Thanks for the addresses Bystander. Wanted to see what you think of my letter before I send:
Dear Dr. Gupta:
I read with some dismay your recent comments in the Charleston newspaper reference your attempts to encourage other local government agencies to ban the use of e-cigarettes. This was especially distressful as you were quoted as saying you don’t have the science to back up a county-wide ban on these devices.
While I appreciate your concern for the public welfare, I think in this instance you may want to do some further research. Many of your peers who have taken the time to research this product in detail have some very positive things to say about it. You may read some of these comments at
National Vapers Club - Meeting Place for lovers of e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers and all things "fog" producing!.
As a relatively new e-smoker I can only say the product has been a life-changer for me. A smoker for 30 years, in spite of the fact that my father died from lung cancer at the age of 48, I have attempted to stop smoking numerous times in the past using both nicotine replacement products and anti-depressants. Like most other users of those products (only about 7% of users remain smoke-free past the one year mark) I returned to smoking. The e-cigarette is the first product I have used that addresses both the nicotine addition and the psychological and physical issues associated with smoking. While no one is claiming these products are any safer than other, much more costly, nicotine replacement therapy products, the recent FDA study concluded they contained about the same amount of nicotine as those products. I would prefer to take my chances on something that may one day prove to be unsafe in some way, rather than continue to smoke tobacco, which as you probably know kills 443,000 US residents every year.
I just think it is a shame that health professionals can not at least reserve judgment on these products until more is known about their long term use. At a minimum they are protecting children and bystanders from the dangers of second and third hand smoke. How would you feel if these turn out to be the answer to finally get smokers to quit? Your unfounded disapproval could result in the loss of thousands of lives as smokers continue to light up with no hope. These products have been around for almost ten years now, with no reported deaths or serious illnesses from using the device. That’s not true of many other products, including aspirin.
As for fearing the product could be used for other drugs, that’s just ludicrous. It would be immediately apparent because the user would be high. Nicotine affects users about the same way drinking a cup of coffee does. Will coffee be banned next in government’s misguided attempts to save people from themselves? How can the Charleston government condone a Methadone ‘treatment’ clinic, which sell fake ...... to addicts, and at the same time consider banning the use of what is still a “legal” drug, nicotine. I just can’t understand it.
I hope that you will continue to research this topic. I would welcome more government oversight when it comes to the marketing of e-cigarettes (many of the highly advertised products are not the most efficient and cost-effective) as well as quality controls being placed to oversee the ‘nicotine juice’ industry. A good place to learn more is the e-cigarette-forum.com, particularly the “success stories”. I think you will be very surprised at some of the stories you read there.
Nonetheless, this "power high" some seek by gaining dominion over their fellow man baffles me. The basis for the pursuit always sounds good (it's kinda a requirement)...
