Modern smokeless tobacco has been shown to have the same low health risks as gums, patches and lozenges, yet the public health groups (who receive millions in funding from the pharmacutical companies) want to ban smokeless tobacco in favor of pharmaceuticals. They call flavored tobacco "nicotine candy" and ignore that gums and lozenges they shill come in Fruit Chill, Cinnamon Surge, Fresh Mint, Cherry and Orange, too. Nicorette Minis look more like Tic Tacs than Camel orbs do, yet they say Big tobacco is the one making "nicotine candy" to target children.
Unfortunately, the pharmaceuticals only address (at too low levels) the nicotine addiction. They don't address the behavior, the taste, the feeling, the MAOIs or other tobacco alkaloids NOR do they address WHY the user was compelled to smoke in the first place. Smokers all smoke for different reasons and become dependent for different reasons. Anyone who says "I just quit, so should you" or ""you're just weak willed" is a sactimonious, ignorant jerk.
Nicotine and tobacco was vilified because it caused people to smoke. Smoke is where over 99% of the disease and death comes from, yet nicotine is still vilified even if the user is using smokeless tobacco. Nicotine is now NOT vilified if it comes in a pharmaceutical product?? Does anyone else see a double standard here??
Caffeine use has nearly the same low health risks as smokeless nicotine use (whether in a gum or smokeless tobacco), yet smokless nicotine use is considered bad and caffeine use is accepted. Nicotine users are expected to quit and suffer for the rest of their lives, while caffeine users continue to happily get their fix from a Starbucks on every corner, a Big Gulp of Mountain Dew or their 5 Hour Energy drink.
Yes, smoking is bad, but quit trying to eliminate ALL tobacco based on the evils of smoking. If caffeine users smoked ground coffee, they'd probably be at risk for a lot of the same diseases and illnesses. It's the method of delivery, NOT the tobacco itself. There is plenty of science to back this up, which the public health groups ignore in their prohibitionist zeal to abolish all tobacco from the face of the earth.
People are learning the truth about smokeless tobacco and electronic cigarettes and it's freaking out the pharmaceutical companies who depend upon the quit-relapse cycle of smokers, who falsely think that nicotine is evil (and thereby they are somehow sinners) and the public health groups who rely on drug company funding. They are doing everything to ensure they get the biggest market share.
Open your eyes and follow the money America. You've been taken for a ride.
For transparency, I receive no money from the tobacco industry and I am a former smoker. I am on the board of directors for the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA.org), which is a 100% volunteer, non-profit organization that receives no funding from tobacco companies. CASAA's mission is to get the truth out about smokeless alternatives and expose the lies and myths perpetuated by the anti-tobacco groups. Anti-tobacco started with the right idea - to help people stop smoking - but it has been twisted into a campaingn to demonize all tobacco and smokers in order to reach their unattainable goal of complete tobacco prohibition. It doesn't matter who gets hurt along the way - for them, the means justify the imaginary end.
For the record - CASAA would support the long-term use of pharmaceutical nicotine products if it works to keep people off of smoking. I'm not arguing the long-term use, just the hypocrisy when it comes to other smokeless alternatives.
