Dan O'Harra from Greenville Health returns, not pretty.

[rothenbj]

http:// blog.ghs.org/2014/03/e-cigarettes-recommended-smoking-cessation-2/#comment-417

My response-

Dan, I fully understand your reluctance to endorse e cigs which has nearly the same profile as many of the NRT products the FDA has approved as stop smoking products and recently approved for long term use. I would ask for full disclosure on any conflicts of interest that may bias your thinking. Are you or have you ever been funded by the Pharma industry or with tobacco money?You point out the thalidomide problem and the FDA’s role in prohibiting its use in the US 50 years ago. However more recent cases of fen-Phen, Viox, Pradaxa, Chantix and many others indicate that the FDAs partnership with the Pharma industry is not a good relationship for the US citizens. You may think the black box warning is appropriate, but if a drug kills someone or causes other severe problems today to treat something that may or may not happen to you 30,40 or 50 years down the line, I’d seriously question the logic.

The FDA has had oversight of the tobacco industry for 5 years now and in those 5 years they have done little other than protect their new client Big tobacco. Now the cigarette is being protected like Pharma products are protected and the money keeps flowing to BP, BT, Tobacco control and the ?non-profit?”health” health associations such as the ALA, ACS and CTFK as well as many others, including your own organization. If the smoking pandemic is eradicated, the money dries up.

It’s funny that doctors are starting to approve of the use of e cigarettes however you need FDA approval, which will never come, to see the benefit. Either the product they are replacing isn’t as deadly as suggested or there really is no desire to make a serious impact on the current smoking levels today.

The best example I can give is the treatment of other smokeless products over the decades. I and most of the population was made to believe that smokeless tobacco was worse than smoking. It took me until about 5 years ago to understand that the oral cancer involved with most smokeless products was less of a danger than from smoking. All we got was the ugly graphics and the inane statement that “This product is not a safe alternative to smoking”.

For decades a product like Swedish snus was determined scientifically to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 99% safer than smoking, but few in the “health” industry are still acknowledging that. Sweden has had the best numbers in reducing smoking and the development of smoking related diseases, yet Tobacco control and all those involved oin that money train bury their heads in the sand and continue the quit or die mentality.

You have been given the opportunity to see the body of evidence that is growing every day on e cigs but you need the Pharma and Big Tobacco controlled FDA to give their approval. You are not benefiting public health.

If vaping ever reaches its full potential to reduce the death toll of cigarettes, it will be despite the best efforts of our sensationalizing media, researchers, lawmakers and tobacco control. Included in tobacco control are the ?non-profit? “health” associations such as the ALA. ACS and CTFK. Also included is you.

 

[CabinetGuyScott]

OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!!

This guy is unbelievable, and I just cannot believe his employer endorses this ignorant position.

Do they not see the unanimous excoriating responses, and overwhelmingly negative view of their organization this guy is inciting?!

Maybe a press release from some organization with a headline like:

Greenville Health Systems denies science & endorses smoking death over life-saving alternatives"

Well done Rothenbj

 

[pianoguy]

Curiously, it looks like your excellent response has not been posted.

 

[Nermal]

Outstanding letter in all respects

 

[Stubby]

Curiously, it looks like your excellent response has not been posted.

I posted a response last night which I do see, but no others. At this point he appears to be blocking responses from showing up. I'm going under Alan Selk (my real name) so let me know if anyone actual sees it.

 

[sonicdsl]

I see no comments at all, paused my ad blockers and Ghostery just to be certain, still nothing.

 

[Kent C]

I see no comments at all, paused my ad blockers and Ghostery just to be certain, still nothing.

Pretty sure this is what Elaine was talking about on another thread....

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...moking-better-than-e-cigs-2.html#post12674283

Basically she could 'see comments but couldn't make one'.... So he must have stopped and then deleted comments. I just took a look and it says '0 comments', even though there's a form to post one at the bottom. Didn't try it though. The comments must have been too much for him to take

 

[Neloish]

A lot of comments are there now, and they are 100% in favor of ecigs. The anti's are not prepared for the backlash they get from the bull-crap they spread.

 

[Kent C]

A lot of comments are there now, and they are 100% in favor of ecigs. The anti's are not prepared for the backlash they get from the bull-crap they spread.

Good to know. Yeah... this is a 'follow up'. The first one is closed with comments at 0 - deleted...

