems to be an especially inappropriate characterization of those who vape nicotine-free e-juice.) The writer refers to this article, reviewed in this space yesterday: http://www.mankatofreepress
.com/local/x1387888429/Update-Dayton-ignites-e-cig-ban-debate
For a further perspective on Sen. Sheran's unconvincingly-robotic tendency to parrot canned talking points, check out this interview with her, broadcast by Twin Cities PBS, which was reviewed in this space on 3/15: http://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=-73Yefyr8lM
---
SOUTH DAKOTA
Title: SD Governor signs last bills of session into law, including e-cigarette regulations
(AP) http://www.therepublic
.com/w/SD--Governor--New-Laws
Short note indicating that Gov. Daugaard has signed SB 181, a simple minor sales and possession ban. Monday is the last day of the SD legislative session for 2014.
---
US: COLORADO
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: E-Cigarettes May Not Help You Quit Smoking, but Heres What Can
(Grand Junction CO US ind. radio station) http://95rockfm
.com/e-cigarettes-may-not-help-you-quit-smoking-but-heres-what-can
After a short two-sentence introduction that provides us with both a link to Time magazine's brain-dead coverage of the Gana et al. 88-vaper cessation "study", plus a breezy invocation of the poison control call center stories, the author nonchalantly concludes that we might be "searching for some other ways to get help quitting."
So then we get the usual list of McQuitter Strategies, bolstered by links to WebMD, the CDC, and SmokeFree.gov.
But remember: "Finally, quitting is different for everyone [in most respects, however vaping doesn't work for anyone]. There are many different ways to quit smoking [except vaping], and not every way will work for you [certainly not vaping, as the study shows, and besides it will poison your kids]. The key is to stick with it [as long as you're not trying vaping]. If you try something and it doesnt work, try something else [except vaping]. Its never too late to find a new way to kick your habit [just don't vape]."
[ S18 appears to be superfluous minor sales ban, has passed Sen: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cluding-empty-e-cigs-without-seeing-id-2.html ]
---
US: UTAH
Title: Our View: E-cigarettes need more regulation
(Ogden UT US local paper) http://www.standard
.net/stories/2014/03/27/our-view-e-cigarettes-need-more-regulation
Because: (1) the UT poison control center says that 79 children have been admitted to hospitals and (2) "the consistent rise of e-cigarettes as a problem in Top of UT high schools" it follows that the regulations in Davis Co. and Rep. Ray's bill are needed. Unfortunately there's no explanation regarding how the touted regulations are going to solve these particular problems, why they are preferable compared to alternatives, or even what specific regulations are needed.
[ UT's HB 112 was tabled and the legislature is out of session until later this year. However Rep. Ray has indicated that the poison call center reports and the Gana et al. cessation "study" of 88 vapers are reason enough to re-introduce it when the legislature meets briefly to consider medicaid. ]
***
COLLECTION 1: US HOUSE DEMS INTRODUCE PCECAA [The Protect Minors from Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act of 2014, which was introduced in the US Senate on Feb 26]
Except for the first three articles, all of these stories are written by less-than-fully-professional writers who seem to be unable to separate their own views from the story they're covering. More troubling is the fact that the sponsors of PCECAA claim that the CDC study reports the number of minors who had tried PVs with nicotine, and none of the stories except the first three are written by reporters who are apparently aware of the distinction. (In fact, the CDC survey didn't ask respondents whether they had tried a PV that contained nicotine.) This point is critical, because the Rep.s who are introducing PCECAA in the House are all saying that the teens who reported vaping in the CDC study are examples of the success that BT has in hooking kids on nicotine.
Title: Esty introduces e-cigarette bill
(Nonprofit ind. CT news site) http://ctmirror
.org/esty-introduces-e-cigarette-bill/
Very short, factual, and completely professional.
Title: Durbin, Bustos Want E-Cigarette Regulations
http://www.wifr
.com/home/headlines/Durbin-Bustos-Want-E-Cigarette-Regulations-252832411.html
Another excellent job.
