CBS requests information from DC area vapers.

[oldsoldier]

ECF has received a request from CBS news to interview some Washington, DC area vapers. ECF feels that CASAA is better suited to respond and handle this request. We have passed this request to CASAA for coordination. If you are interested in helping please contact Vocalek for further information.

 

[Petrodus]

ECF has received a request from CBS news to interview some Washington, DC area vapers. ECF feels that CASAA is better suited to respond and handle this request. We have passed this request to CASAA for coordination. If you are interested in helping please contact vocalek for further information.

EXCELLENT

 

[jj2]

Now that is cool that they contacted ECF and CASAA will do a great job!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[oldsoldier]

I'm going to make this a sticky for a short while so it doesnt get lost, We should definitely take advantage of this opportunity to give our side of the story.

 

[Vocalek]

I supplied the reporter with contact information for two vapers from Northern Virginia who are willing to talk with her.

If anyone knows an MD in the tri-state area (VA, MD & DC) who is in favor of using PVs, please send an email with his or her contact information to board @ casaa.org

 

[TennDave]

Awesome news! Hopefully they will get this right and have "the other side" of the story!!!

 

[Petrodus]

What I hope is the CBS reporter is "serious" about hearing the "truth" and has an open mind.
Further more ... I hope CBS then reports the truth without putting the Ye OLE FDA, ANTZ,
and Political Correctness "spin" on it.

 

[bnrkwest]

Wow this is fabulous news, and I hope they tell the real story! bnrk

 

[kevbow]

What I hope is the CBS reporter is "serious" about hearing the "truth" and has an open mind.
Further more ... I hope CBS then reports the truth without putting the Ye OLE FDA, ANTZ,
and Political Correctness "spin" on it.

I'm also concerned about the spin they "may" put on it.

 

[Vocalek]

As soon as I received the reporter's contact information, I phoned and left a message for her. She called back--this was Friday afternoon. This entire situation was complicated by the factor that I was leaving town the next morning (Saturday) and would not be back until Tuesday evening. She let me know that I was not the type of person she was looking for (someone representing an organization.) She wanted to talk with "ordinary" people who use e-cigarettes. She also wanted to talk with a doctor from the local area.

She mentioned that she had interviewed people from the FDA and from the American Lung Association.

CASAA board members tracked down two people and I phoned them to make sure they would be willing to talk with the reporter. When I emailed the reporter their contact information, I included in my email message the following:

Since you have “corporate input” from the FDA and from the ALA, I thought you might be interested in CASAA’s input.

Nearly everyone now accepts that tobacco smoking causes lung and heart disease, cancers, and shortens life span. And for decades, the tobacco control community has focused treatment efforts at achieving complete nicotine abstinence. But many people do not realize that smoking-related diseases are caused by elements in the smoke itself: tar, carbon monoxide, heavy metals, toxins, and carcinogens—not the nicotine. Electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes or personal vaporizers) are an alternative to tobacco cigarettes. They are battery-operated devices that create an inhalable, water-based mist instead of smoke.

In its June 2009 press release on testing of two brands of electronic cigarettes, the FDA failed to make clear that the quantity of “carcinogens” detected in the liquid of some samples is about the same as found in an FDA-approved nicotine patch. Likewise, FDA failed to point out that no dangerous chemicals were detected in the vapor. The quantity of diethylene glycol measured in the liquid form of one sample was thousands of times below the quantity required to poison someone.

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that up to 80% of people who use an e-cigarette on daily basis no longer smoke cigarettes. Users report improved lung function, improvements in cardiovascular measures, and reduction or elimination of coughing. It isn’t necessary to abstain from nicotine to enjoy these health benefits. Smokers who try to comply with the nicotine abstinence methods promoted by the FDA and the ALA keep relapsing. These methods do not work for over 90% of those who try each year. Insisting on nicotine cessation delays smoking cessation. Since the damage caused by smoking is cumulative, it is important to stop inhaling smoke as quickly as possible.

In their concern over tobacco initiation, the FDA and ALA should not deny adult smokers medical information permitting them to lead longer and healthier lives.

I’m attaching the list of studies that have been conducted over the past three years.

I also mentioned that I had put out a call for a doctor to be interviewed.