 

[AgentAnia]

There were no comments just now. I posted one:

Ania March 29, 2014 at 2:49 pm Reply

Mr. O’Harra, I’m sorry you feel unable to endorse e-cigarettes as a viable alternative to smoking. I left a 55-year, 2-pack-a-day smoking habit in 5 days with an e-cigarette, which I’ve been using for a year and a half now, with no ill effects and at zero cost to the healthcare system.

This is a consumer driven revolution which will not go away and which, I am confident, will see vast improvements to health on a population level. I think it’s a shame this will happen *despite* efforts by medical and public health professionals such as yourself.

and it appears to have posted. We shall see if it remains...

 

[stangela]

I posted a comment earlier, which I see on the page, but no other comments show up. Also at the top of the page it shows "0 comment." He must be taking a page out of Stanton Glantz's playbook and censoring out the comments he doesn't like.

 

[Stubby]

I posted a comment earlier, which I see on the page, but no other comments show up. Also at the top of the page it shows "0 comment." He must be taking a page out of Stanton Glantz's playbook and censoring out the comments he doesn't like.

I get the same thing. If you can't beat them, censer them.

 

[rothenbj]

I get the same thing. If you can't beat them, censer them.

Apparently we can see our own posts, but no one else can. This is more despicable than not allowing comments. It would be interesting to see what would happen if someone agreed with him.

 

[rothenbj]

The webmaster's email is jpleakis@ghs.org and the complaint email is complaint@jcaho.org

I wrote both

GHS Blog E-cigarettes: Not recommended for smoking cessation (until approved by FDA) » GHS Blog

Jason

Why are comments to Dan O’Harra's latest opinion piece not being updated in the comment section. His first opinion piece was responded to heavily but none of the comments are appearing on this second one.

Valuable information is being omitted.

Is this a form of censorship?

 

[rothenbj]

Comments are now open!

 

[AgentAnia]

Thanks for the heads-up, rothenbj! Here's one of many wonderful comments:

John CastleMarch 28, 2014 at 9:06 pm Reply

I appreciate that you have to be guarded regarding a new technology that has, in fact, helped more people than I can count leave combustible cigarettes behind.

My objection to your cynicism stems from your (admittedly subtle) employment of the Precautionary Principle. Let me get right to the point and present you with what I call, “Castle’s Wager”: An unknown risk is always better than a known harm.

We don’t know whether or not vaping is harmful. We DO know that smokers continuing to smoke is harmful. Additionally, we ALSO know that cessation drugs range from pathetically ineffective (patches, gums, and so on) to demonstrably harmful in their own right, as is the case with Chantix/Champix.

Furthermore, what we do know about the risks of vaping is significantly more substantial than you may be aware of. (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp189-c2.pdf)

In short, it is not merely irresponsible but tyrannical to campaign against a route which permits nicotine addicts to escape the KNOWN dangers of combustible tobacco based merely on an UNKNOWN risk.

I think Castle's Wager applies to the "save the children" argument as well.

 

[rothenbj]

Yes, I saw that after I found they finally released the comments. I had gotten a response from the webmaster after I wrote him and he gave me the line that the responses had to be reviewed prior to releasing and they'd be up shortly. If someone was reviewing them, they must have been cringing.

I reiterated my desire for full disclosure while adding my own. Let's see if he's willing to acknowledge money trails.

 

[Uma]

<3. 32 awesome comments so far! <3.

 

[Sundodger]

LMREO!!! Here's a post from "Mom" and an article about the author. The guy used nicotine inhalers to get people off stinkies!!!

Credit to “Ray” for finding this for everyone to see!

Therapist snuffs out smoking with cessation support program
Jump to full article: Palm Beach (FL) Post, 2005-03-23
Author: Liz Best

Intro:

Former smoker and registered respiratory therapist Dan O’Harra is proud that there are 420 fewer smokers in town, thanks to a program he leads at Jupiter Medical Center.

O’Harra is not one to brag, but he thinks that’s a pretty impressive track record. He gives most of the credit to the people in the program who are struggling to overcome their nicotine addiction.

The smoking cessation program is an ongoing support group where participants discuss their triumphs and backslides, and help each other quit cigarettes for good. . . .

O’Harra is a believer in nicotine inhalers that allow smokers to cut back slowly and successfully.

“We have things to make it easier… you don’t have to suffer,” he said.

Research is a wonderful revelation. An open mind is and adventure of wonders to be experienced. A narrow mind is a porhole laced trail void of vision.

 

[sonicdsl]

It's like we always say: "Follow the money."