CNN hit piece on teen vaping epidemic

[Bill Godshall]

While 48 states have banned the sale of vapor products to minors (only MI and PA haven't done so due to opposition lobbying by vapor prohibitionists), about half of the states also ban teens from using e-cigs (and some ban youth possession).

After I and others began criticizing cigarette companies for target marketing cigarettes to youth and began advocating laws to reduce illegal cigarette sales to youth (in the late 1980s and early 1990s), cigarette manufacturers and retailers responded by criticizing youth for smoking and lobbying for laws that blamed and criminalize youth for purchasing, possessing and using cigarettes.

I led the campaign opposing the cigarette industry sponsored legislation that scapegoated and criminalized children after cigarette advertisers urged kids to smoke and after cigarette retailers unlawfully sold cigarettes to youth for many decades. About half of the states enacted the tobacco industry's provisions to criminalize youth.

 

[marianna]

It's against the law for teens to vape. End of discussion.

Since my youth it is against the law for teens to smoke.
Thus a challenge for teens! Like sex.
The more you forbid, the more interesting.

 

[Chuck64]

One thing I absolutely agree with is that the packaging should not be targeted towards kids. I don't understand why they need colorful cartoonist illustrations on the packaging. The liquid companies are hanging themselves by doing that and it should be outlawed.

 

[Rossum]

One thing I absolutely agree with is that the packaging should not be targeted towards kids. I don't understand why they need colorful cartoonist illustrations on the packaging. The liquid companies are hanging themselves by doing that and it should be outlawed.

Who decides what "illustrations" are or are not "targeted towards kids"?

The only way you can possibly accomplish this is with "plain packaging" laws, which will be utterly ineffective.

Proof: What's the most popular vape product among under-age users right now? juul is, yet they use no colorful, cartoonish illustrations at all.

 

[stols001]

It's not the packaging that's the problem really, other than politicians will use any and all methods available. If it were plain packaging, then some politician, somewhere, would state that flavors need to be banned because kids don't read packaging as its so "plain" and are getting addicted to the "tobacco taste" as well as the nicotine.

Whatever argument made by politicians is easy to reverse and to make sound JUST as compelling.. They are masters of the "factual" non-fact argument. Etc.

To be fair, I never though vaping would continue to have the same "free" status it had early on. Vaping is to effective a harm reduction method for politicians not to "fix, tax, kill" etc.

Logic isn't the issue here, it's more about what "facts" the pols feel will make the general public go along with it. They all lie, lie lie and it's a collection of DAMNED lies.

Vaping works. That was its downfall. My nic is stashed, and I will not stop vaping, nor will I halt vape activism. But, I'm not really optimistic.

Anna

 

[Chuck64]

My mind remains unchanged. E-juice packaging shouldn't look like a poster for a carnival.

 

[Lessifer]

Haven’t read the whole thread.

My question always has been, why are we so adamant that teens shouldn’t vape?

If vaping is 95-99% less harmful than smoking(making it relatively harmless), and nicotine sans tobacco isn’t addictive, and even if it were habit forming it is replacing smoking, and most if not all regular teen vapers are former smokers or would be smokers, why does anyone care?

 

[ENAUD]

Haven’t read the whole thread.

My question always has been, why are we so adamant that teens shouldn’t vape?

If vaping is 95-99% less harmful than smoking(making it relatively harmless), and nicotine sans tobacco isn’t addictive, and even if it were habit forming it is replacing smoking, and most if not all regular teen vapers are former smokers or would be smokers, why does anyone care?

Psssssst...hey hey, over here...( whispered )... It's not really about the children, wink wink, nod nod..

 

[Lessifer]

Psssssst...hey hey, over here...( whispered )... It's not really about the children, wink wink, nod nod..

We know that, and they know that, the only ones who don't know that are the general public(and some vapers who despite what they say really only see vaping as a small step up from smoking, even though they may not realize it themselves). Of course instead of trying to expose the truth, we spend our time cowing to the pressure to be against teen vaping, and attacking product labels and names because they MIGHT be seen as targeting "children" or at the very least "might appeal" to them.

 

[ENAUD]

We know that, and they know that, the only ones who don't know that are the general public(and some vapers who despite what they say really only see vaping as a small step up from smoking, even though they may not realize it themselves). Of course instead of trying to expose the truth, we spend our time cowing to the pressure to be against teen vaping, and attacking product labels and names because they MIGHT be seen as targeting "children" or at the very least "might appeal" to them.

I agree wholeheartedly Les. It's a great tactic though, kind of a slam dunk in your face conversation ender, no? A real catch 22 if you will, to argue against them you automatically loose because of the optics of it all. When there is no rational reason to do a thing, an emotional ploy is engaged and people react to emotional based agendas.

 

[Lessifer]

I agree wholeheartedly Les. It's a great tactic though, kind of a slam dunk in your face conversation ender, no? A real catch 22 if you will, to argue against them you automatically loose because of the optics of it all. When there is no rational reason to do a thing, an emotional ploy is engaged and people react to emotional based agendas.

Oh it's a brilliant tactic, they don't even have to prove anything they say, it's all about the spectre of harm. Mention the children and people stop thinking, mention the children and tobacco and the people are ready to grab their pitchforks.

 

[ENAUD]

Oh it's a brilliant tactic, they don't even have to prove anything they say, it's all about the spectre of harm. Mention the children and people stop thinking, mention the children and tobacco and the people are ready to grab their pitchforks.

And they have been knowingly doing so for years...

 

[Marc411]

More on the topic

FDA cracks down on sales of Juul, other e-cigarettes to youths

FDA asks Juul if it markets e-cigs to teens, cracks down on retailers selling to minors

 

[zoiDman]

More on the topic

FDA cracks down on sales of Juul, other e-cigarettes to youths

FDA asks Juul if it markets e-cigs to teens, cracks down on retailers selling to minors

Déjà vu

Retail Chains get tired of getting Hate Mail from PTA Members. And there is Always the Fear of being targeted by a FDA/TC age sting.

 

[Lessifer]

Wait... I thought it was the cartoon characters, and the names like bubblegum blast that were the problem.

Apparently it's the bitonal rectangles and flavors like Cool Cucumber that are snagging little Johnny.

 

[Rossum]

If vaping is 95-99% less harmful than smoking(making it relatively harmless), and nicotine sans tobacco isn’t addictive, and even if it were habit forming it is replacing smoking, and most if not all regular teen vapers are former smokers or would be smokers, why does anyone care?

Could it be that they realize that "kids" who vape instead of smoking are highly unlikely to become long-term smokers (i.e. livestock on their tax farm)?

 

[CarolT]

Could it be that they realize that "kids" who vape instead of smoking are highly unlikely to become long-term smokers (i.e. livestock on their tax farm)?

Sounds like you're getting in a little unfair dig about smokers. So, what would that make you if they decide to tax vaping as well as smoking? They can do that, I hope you know.

 

[zoiDman]

Sounds like you're getting in a little unfair dig about smokers. So, what would that make you if they decide to tax vaping as well as smoking? They can do that, I hope you know.

If ?

 

[Lessifer]

Sounds like you're getting in a little unfair dig about smokers. So, what would that make you if they decide to tax vaping as well as smoking? They can do that, I hope you know.

I’m fairly certain Rossum has a large enough stockpile that he’ll never pay the taxes they’ve already placed on vaping.

 

[Bronze]

I can't post on this thread because CNN is banned from my home.