Title: House Dems float e-cigarette bill
(US nat'l politics site) http://thehill
.com/blogs/regwatch/healthcare/201953-house-dems-float-e-cig-bill
The only minor slip in this otherwise-flawless piece occurs in this sentence:
"A companion to legislation offered last month in the Senate, the bill comes in response to research showing an explosion in e-cigarette use among middle school and high school students in the United States." (boldface added)
Well, as I've so often pointed out: it could be a whole lot worse. At least this piece doesn't directly allege that PVs are being marketed to children.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Senator Durbin Commends House Members for Joining Effort to Protect Children from E-Cigarettes
(Park Forest IL US ind. web site) http://enewspf.com/latest-news/health-and-fitness/51465-senator-durbin-commends-house-members-for-joining-effort-to-protect-children-from-e-cigarettes
.html
This reprehensibly despicable excuse for a "story" is actually an opinion piece in in disguise, which makes only the slightest pretense of quoting the statements made by Sen. Durbin.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: 1.8 million students have tried e-cigarettes
http://www.wtoc
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
http://www.wmctv
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
http://www.wmctv
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
http://www.msnewsnow
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
In an effort to paraphrase the press release (which is entirely unnecessary), the writer goofs in several places by bluring the distinction between factual assertions and Rep. Etsy's claims. These are all US TV and radio stations owned by Meridith Broadcasting.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: U.S. Representatives Fight To Ban The Marketing Of E-Cigarettes To Children And Teens
(Hamptons NY US local web site) http://www.hamptons
.com/Community/Community-News/19399/U.S.-Representatives-Fight-To-Ban-The-Marketing.html#.UzWhMM5obfg
Once again, this writer crosses the line between reporting a story about a public figure's advocacy, and becoming a mouthpiece for the underlying claims - this time by doing her own "research" into vaping marketing. According to her bio on the web site, her focus is "lifestyle, nightlife, and mixology [sic]."
***
COLLECTION 2: PHILLY COVERAGE
As you probably already know, Philadelphia PA's city council voted unanimously on Thurday to ban vaping indoors and outdoors whereever smoking is prohibited. To my surprise, there was almost no coverage outside of Pennsylvania (unlike the correponding decisions in NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, which were reported around the world). Except for the first loathesome piece by the local NBC affiliate, all the Philadelphia coverage below was fair and professionally-done. All of it was of local origin. There was much less of it than the coverage of either Los Angeles or San Francisco. All the pieces except the last one (AP) featured Greg, and I've quoted some notable portions.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Philadelphia City Council Bans E-Cigarettes In Public Places
(Philadelphia PA US NBC affiliate) http://www.nbcphiladelphia
.com/news/health/E-Cigarette-Ban-Philly-252610201.html
Much junk, including this ref. to Dutra & Glantz:
"A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Pediatrics found that vaping is a gateway for teens to use regular cigarettes."
[ PA's SB 1055 a simple minor sales ban, hasn't passed the state sen. No other threats. ]
Title: Philadelphia City Council Passes Restrictions on Public Use of E-Cigarettes
(Philadelphia PA US CBS affiliate) http://philadelphia.cbslocal
.com/2014/03/27/philadelphia-city-council-passes-restrictions-on-public-use-of-e-cigarettes/
"Conley even produced an e-cigarette, appeared to puff on it, and said it is difficult for anyone to tell if he's actually using it: 'You have no hope of enforcing this bill. So you are just passing something for the sake of passing it.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added][/I]"
Title: Council passes e-cig ban in public places
(Philadelphia PA US local paper) http://www.philly
.com/philly/news/politics/20140328_Council_passes_e-cig_ban_in_public_places.html
"Greg Conley, a volunteer with the nonprofit research group National Vapers Club and an e-cigarette lobbyist, said e-cigs weaned him off smoking for good and probably saved his life. Conley was one of five who spoke out in white-hot opposition to the bill yesterday in Council chambers. He pulled an e-cig from his jacket pocket and took a puff. 'Not a single study has ever found any harmful level of any chemical produced by the vapor of an electronic cigarette,' he said. 'This bill is misguided moralism.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added]
Title: E-cig ban passed in Philadelphia City Council
(Philadelphia PA US ind. radio station) http://www.newsworks
.org/index.php/local/item/66288-e-cig-ban-passed-in-philadelphia-city-council
"Gregory Conley put his e-cigarette to his mouth while testifying before council. 'Now did I just use my electronic cigarette or did I simply hold a metal object up to my lip to simulate using one which would not be not be illegal under this act,' Connoly asked. 'You have no hope of enforcing this bill.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
[Also contains a full-sized picture of him vaping, but no cloud.]
Title: Philadelphia City Council passes e-Cigarette smoking ban
(Philadelphia PA US ind. web site) http://www.metro
.us/philadelphia/news/local/2014/03/27/philadelphia-city-council-passes-e-cigarette-smoking-ban/
"Gregory Conley, who is a New Jersey native, confessed at city council to be an ex-smoker who now prefers e-cigarettes. He pulled out his device and appeared to have given the members of council a demonstration. After the bill passed, he said the ruling is exactly what he expected. 'Ultimately, this bill is about deceiving smokers into thinking e-cigarettes are just as hazardous or nearly as hazardous as smoking,' he said. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
Title: Philly council votes to ban e-cigarettes
(AP) http://www.delcotimes
.com/general-news/20140327/philly-council-votes-to-ban-e-cigarettes
Very brief.
***
Google Tips
to see whether there are bad things happening where you live, try this Google search (example for Rhode Island) -
rhode site:casaa.org
(Replace rhode with a single word that describes your city, county, or state. For ex., if you live in Eau Claire, WI - you might use "Claire" to see if something is being proposed at the city level. Don't forget the : (colon), and be sure that there's nothing before or after the colon (not even spaces or tabs.)
