An E-Cure For Smoking (Iowa Quitline are jerks)

[Placebo Effect]

An e-cure for smoking?

Really good article that's very positive, albeit with some various BS "The FDA has warned there are toxins" statements from people in local tobacco control and the American Medical Association.

This part angered me the most

But after buying a discontinued brand and switching to another, Ross found herself with the same dilemma faced by the country at large. She called the Iowa Quitline, an 800 number that offers treatment for addiction issues, and was told that e-cigarettes are dangerous. The help line recommended the anti-smoking pill Chantix, but Ross refuses to touch the drug anymore because it gave her consistent, lucid nightmares.

"I thought the nightmares were real," she said.

Since the verdict still is out health-wise, Ross has decided to stick with e-cigarettes for now. After all, she said, anything is better than smoking.

 

[Petrodus]

They say E-cigs are dangerous and recommend Chantix.
Unbelievable... Over 1 full minute of the Chantix commercials
are devoted to health disclaimers!

 

[kristin]

I noted that a recent Chantix commercial I saw stated "Over 7 million people have already spoken to their doctor about Chantix" and their web site says, "Over 7 million people in the U.S. have received a Chantix prescription." Note that implies that over 7 million people have quit smoking using Chantix - but that is NOT what they said! Talk about deceptive advertising!

 

[Turnkeys]

An e-cure for smoking?

This part angered me the most

I'd have to agree, Placebo. That and the first comment I saw:

Smokers: 2/6/2011
I don't smoke but I love smokers. The taxes they pay every time they buy a pack, means more money for children's health care. God Bless big tobacco

Besides being apparently ignorant of what many states are doing with tobacco taxes to shore up their flailing economies, the sentiment and attitude makes me wish I could slap some sense into them...

I decided to comment later when I'm not so angry about it. :/

 

[rothenbj]

I'm still looking for a two year study on quit rates on Chantix, not including those that got the "permanent" stop smoking "therapy".

 

[Turnkeys]

Ya know I'd actually like to see those "permanent" stops included in that study. And a lot more attention on the other side effects.

 

[Crumpet]

Forgive my ignorance, but couldn't e-cig manufacturers and/or vendors collectively sue some of these liars who outright say e-cigs are 'dangerous'? They have not been proven to be dangerous, not even a little bit.

 

[sherid]

I noted that a recent Chantix commercial I saw stated "Over 7 million people have already spoken to their doctor about Chantix" and their web site says, "Over 7 million people in the U.S. have received a Chantix prescription." Note that implies that over 7 million people have quit smoking using Chantix - but that is NOT what they said! Talk about deceptive advertising!

I was struck by that comment, especially that they simply "talked" to their doctors about Chantix. Maybe they said how afraid they were of Chantix, nothing more. What does that statement really mean anyway, and other than false advertising and propaganda, what place does it have in that commercial?

 

[Nightseer]

LOL=or it could be the doctor brought it up (or went so far as to prescribe it) and the pationt pointed out that even according to chantix itself they were not qualified. I (thank god) had a pharmicist point out the risks to me when I turned it in along with my scripts for bipolar meds. He was horrified. I now have a new doc..........

I was struck by that comment, especially that they simply "talked" to their doctors about Chantix. Maybe they said how afraid they were of Chantix, nothing more. What does that statement really mean anyway, and other than false advertising and propaganda, what place does it have in that commercial?

 

[john doe]

As for stats, watch out for the ever popular "3 times as effective as..." Talk about loaded statements. So if agent x is 1% effective then the new product is 3 times better at 3%. Pretty poor results but 3 times better makes it sound great.

 

[Brewlady]

I noted that a recent Chantix commercial I saw stated "Over 7 million people have already spoken to their doctor about Chantix" and their web site says, "Over 7 million people in the U.S. have received a Chantix prescription." Note that implies that over 7 million people have quit smoking using Chantix - but that is NOT what they said! Talk about deceptive advertising!

I was prescribed Chantix twice. Didn't work. I bought patches. Didn't work. Any public organization telling current smokers to avoid a product that is less harmful, in favor of products that just don't work, does not have the public's best interest at heart. Cigarettes are dangerous but legal. This is just an unconscionable example of government intervention harming current smokers.

Maybe we should organize a telephone blitz. Call your state quit line and tell them HOW you quit smoking tobacco, and ask them why in the world they aren't standing on mountaintops proclaiming harm reduction.