She emailed back thanking me enthusiastically for the names but said that the attachment didn't come through.

When I replied, attaching both the PDF and Word versions of the list of journal articles, I added:

If you are willing to do the doctor segment via phone with a photo displayed, you could contact Dr. Michael Siegel at Boston University School of Public Health. [his contact information] He also writes a blog called, The Rest of the Story: http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/ Two of his research reports are included on the attached list. The only drawback is that he is out of town at a conference through Tuesday (the same one I will be attending).

Another doctor located in St. Louis has been conducting research on e-cigarettes, too. Dr. Walton Sumner [his contact info]. His work is also on the list.

FYI: I sent the following letter to the Editor of Consumer Reports.

In the May, 2012 issue your advice on e-cigarettes is, "You use them at your own risk." Is smoking less risky? During the past 3 years, nearly 1.5 million people have died from smoking-related diseases. There have been no deaths from inhaling e-cigarette vapor.

 

[Via!]

What I hope is the CBS reporter is "serious" about hearing the "truth" and has an open mind.
Further more ... I hope CBS then reports the truth without putting the Ye OLE FDA, ANTZ,
and Political Correctness "spin" on it.

Unfortunately, sir...I really doubt that they are interested in the "truth", they are looking for a STORY....something that "sells"...and what "sells" doesn't cater to the over-100-IQ-points viewer...(the Nancy Grace viewer, apologies to any reading the that here who enjoy NG). I trust the media as much as I trust Big Tobacco...

 

[Petrodus]

Unfortunately, sir...I really doubt that they are interested in the "truth", they are looking for a STORY....something that "sells"...and what "sells" doesn't cater to the over-100-IQ-points viewer...(the Nancy Grace viewer, apologies to any reading the that here who enjoy NG). I trust the media as much as I trust Big Tobacco...

You are right
Sensationalism and Drama sells ... Not "dry" scientific truth
What CBS News could do is put Sensationalism/Drama "spin" on the story
by reporting "Why do so many LIE about e-cigarettes ... Here's the truth"
OR
"What They Don't want you to know ... And Why"

I'm not going to hold my breath for them to print the truth.
However, the truth has leaked out and hopefully that spurred
CBS to want to discuss the subject... As Elaine previously posted...
the reporter already talked to the FDA and the ALA and now
wants to interview vapers.

Lost in many discussions on E-cigarettes is the voice of the consumer.

Keeping my fingers crossed

 

[Petrodus]

Elaine ...
I missed your very informative post *Link* or I would have expanded in my previous reply
instead of just editing it.

After reading your detailed update ...
It is "Painfully" obvious to me the reporter is really not "digging" for the truth
since they interviewed the FDA and ALA but doesn't want to talk with CASAA ...
Just a couple vapers.

This "stinks" of yet another unbalanced reporting that
we have all grown accustomed to.

 

[mwa102464]

If CBS contacted ECF why not someone from ECF be a part of this interview, this needs to be handled properly not left up to a few vapers and there individual thoughts, this is a very important interview. It would also be good if ECF got some Kudos here and people who where interested in making the switch be directed to this website. Just my 2c but ECF should send a Rep and CASSA & ECF should do this interview ONLY.

Edit, I see Elaine s response, I would still make sure that the people chosen are the right ones.

This is Great news

 

[Petrodus]

PLEASE, someone jump in if ya disagree

Think about it ... There are very very very good reasons why CBS doesn't
want to interview any Pro harm reduction organization. The ONLY organizations
they are interested in interviewing is the FDA and the ALA ... Go figure.

CBS is NOT interested in investigative reporting ... They aren't looking
for the truth. They already have their article written, just with a few
open blank areas for comments from a few vapers.