You can also try replacing site:casaa.org with e-cigarette to find out what the media is reporting in your area. This is usually most helpful if you use the search tools to search by date. (CASAA doesn't generally issue calls or alerts until a bill is out of a state legislative committee, or is scheduled for a local city or county hearing.)
1) The US government has officially endorsed the recent paper published by Dutra & Glantz in JAMA Pediatrics. This analysis looked at a survey of teens who had tried vaping one or more times (regardless of whether they had used nicotine in the PV: these two categories weren't distinguished). The published paper was interpreted by its authors and most media outlets as establishing that vaping was a "gateway" for minors to become regular tobacco users: in particular that teen who had vaped even once were "seven times more likely" to be(come) regular tobacco smokers, even though the study had no longitudinal information (in other words, they could've been regular tobacco smokers before they had tried vaping). For more details on the study. which conflates causation with correlation, see:
http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/03/conclusion-of-new-glantz-study-on.html
2) FL's simple minor sales/possession ban has passed the sen., and a house equivalent is out of committe and ready for the house floor. However the house version prevents local jurisdictions from passing stricter laws ("pre-emption") and is facing stiff opposition from a FL cities lobby as well as the ALA (etc.).
3) SD Gov. Daugaard has signed SD's simple minor sales/possession ban; GA's simple minor sales/possession ban is ready for Gov. Deal's signature.
4) Democratic Rep.s introduce the PCECAA in the US House (Protecting Children from Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act of 2014). However there's very little media covarage. Perhaps this is because there were already three different outbreaks of stories on tbis identical bill, since it was first introduced in the US Sen on Feb 26.
5) Ireland Health Ministry to collect reports of adverse reactions to PVs.
Coverage: Ireland, US states: PA, FL, GA, MI, IL, MN, SD, CO, UT
Also: Gary Cox on the growth of non-CigALike vaping.
Not covered: A small number of California stories have piled up, which I intend to get done ASAP. There's also another horrendous piece from last week in HuffPo by NPR's shameless "Youth Radio" reporter Jenny Lei Bolario (who did a completely despicable story a month ago about kids and vape pens - in which she apparently published uncorroborated allegations from 8th grade kids, which were promptly picked up by news outlets around the world as hard facts.)
***
COLLECTIONS
1) COLLECTION 1: PCECAA INRO. INTO US HOUSE COVERAGE
2) COLLECTION 2: PHILADELPHIA COVERAGE
***
STUDIES, BLOGS, ETC.
Title: Tank You Very Much
(ECF's Info Zone)
Tank You Very Much - ECF InfoZone
Gary Cox on the fall of Cig-A-Likes and the rise of tankomizers, MODs and vaping as it was meant to be.
Title: HHS Healthbeat (March 27, 2014)
(US Gov't Heath and Human Services Dep't) http://www.hhs
.gov/news/healthbeat/2014/03/teens-and-e-cigarettes.html
The fact that the U.S. gov't is officially endorsing the Dutra & Glantz junk statistics "study" in JAMA Pediatrics which confuses causation with causality should be a surprise to no one. Whether we should be shocked and disgusted is yet another question. Here's the entire despicable blub, complete with paragraph breaks:
***
IRELAND
Title: Potential harm of e-cigarettes to be monitored
http://www.imt
.ie/news/2014/03/potential-harm-of-e-cigarettes-to-be-monitored.html
This brief story's novel content consists almost entirely of this unattributed sentence:
"The Department of Health will continue to monitor existing and emerging evidence on the potential harm and the potential benefits of e-cigarettes."
No press release or source is cited, however this sentence implies that it comes from the Minister: "There is also a concern that e-cigarettes may act as a gateway to tobacco smoking, the Minister for Health Dr James Reilly has warned."
(I believe what this means is that the Health Dep't is going to collect reports of adverse effects.)
***
US: NATIONAL
Title: U.S. surgeon general prefers Cincinnati chili over tobacco
(Cincinnati OH US local business paper) http://www.bizjournals
.com/cincinnati/news/2014/03/27/u-s-surgeon-general-prefers-cincinnati-chili-over.html
Noteworthy only for this brief statement on vaping:
"[U.S. Surgeon General] Lushniak said he didn't discuss electronic cigarettes during his lecture. 'But we do have a stance on that,' he told me. 'In essence, there are too many unknowns for us to advocate the use of e-cigarettes' as an aid to quit smoking tobacco. 'At the same time, what we know about e-cigarettes is they contain nicotine, an addictive product,' Lushniak said. 'It does have health effects, especially on the developing brains of children and adolescents. Certainly, (there should be) no use among the youth of America.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added, paren.s in original story]"
[Non-American readers may wish to know that the US Surgeon general isn't a "health minister" in any sense of the term. This role is played by a combination of US department heads, including the NIH, CDC, and FDA.]