 

[Crumpet]

^^^^^Especially since HR is the main policy approach for just about every other behavior/health issue out there.

 

[Zal42]

Forgive my ignorance, but couldn't e-cig manufacturers and/or vendors collectively sue some of these liars who outright say e-cigs are 'dangerous'? They have not been proven to be dangerous, not even a little bit.

To do so, they'd have to prove that the claims that vaping is dangerous is false -- and that would require a long-term, expensive study. I'm quite sure that e-cig manufacturers couldn't afford to fund such a study. Then they'd have to prove that the claims caused them economic harm. Another thing which sounds easy, but may be a difficult (read: expensive) bar to meet in court.

And even if they can technically do both of those things, if the entities making the claim are well-funded enough, then they could just keep the whole thing in court until the e-cig manufacturers go broke.

So, the realistic answer is no, they can't just sue. At least not until the industry has a larger warchest. The US court system is geared so that the richer you are, the more likely you are to prevail, regardless of whether you are in the right or not. Unfortunately.

 

[zorba1]

I am a truck driver and Chantix has now been banned for use by semi truck drivers. The DOT has reported bad side effects including 1 truck driver that choose to drive his truck THROUGH the weigh station building on the interstate!

 

[N2rock]

My doctor talked to me about Chantix last year when I was in for my yearly physical. At that time, I didn't want to stop smoking, the doctor just suggested it because she wanted me to quit. This past December I was in for my yearly physical, and informed the doctor that I was trying to quit (thru patch and gum). And she once again brought up Chantix. So I guess those 2 doctor visits put me in the "7 million" group, twice. LOL

Funny- gum alone didn't work. Patch alone didn't work. Combination of gum and patch didn't work. E-cig-- 19 days without an analog, and zero desire to smoke one. I am confident that I will never smoke another analog.

 

[Vocalek]

The next time you visit your doctor, if you are still smoke-free thanks to e-cigarettes, you can share this information with her.

Ninety three percent of e-cigarette consumers smoked for more than 5 years and over 90% report that their health has improved since switching to vapor. In the 7 years the products have been in use world wide, there have been zero deaths and zero reports of any serious adverse effects.

This record stands in stark contrast to the FDA-approved (and heavily advertised) smoking cessation drug, Chantix. Symptoms seen in Chantix users include "changes in behavior, agitation, depressed mood, suicidal ideation, and attempted and completed suicide." The drug is also linked to violent behavior and traffic accidents. Truck drivers and ariline pilots are not allowed to take the drug. FDA approval is no guarantee of safety.

You might want to print out some of the documentation CASAA has on their web site.

Medical Infograph: http://www.casaa.org/files/CASAA Medical infograph(5).pdf
Tri-fold brochure: http://www.casaa.org/files/CASAA-Ecig-TriFold-Brochure.pdf

 

[kristin]

Any public organization telling current smokers to avoid a product that is less harmful, in favor of products that just don't work, does not have the public's best interest at heart. Cigarettes are dangerous but legal. This is just an unconscionable example of government intervention harming current smokers.

"Harming current smokers."

The scary part is that the zealots don't care about smokers anymore. So long as they keep ONE child from starting tobacco use by removing safer alternatives which may appeal to kids and addict them to nicotine (which they insist, in spite of the great evidence to the contrary, will lead to smoking), the deaths current smokers are acceptable collateral damage. Seriously - they've said that to harm reduction advocates! In their minds, current smokers are a lost cause and the end justifies the means. 4 million smokers lost vs. 1 child saved. Scary.

 

[Petrodus]

"Harming current smokers."

The scary part is that the zealots don't care about smokers anymore. So long as they keep ONE child from starting tobacco use by removing safer alternatives which may appeal to kids and addict them to nicotine (which they insist, in spite of the great evidence to the contrary, will lead to smoking), the deaths current smokers are acceptable collateral damage. Seriously - they've said that to harm reduction advocates! In their minds, current smokers are a lost cause and the end justifies the means. 4 million smokers lost vs. 1 child saved. Scary.

Countless discussions start off with
"I don't understand why....."
"It doesn't make any sense why...."
"I'm confused to why they say this but...."

Many here want to know the bottom line but really have difficulty wrapping our heads around
the reality because (to us) it doesn't make common sense.

The bottom line is Kristin is 100% correct
Quit or Die and they couldn't care less either way

Archived for future reference

 

[kristin]

Yep - once you understand and accept that "quit nicotine or die" is official policy for them and not just an ironic tag line it all comes into focus.