Excellent article in the journal Science.
A Former Surgeon General Lends His Support to E-Cigarettes
A Former Surgeon General Lends His Support to E-Cigarettes
A Former Surgeon General Lends His Support to E-Cigarettes
- Thread starter Pyxus
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Here are some excerpts (not sure I can paste the whole article because of copyrights...) - it's from the interview with the former surgeon general (Richard Carmona - he's now on the board of njoy). BTW, the journal Science is one of the top references for scientific publishing (along with Nature for example). Credits go to Science and Charles Schmidt, the writer.
Q:As a doctor and former surgeon general, why did you join the board of an electronic cigarette manufacturer?
R.C.:At first, I immediately rejected their offer. But with some due diligence I came to see that they were willing to do the necessary science and that we could be allies in the anti-tobacco movement. That said, I offered to join only under certain conditions: that they request FDA regulation—which is in the public's best interests—that they conduct and publish their own research in peer-reviewed journals, even if the findings hurt the bottom line; that they don't use my name or refer to the surgeon general in their advertising campaigns; and that they don't market to kids. So far, they've delivered on all those promises.
Q:E-cigarettes are touted as a way to stop tobacco smoking. But would you advocate that people who do that successfully then also try to wean themselves off e-cigarettes?
R.C.:Yes, but the urgency isn't as great because people who use them aren't inhaling large amounts of carcinogens and cardiovascular disease–causing agents.
Q:How can you be sure they're safe?
R.C.:As research priorities, we're asking about cons from long-term nicotine use, and we're examining the different components in side-stream vapor to make sure they're not unsafe. So far we don't see any problems. And we're also looking into long-term efficacy: How many people who use e-cigarettes quit and for how long? We just have to craft the right questions and then report back to the public.
Q:Won't e-cigarettes just lead to more people getting hooked on nicotine?
R.C.:That same question came up decades ago when nicotine gum, patches, and sprays came on the market. People said they would create new nicotine addicts and that never happened. But e-cigarettes are a different kind of nicotine delivery device, so they raise unanswered questions that we're looking into.
Q:What about children? Some of these e-cigarettes are candy flavored.
R.C.:As a company, we've made a commitment that these products should not be sold to kids under any circumstances. Children don't factor into njoy's marketing, but if a customer says they like a particular flavor, then I have no problem with that—adults enjoy these flavors, too.
Q:How would you respond to critics who say you shouldn't be doing this?
R.C.:Making tobacco obsolete is part of NJOY's value … and it's consistent with my efforts to move people away from cigarettes with combustible toxins that lead to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. I accept that my colleagues have concerns and that the anti-tobacco world is divided on this. You've got two camps here: an abstinence-only camp that thinks anything related to tobacco should be outlawed, and those of us who say abstinence has failed, and that we have to take advantage of every opportunity with a reasonable prospect for harm reduction.
Q:As a doctor and former surgeon general, why did you join the board of an electronic cigarette manufacturer?
R.C.:At first, I immediately rejected their offer. But with some due diligence I came to see that they were willing to do the necessary science and that we could be allies in the anti-tobacco movement. That said, I offered to join only under certain conditions: that they request FDA regulation—which is in the public's best interests—that they conduct and publish their own research in peer-reviewed journals, even if the findings hurt the bottom line; that they don't use my name or refer to the surgeon general in their advertising campaigns; and that they don't market to kids. So far, they've delivered on all those promises.
Q:E-cigarettes are touted as a way to stop tobacco smoking. But would you advocate that people who do that successfully then also try to wean themselves off e-cigarettes?
R.C.:Yes, but the urgency isn't as great because people who use them aren't inhaling large amounts of carcinogens and cardiovascular disease–causing agents.
Q:How can you be sure they're safe?
R.C.:As research priorities, we're asking about cons from long-term nicotine use, and we're examining the different components in side-stream vapor to make sure they're not unsafe. So far we don't see any problems. And we're also looking into long-term efficacy: How many people who use e-cigarettes quit and for how long? We just have to craft the right questions and then report back to the public.
Q:Won't e-cigarettes just lead to more people getting hooked on nicotine?
R.C.:That same question came up decades ago when nicotine gum, patches, and sprays came on the market. People said they would create new nicotine addicts and that never happened. But e-cigarettes are a different kind of nicotine delivery device, so they raise unanswered questions that we're looking into.
Q:What about children? Some of these e-cigarettes are candy flavored.
R.C.:As a company, we've made a commitment that these products should not be sold to kids under any circumstances. Children don't factor into njoy's marketing, but if a customer says they like a particular flavor, then I have no problem with that—adults enjoy these flavors, too.
Q:How would you respond to critics who say you shouldn't be doing this?
R.C.:Making tobacco obsolete is part of NJOY's value … and it's consistent with my efforts to move people away from cigarettes with combustible toxins that lead to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. I accept that my colleagues have concerns and that the anti-tobacco world is divided on this. You've got two camps here: an abstinence-only camp that thinks anything related to tobacco should be outlawed, and those of us who say abstinence has failed, and that we have to take advantage of every opportunity with a reasonable prospect for harm reduction.
This gives me a little bit of hope that logical and reasonable heads can prevail in this whole debate. The closed minded, "abstinence" only camp drives me nuts
Sadly the abstinence camp seem to prevail in most things.
I was cheered up the other day by a trip to Sheffield in the UK - every other person I seen out and about there was rocking a mod of some description. That place has really embraced Vaping - our numbers are going up, maybe we will reach a tipping point where our opinion matters...
That's why the ANTZ are fighting so hard--we're already reaching the point where our opinion matters.
Doesn't nicotine kill ANTZ? Maybe that's why they object so much 
On a more serious note, does anyone have any solid figures on the numbers of people vaping across the globe - that would be an interesting read if so.
On a more serious note, does anyone have any solid figures on the numbers of people vaping across the globe - that would be an interesting read if so.
One by one...our numbers are growing and that adds to my hope. I started vaping at work last year to rid myself of the analogs and there are now three converts within our little smoking and vaping group. When I'm out and about, some smokers ask about it and I give them a little lesson and my "testimony", if you will I would be very interested in just how large the vaping community is
I would be very interested in just how large the vaping community is
My vaping "community" at work nearly died laughing at my mod in 18650 mode. Literally reduced one to tears.
A week later, he owns a Vamo V5.
Education is key
A week later, he owns a Vamo V5.
Education is key
LOL, when that happens I just laugh it off. Even the plethora of phallic references.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