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: E-cigarettes: a doctor's view of the good, the bad and the ugly
(US Nat'l network) http://www.foxnews
.com/opinion/2014/03/28/e-cigarettes-doctor-view-good-bad-and-ugly/
Yes, the good Dr. says that vaping can play a role in cessation. He cites the Lancet study in which a small number of smokers were given "CigALikes" (not of their choosing), and the quit rate was slightly above the patch. (As ECF readers know, modern evidence suggests that 7% is a very low one-year-out figure for cessation among tobacco cigarette smokers who wish to quit, and who make a serious effort to try vaping). But before you cheer on this physician, here's the obligatory "concern":
"But if I see e-cigarettes as a potential tool to quit for adults, at the same time, I am very concerned about the growing role e-cigarettes are playing for teens, many of whom are non-smokers the first time they try an e-cigarette. According to the Centers for Disease Control e-cigarette use among high schoolers is now up to 10 percent, double from a year ago, with 80 percent also smoking tobacco. Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the CDC and a top expert in preventive health, told me that e-cigarettes can be a gateway drug, with nicotine addiction leading to more tobacco use. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
[Hmm, is that a scientific concept? As in "breathing can be a gateway behavior to hard drug addiction? Does the CDC actually have data which separates correlation from causality?]
Sadly, the writer also seems to have fallen prey to the notion that vapers are buying buckets of "poison by the barrel" (as a NYT business writer recently put it, in a recent outburst of alarmist journalism):
"The low concentration [in commercial e-juice] is less risky, but Vaporworld, for example, sells a gallon of liquid nicotine at 10 percent concentration for only $195, and Liquid Nicotine Wholesalers charges $110 for a liter at the same concentration. With this high concentration, experts say that just a tablespoon could be enough to cause serious harm. Nicotine is a potent neurotoxin which can be ingested or absorbed through the skin, leading to seizures, vomiting, and rapid heart rate. The number of poisoning cases linked to e-liquids was 1,351 in 2013, up 300 percent from the year before. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
(Ah yes, the "linkage" - more good science.) And finally we discover that he wants to make vaping into medicine, where - as vapers all know - it will become incredibly efective (i.e. we can show up for our "methadone"):
"I believe that in the right hands, e-cigarettes can be an effective tool for quitting smoking, perhaps the best we currently have available. Unfortunately, they are frequently not getting into the right hands, and I also know many smokers who carry both cigarettes and e-cigarettes around, and don't actually cut down on tobacco. [...] I wish there was a way of regulating e-cigarettes so that a doctor has a definite role, and can guide her patients to e-cigarettes to be used as a treatment rather than as another party chemical. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
And this is what some of vapers' would-be supporters in the public health community say about vaping? Gheesh.
Title: Liquid Death From E-Cigarettes? You've Got a Long Way to Go, Baby
(US Nat'l news) http://www.huffingtonpost
.com/dr-amy-fairchild/liquid-death-from-ecigare_b_5044145.html
[Authors are ID'd as Dr. Amy Fairchild, and Dr. Ronald Buyer, both Prof.s of Sociemedical Studies at Columbia's School of Public Health.]
It's nice to see a piece by credentialed authors that makes mincemeat of the despicable use of small context-free numbers as a hysteria generation mechanism during the recent mass insanity over poison center calls.
"We need to take a cold, hard look at the evidence now and keep our eyes trained on the data as we move forward so that we can understand the population effects of e-cigarettes. Those of us who have taken a cautious stand in support of e-cigarettes based on tobacco's harvest of death need to be prepared to change our position based on the science. We must also be vigilant about efforts to distort data. That was the strategy of Big Tobacco. It shouldn't be the strategy of public health."
No junk.
Title: Unfounded reports being used to discourage e-cig use
(Ind. nat'l web site associated w/ Clarity) http://www.examiner
.com/article/unfounded-reports-being-used-to-discourage-electronic-cigarette-use
While this article is entirely junk-free and contains no factual errors that I can spot, it does turn out that the author owns a vape shop, as one can see by clicking on his name in the story: http://www.examiner
.com/business-in-knoxville/jeff-sherwood
It's also worth noting that the "Knoxville Business Examiner" is neither a newspaper, nor a web site in its own right. If it's a title, then it exists only in the minds of the publishers of this web site (examiner.com).
While it certainly is much worse to twist facts, present context-free alarmist data, and/or uncritically echo junk statistical analysis as scientific truth, the failure to clearly and transparently disclose a financial interest and the fabrication or at least misleading characterizations associated with an author's qualifications constitute an unacceptable deviation from the minimal standards of good journalism.
BTW this article is also being discussed on ECF, here:
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo.../545036-electronic-cigarettes-really-bad.html
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Controversy Clouds E-Cigarettes
(American Chemical Society web site) http://cen.acs
.org/articles/92/i10/Controversy-Clouds-E-Cigarettes.html
[This story attracted little attention when it was first published on March 10th (I didn't even find it on Google). But recently I've seen at least a half-dozen links to it, so I'm going against my usual policy of not reviewing things that are more than a few days old.]