Same OLE Same OLE
On one side of the scale the FDA and ALA
On the other side 2 or 3 (even very well informed) vapers

Even our best and most informed vapers going up against a smirking reporter
quoting the FDA and ALA ??? .... Deja vu

Great News?
Yea ... IF the deck wasn't already stacked in the FDA's favor
The table is tilted folks ... the game is "rigged" (yet again)

Would love to hear from members with opposing views with their reasoning

 

[mwa102464]

I still say if CBS contacted the ECF that Rolygate should do the interview, or an upper ranking member, I have no clue why ECF would push this off to CASSA,,,,, They contacted ECF not CASSA, not vapors, but ECF,, and thats nothing against CASSA but CASSA WASNT the one contacted ECF WAS CONTACTED BY CBS, if they wanted to interview CASSA or vapors then they would have simply contacted them. I also say NOT to let the reporter control this situation and let them tell you everything there looking for, ECF should control this interview NOT the reporter, this way some very good pointS and truths can be heard, instead of just what the reporter want's and reports.

This was an initial Great opportunity for ECF, I have no clue why they shrugged it off

ECF > RE-Think this please, Call CBS back and set up the interview with them, and take the Bull by the horns with this situation and turn it into a great opportunity.

 

[BuGlen]

PLEASE, someone jump in if ya disagree

Think about it ... There are very very very good reasons why CBS doesn't
want to interview any Pro harm reduction organization. The ONLY organizations
they are interested in interviewing is the FDA and the ALA ... Go figure.

CBS is NOT interested in investigative reporting ... They aren't looking
for the truth. They already have their article written, just with a few
open blank areas for comments from a few vapers.

Same OLE Same OLE
On one side of the scale the FDA and ALA
On the other side 2 or 3 (even very well informed) vapers

Even our best and most informed vapers going up against a smirking reporter
quoting the FDA and ALA ??? .... Deja vu

Great News?
Yea ... IF the deck wasn't already stacked in the FDA's favor
The table is tilted folks ... the game "rigged" (yet again)

Would love to hear from members with opposing views with their reasoning

You may very well be correct, and this is probably the best reason of all to make sure the consumer segment is represented appropriately. If well educated and experienced vapers are interviewed and the agenda of story is to slant against the industry/community, then they will either not show those interviews or they will cut them down to almost nothing. It's unfortunate what our "news" media has become over the last 15 or so years, but it is the world we now live in.

What I'm most interested about is if they can find a MD that will publicly support vaping, when BP and their sales reps are courting them to prescribe the FDA approved NRTs.

 

[Petrodus]

You may very well be correct, and this is probably the best reason of all to make sure the consumer segment is represented appropriately. If well educated and experienced vapers are interviewed and the agenda of story is to slant against the industry/community, then they will either not show those interviews or they will cut them down to almost nothing. It's unfortunate what our "news" media has become over the last 15 or so years, but it is the world we now live in.

What I'm most interested about is if they can find a MD that will publicly support vaping, when BP and their sales reps are courting them to prescribe the FDA approved NRTs.

Who's looking for an MD?
Not the CBS reporter. The reporter only wants to fill in a few lines in her article
with comments (which she will edit) from a few vapers.

 

[BuGlen]

Who's looking for an MD?
Not the CBS reporter. The reporter only wants to fill in a few lines in her article
with comments (which she will edit) from a few vapers.

My mistake. I read what Vocalek wrote below and my brain made an incorrect connection.

I supplied the reporter with contact information for two vapers from Northern Virginia who are willing to talk with her.

If anyone knows an MD in the tri-state area (VA, MD & DC) who is in favor of using PVs, please send an email with his or her contact information to board @ casaa.org

 

[DaveP]

Vocalek, thanks for communicating with the CBS reporter. It sounds like you have opened up a channel that could be a positive outlet if CBS chooses to air the truth about ecigs.

My take on this is that it could be a good chance to air the facts as we know them and dispel the rumors floating around in piece parts. If CBS were to concentrate on the success of vapers who actually quit smoking and use the 80% figure, while also quoting the 7% quit rate that is attributed to nicotine replacement therapy pushed by pharma and FDA, the public would see the light. We need some accurate facts in front of the public that dispel the antifreeze story and the link people believe between nicotine and cancer.

I'd personally like some scrutiny on ecigs done in a fair and scientific manner. I'm expecting that long term studies will reveal vaping to be a relatively safe way to get off tobacco with extremely minimal harm, if any harm exists at all. The biased rumor mill certainly hasn't portrayed vaping in a fair light.

Too bad the show "60 Minutes" isn't around anymore. 60 Minutes would be a perfect platform for educating America on the truth about ecigs.