In a nutshell, this is a brazen hit job, cleverly disguised as a thorough and dispassionate review of the research. It cites three papers which many of us are already familiar with. Not a single one compares the levels of what was found in vapor with acceptable standards of air quality, either for the user or the bystander. This tactic of blithely reporting what "was found in e-cigarettes" without any context (for example, comparison with nicotine inhalers) is standard, although perhaps slightly less unforgiveable in a publication addressed to chemists instead of the public health community. That said, the context-free alarmist propaganda is brought to a climax by the presentation of the "research" on "third hand" [vapor].
Finally, we leave the realm of junk science far behind, for the even more phantasmagoric realm of junk statistics and fabricated allegations:
"The proportion of U.S. high school students who said they had tried e-cigarettes more than doubled from 2011 to 2012, a jump from 4.7% to 10%, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. About 76% of middle and high school students who said they used them in the past month had also used tobacco within the same period. So far, at least nine states have outlawed the sale of the devices to minors. Both Glantz and Goniewicz say FDA should adopt quality-control standards for e-cigarettes to protect consumers. Glantz also thinks the agency should crack down on claims by e-cigarette companies that the devices help users quit smoking because this has not been conclusively demonstrated. FDA-approved nicotine replacement therapies, including patches, gum, and inhalers, are options with proven track records. [para break omitted]"
Once again the cherry-picked "facts" are stated without any explicit effort to guide the reader to conclusions. (It's a bit like saying that a criminal defendant was spotted at the scene of a murder: without mentioning that the "scene" was Grand Central Station in New York City during an ordinary busy rush hour.) This deceptive hit job has now been cited in at least a half-dozen other pieces, perhaps because it carries the imprimateur of a serious research publication - for example:
Title: Concerns over potential health risks of using e-cigarettes gaining momentum
http://www.news-medical
.net/news/20140328/Concerns-over-potential-health-risks-of-using-e-cigarettes-gaining-momentum.aspx
Title: E-Cigarette Brands Health Effects and Risk Review Studies: FDA, Tobacco Businesses Create Forum [sic] For Debate
(Nat'l US news collection site aimed at Latinos & Chicanos) http://www.latinpost
.com/articles/9616/20140327/e-cigarette-brands-health-effects-and-risk-review-studies-are-inconclusive-fda-tobacco-businesses-create-forum-for-debate.htm
In addition to the rather odd title (which appears to be designed to impress the reader with the promise of substance), this article seems to be intentionally dumbed down, both in terms of style and content. It contains a variety of unattributed sweeping characterizations and generalizations that would likely be considered unacceptable in a college freshman's homework, although it does link to NPR's search page for the tag "e-cigarettes" (in other words, the author may have learned everything he knows about vaping from NPR, which at least partly explains some of the claims in this short piece). That said, the conclusion is perhaps not as horrible as I feared, even if it appears to be based on a non sequitur, which could only be explained by the author's apparent ignorance of the difference between the two forms of FDA reguation (therapeutic vs. non-therapeutic tobacco products):
"When it comes to quitting cigarettes, the FDA has not yet released its approval. Therefore, there is no assurance that people who wish to stop smoking may use e-cigs to gradually withdraw from the vice. As of now, everything is inconclusive. No one has conclusive evidence on whether or not e-cigs are perfect alternatives."
---
US: FLORIDA
Title: E-cig bill runs into speed bump over state versus local authority
(Miami FL US local paper) http://miamiherald.typepad
.com/health/2014/03/e-cig-bill-runs-into-speed-bump-over-state-versus-local-authority.html
Title: E-cigarette bill draws lots of debate
http://www.miamiherald
.com/2014/03/28/4023511/e-cigarette-bill-draws-lots-of.html
Title: E-Cigarette Bill Draws Fire
(Miami FL US CBS affiliate) http://miami.cbslocal
.com/2014/03/27/e-cigarette-bill-draws-fire/
FL HB 169 is a minor sales/possession ban, which is very similar to SB 224 (the latter was unanmously passed by the sen. last week). However HB 169 contains one additional provision at the end:
(11) PREEMPTION - This subsection expressly preempts to the state the regulaton of products and activities under this section and supercedes any municipal or county ordinance on the subject.
Apparently the FL League of Cities and (surprise) the ALA both object to this provision. Article notes that FL's clean indoor air act also has a similar clause. In the case of HB 169, it appears that the principal effect would be to prevent local juridisctions from enacting stiffer penalties or more restrictive signage requirements (etc.). No junk.
---
US: GEORGIA
Title: E-Cigarette Bans Advance in Minnesota and Georgia
(US Nat'l Assn for Convenience and Fuel Retailing site) http://www.nacsonline
.com/news/daily/pages/nd0327144.aspx#.UzTKlc5obfg
GA's HB 251, a simple minor sales/possession ban, is ready for Gov. Deal's sig. Sen passed the identical SB 347 last week. No junk, although this story is noteworthy in that it never describes the use of PVs as "smoking" - the word "vaping" is used several times. [The portion of this story dealing w/ MN is moot.]
---
US: MICHIGAN
Title: Video: Should E-Cigarette Juice Be Child Proof?
(Gr. Rapids MI US local fox affiliate) http://fox17online
.com/2014/03/27/video-should-e-cigarette-juice-be-child-proof/
This is the usual content-free fluff that one can expect from local news, although it's not particularly awful. As usual it implies that nothing is known about vaping. It also suggests that ingestion of 0% e-juice can be harmful, which is a rather clear indication of the writer's level of ignorance.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: A different cigarette
(Houghton MI US local paper) http://www.mininggazette
.com/page/content.detail/id/533636/A-different-cigarette.html
Although this story contains no specific junk other than the cessation falsehoods that you see below, the message that PVs have no redeeming virtues to society is abundantly evident:
"However, the several studies that have been done don't show e-cigarettes are a useful tool for quitting tobacco cigarettes, [health officer/executive officer of the Western Upper Peninsula Health Department Guy] St. Germain said. 'There's no evidence of smoking cessation with these cigarettes,' he said. Electronic cigarettes or similar devices function by burning liquid nicotine and turning it into a vapor, which is then inhaled by the user, St. Germain said. The devices are high-tech nicotine delivery systems. 'That's all it is,' he said. 'It has no other purpose. [...] St. Germain said Michigan has come a long way toward reducing the negative health effects of second-hand tobacco smoke, and he doesn't want to see those benefits reduced by the expansion of the use of e-cigarettes. 'I hope we don't back track with these devices,' he said. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
The piece also helpfully quotes Mitch Zeller's "concerns" from the FDA website.
---
US: ILLINOIS
Title: E-cigarette store planned for Oak Park [and not all the locals seem to like it]
(Chicago IL US local paper) http://www.chicagotribune
.com/news/local/suburbs/oak_park_river_forest_forest_park/ct-ecigarette-store-oak-park-tl-0403-20140327,0,4892278.story
New vape shop will be on a corner which will be:
"One of the first things to greet new visitors arriving in the village on Metra or CTA trains. For some downtown business owners, that's fine. For others, it's a problem. 'I understand the need of property owners to rent out spaces, but unfortunately it's on a key corner, and it might not send the best message to folks seeing Oak Park for the first time,' said Bill Sullivan, owner of Sullivan Law Offices on Marion Street. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
Another business owner said that it's preferable to a vacancy, a third said that he would "wait and see."
The would-be vape store owner, identified as a 52 y.o. former business consultant who quit smoking by switching to vaping, defended herself:
"She said she works to dispel notions that e-cigarettes are associated with drugs. She said she sells no products that could be used for drugs. She said signage will be minimal. 'We are not a head shop, we are not a pawn shop and we don't sell crystal m_th. We just help smokers not smoke. And I just can't imagine what you can find that's wrong with that,' she said. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
Previously, this space has reported several stories about the reluctance of landlords to rent to vape stores.
[ IL currently considering two bills that require vaping supplies (but not non-cigarette tobacco) to be behind the counter, see: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...counter-exempts-tobacco-specialty-stores.html and one bill that would require special packaging: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-e-cig-products-sold-il-protect-children.html Also worth watching: SB2659, which would ban smoking in cars containing a minor - however the definition doesn't currently include vaping (and is still in the Public Health Cmte, with a status of "postponed." See: Illinois General Assembly - Bill Status for SB2659 And HB 689, which would mandate special packaging in order to protect children (which only has one sponsor at the moment: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-e-cig-products-sold-il-protect-children.html ]
---
US: MINNESOTA
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Flash Points: E-cig fumes equally annoying
(St. Cloud MN US local paper) http://www.sctimes
.com/story/opinion/2014/03/27/flash-points-e-cig-fumes-equally-annoying/6971541/
This seems to be a place where people can post random opinions on certain topics. Somehow this made it into my daily Google search.
Q: What, if anything, should the Legislature do this session in regulating e-cigarettes?
[ No apparent current threats in the MN legislature, now that Gov. Dayton has indicated that he wouldn't support an indoor vaping ban in public places. ]
Title: Letter to Sen. Sheran from MN Resident
(MN Vapers' web site)
Letter to Sen. Sheran from MN Resident | Minnesota Vapers AdvocacyMinnesota Vapers Advocacy
An excellent reaction to Sen. Sheran's use of the term "addicts" to describe vapers. (It seems to be an especially inappropriate characterization of those who vape nicotine-free e-juice.) The writer refers to this article, reviewed in this space yesterday: http://www.mankatofreepress
.com/local/x1387888429/Update-Dayton-ignites-e-cig-ban-debate
For a further perspective on Sen. Sheran's unconvincingly-robotic tendency to parrot canned talking points, check out this interview with her, broadcast by Twin Cities PBS, which was reviewed in this space on 3/15: http://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=-73Yefyr8lM
---
SOUTH DAKOTA
Title: SD Governor signs last bills of session into law, including e-cigarette regulations
(AP) http://www.therepublic
.com/w/SD--Governor--New-Laws
Short note indicating that Gov. Daugaard has signed SB 181, a simple minor sales and possession ban. Monday is the last day of the SD legislative session for 2014.
---
US: COLORADO
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: E-Cigarettes May Not Help You Quit Smoking, but Heres What Can
(Grand Junction CO US ind. radio station) http://95rockfm
.com/e-cigarettes-may-not-help-you-quit-smoking-but-heres-what-can
After a short two-sentence introduction that provides us with both a link to Time magazine's brain-dead coverage of the Gana et al. 88-vaper cessation "study", plus a breezy invocation of the poison control call center stories, the author nonchalantly concludes that we might be "searching for some other ways to get help quitting."
So then we get the usual list of McQuitter Strategies, bolstered by links to WebMD, the CDC, and SmokeFree.gov.
But remember: "Finally, quitting is different for everyone [in most respects, however vaping doesn't work for anyone]. There are many different ways to quit smoking [except vaping], and not every way will work for you [certainly not vaping, as the study shows, and besides it will poison your kids]. The key is to stick with it [as long as you're not trying vaping]. If you try something and it doesnt work, try something else [except vaping]. Its never too late to find a new way to kick your habit [just don't vape]."
[ S18 appears to be superfluous minor sales ban, has passed Sen: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...cluding-empty-e-cigs-without-seeing-id-2.html ]
---
US: UTAH
Title: Our View: E-cigarettes need more regulation
(Ogden UT US local paper) http://www.standard
.net/stories/2014/03/27/our-view-e-cigarettes-need-more-regulation
Because: (1) the UT poison control center says that 79 children have been admitted to hospitals and (2) "the consistent rise of e-cigarettes as a problem in Top of UT high schools" it follows that the regulations in Davis Co. and Rep. Ray's bill are needed. Unfortunately there's no explanation regarding how the touted regulations are going to solve these particular problems, why they are preferable compared to alternatives, or even what specific regulations are needed.
[ UT's HB 112 was tabled and the legislature is out of session until later this year. However Rep. Ray has indicated that the poison call center reports and the Gana et al. cessation "study" of 88 vapers are reason enough to re-introduce it when the legislature meets briefly to consider medicaid. ]
***
COLLECTION 1: US HOUSE DEMS INTRODUCE PCECAA [The Protect Minors from Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act of 2014, which was introduced in the US Senate on Feb 26]
Except for the first three articles, all of these stories are written by less-than-fully-professional writers who seem to be unable to separate their own views from the story they're covering. More troubling is the fact that the sponsors of PCECAA claim that the CDC study reports the number of minors who had tried PVs with nicotine, and none of the stories except the first three are written by reporters who are apparently aware of the distinction. (In fact, the CDC survey didn't ask respondents whether they had tried a PV that contained nicotine.) This point is critical, because the Rep.s who are introducing PCECAA in the House are all saying that the teens who reported vaping in the CDC study are examples of the success that BT has in hooking kids on nicotine.
Title: Esty introduces e-cigarette bill
(Nonprofit ind. CT news site) http://ctmirror
.org/esty-introduces-e-cigarette-bill/
Very short, factual, and completely professional.
Title: Durbin, Bustos Want E-Cigarette Regulations
http://www.wifr
.com/home/headlines/Durbin-Bustos-Want-E-Cigarette-Regulations-252832411.html
Another excellent job.
Title: House Dems float e-cigarette bill
(US nat'l politics site) http://thehill
.com/blogs/regwatch/healthcare/201953-house-dems-float-e-cig-bill
The only minor slip in this otherwise-flawless piece occurs in this sentence:
"A companion to legislation offered last month in the Senate, the bill comes in response to research showing an explosion in e-cigarette use among middle school and high school students in the United States." (boldface added)
Well, as I've so often pointed out: it could be a whole lot worse. At least this piece doesn't directly allege that PVs are being marketed to children.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Senator Durbin Commends House Members for Joining Effort to Protect Children from E-Cigarettes
(Park Forest IL US ind. web site) http://enewspf.com/latest-news/health-and-fitness/51465-senator-durbin-commends-house-members-for-joining-effort-to-protect-children-from-e-cigarettes
.html
This reprehensibly despicable excuse for a "story" is actually an opinion piece in in disguise, which makes only the slightest pretense of quoting the statements made by Sen. Durbin.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: 1.8 million students have tried e-cigarettes
http://www.wtoc
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
http://www.wmctv
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
http://www.wmctv
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
http://www.msnewsnow
.com/story/25093297/18-million-students-have-tried-e-cigarettes
In an effort to paraphrase the press release (which is entirely unnecessary), the writer goofs in several places by bluring the distinction between factual assertions and Rep. Etsy's claims. These are all US TV and radio stations owned by Meridith Broadcasting.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: U.S. Representatives Fight To Ban The Marketing Of E-Cigarettes To Children And Teens
(Hamptons NY US local web site) http://www.hamptons
.com/Community/Community-News/19399/U.S.-Representatives-Fight-To-Ban-The-Marketing.html#.UzWhMM5obfg
Once again, this writer crosses the line between reporting a story about a public figure's advocacy, and becoming a mouthpiece for the underlying claims - this time by doing her own "research" into vaping marketing. According to her bio on the web site, her focus is "lifestyle, nightlife, and mixology [sic]."
***
COLLECTION 2: PHILLY COVERAGE
As you probably already know, Philadelphia PA's city council voted unanimously on Thurday to ban vaping indoors and outdoors whereever smoking is prohibited. To my surprise, there was almost no coverage outside of Pennsylvania (unlike the correponding decisions in NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, which were reported around the world). Except for the first loathesome piece by the local NBC affiliate, all the Philadelphia coverage below was fair and professionally-done. All of it was of local origin. There was much less of it than the coverage of either Los Angeles or San Francisco. All the pieces except the last one (AP) featured Greg, and I've quoted some notable portions.
{Comments posted to page containing this story, &/or e-mail to Editor would be helpful.}
Title: Philadelphia City Council Bans E-Cigarettes In Public Places
(Philadelphia PA US NBC affiliate) http://www.nbcphiladelphia
.com/news/health/E-Cigarette-Ban-Philly-252610201.html
Much junk, including this ref. to Dutra & Glantz:
"A report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Pediatrics found that vaping is a gateway for teens to use regular cigarettes."
[ PA's SB 1055 a simple minor sales ban, hasn't passed the state sen. No other threats. ]
Title: Philadelphia City Council Passes Restrictions on Public Use of E-Cigarettes
(Philadelphia PA US CBS affiliate) http://philadelphia.cbslocal
.com/2014/03/27/philadelphia-city-council-passes-restrictions-on-public-use-of-e-cigarettes/
"Conley even produced an e-cigarette, appeared to puff on it, and said it is difficult for anyone to tell if he's actually using it: 'You have no hope of enforcing this bill. So you are just passing something for the sake of passing it.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added][/I]"
Title: Council passes e-cig ban in public places
(Philadelphia PA US local paper) http://www.philly
.com/philly/news/politics/20140328_Council_passes_e-cig_ban_in_public_places.html
"Greg Conley, a volunteer with the nonprofit research group National Vapers Club and an e-cigarette lobbyist, said e-cigs weaned him off smoking for good and probably saved his life. Conley was one of five who spoke out in white-hot opposition to the bill yesterday in Council chambers. He pulled an e-cig from his jacket pocket and took a puff. 'Not a single study has ever found any harmful level of any chemical produced by the vapor of an electronic cigarette,' he said. 'This bill is misguided moralism.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added]
Title: E-cig ban passed in Philadelphia City Council
(Philadelphia PA US ind. radio station) http://www.newsworks
.org/index.php/local/item/66288-e-cig-ban-passed-in-philadelphia-city-council
"Gregory Conley put his e-cigarette to his mouth while testifying before council. 'Now did I just use my electronic cigarette or did I simply hold a metal object up to my lip to simulate using one which would not be not be illegal under this act,' Connoly asked. 'You have no hope of enforcing this bill.' [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
[Also contains a full-sized picture of him vaping, but no cloud.]
Title: Philadelphia City Council passes e-Cigarette smoking ban
(Philadelphia PA US ind. web site) http://www.metro
.us/philadelphia/news/local/2014/03/27/philadelphia-city-council-passes-e-cigarette-smoking-ban/
"Gregory Conley, who is a New Jersey native, confessed at city council to be an ex-smoker who now prefers e-cigarettes. He pulled out his device and appeared to have given the members of council a demonstration. After the bill passed, he said the ruling is exactly what he expected. 'Ultimately, this bill is about deceiving smokers into thinking e-cigarettes are just as hazardous or nearly as hazardous as smoking,' he said. [para breaks omitted, boldface added]"
Title: Philly council votes to ban e-cigarettes
(AP) http://www.delcotimes
.com/general-news/20140327/philly-council-votes-to-ban-e-cigarettes
Very brief.
***
Google Tips
to see whether there are bad things happening where you live, try this Google search (example for Rhode Island) -
rhode site:casaa.org
(Replace rhode with a single word that describes your city, county, or state. For ex., if you live in Eau Claire, WI - you might use "Claire" to see if something is being proposed at the city level. Don't forget the : (colon), and be sure that there's nothing before or after the colon (not even spaces or tabs.)
You can also try replacing site:casaa.org with e-cigarette to find out what the media is reporting in your area. This is usually most helpful if you use the search tools to search by date. (CASAA doesn't generally issue calls or alerts until a bill is out of a state legislative committee, or is scheduled for a local city or county hearing.)
