E-Cigarettes: Rush To Regulate Could Destroy Effective Alternative

[Vocalek]

Boston.com is one of several sites that are running the CASAA press release intact.

E-Cigarettes: Rush To Regulate Could Destroy Effective Alternative | Stock Market Summary (NSDQ, NYSE, AMEX and more) on Boston.com

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Last week, several organizations sent a joint letter to the President, asking him to order the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to promptly assert authority over all tobacco products not currently under its jurisdiction. The organizations imply that the delay is resulting in negative health consequences. However, they never mention any specific consequences, and for a good reason: They are proposing a "solution" where no problem exists. Instead, enacting regulations without sufficient scientific evidence has the potential to do a great deal of harm to public health.

The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA) is writing the president today to urge him to advise the FDA to take the time needed to develop science-based regulations that will serve the interests of public health. CASAA is a non-profit organization that works to ensure the availability of low-risk alternatives to smoking and to provide smokers and non-smokers alike with truthful information about such alternatives.


In 2009, four of the organizations that signed last week's letter--the Campaign for tobacco-Free Kids, the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, and the American Heart Association--jointly pressured the FDA to remove electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) from the market. The FDA tried to do so until a Federal Court Judge ruled that e-cigarettes cannot be regulated (and thus banned) as a drug unless therapeutic claims are made.


"Had these organizations succeeded in their efforts to prevent the sale of e-cigarettes in the U.S.," stated CASAA president, Elaine Keller, "hundreds of thousands of former smokers would still be lighting up. Almost all e-cigarette consumers are former smokers who tried to quit by using some or all of the products and methods these organizations tout and kept relapsing. The option to switch to a low-risk product that is a satisfying substitute for smoking has made a smoke-free life possible for those who had almost given up all hope of ever being able to quit smoking."

Click the link to read the rest.

We also debunk the claim that youth are taking up use (implying regular, habitual use) of e-cigarettes. Government statistics show that the rates of past 30-day smoking (of conventional cigarettes) and initiation of smoking have steadily decreased from 2009 through 2012. So much for the "e-cigarettes cause smoking" myth.

 

[Uma]

You go girl!!! Thank you for this.

 

[dianeofarcadia]

I will always be puzzled by the claims that children are smoking e-cigs when they have legalized other substances...but sticking with the topic at hand...


1++!!

"A rush to regulate, without having gathered sufficient scientific data, would have a devastating impact on public health," notes CASAA President Elaine Keller. "Anything that would reduce the availability of the e-cigarettes to adults or reduce their acceptability as a replacement for smoking will cost lives, not save them."

 

[State O' Flux]

Considering our current President continues to do battle with a smoking addiction... all this pressure from both sides may actually cause him to look more closely at vaping as a personal alternative to his limited success with gum and patches... and see it for what it is, a pro-active, non-destructive and satisfying substitute.

This is only a positive (and perhaps delusional) vision on my part... but can you imagine? A pro-vaping, or at least not an anti-vaping, President?

Oh yeah... I realize we use the term "e-cigarette" because it's easily identifiable by all concerned... but I'll be happy when it's replaced with "personal vaporizer" or some other, more disassociated, term.

 

[Uma]

IMO, They are saying that in order to alert everyone who thrives off the cigarette tax money one way or another. They are losing the next generation of smokers as well as this one. I would be in a panic too, of my paycheck counted on smoke tax money.

 

[dianeofarcadia]

Considering our current President continues to do battle with a smoking addiction... all this pressure from both sides may actually cause him to look more closely at vaping as a personal alternative to his limited success with gum and patches... and see it for what it is, a pro-active, non-destructive and satisfying substitute.

This is only a positive (and perhaps delusional) vision on my part... but can you imagine? A pro-vaping, or at least not an anti-vaping, President?

Oh yeah... I realize we use the term "e-cigarette" because it's easily identifiable by all concerned... but I'll be happy when it's replaced with "personal vaporizer" or some other, more disassociated, term.

It would be great if he were able to chime in on his struggles and see the benefit this has for many or at the very least make sure it stays open for everyone...

as for the e-cig term, that would nicer to consider them PV's...I have been irritated lately to see smoke shops selling vaping gear along the side of cigarettes and not knowing anything about them. (as our local shop is and giving out false information or just not know what they are doing)...

 

[State O' Flux]

It would be great if he were able to chime in on his struggles and see the benefit this has for many or at the very least make sure it stays open for everyone...

as for the e-cig term, that would nicer to consider them PV's...I have been irritated lately to see smoke shops selling vaping gear along the side of cigarettes and not knowing anything about them. (as our local shop is and giving out false information or just not know what they are doing)...

Yeah... they are trained to run a cash register and restock shelves... not know anything about products. It's all "smokin" to them.

 

[WarHawk-AVG]

Trying to not go political...but notice how the gubby seems to "rush" to push thru legislation lately...attack attack attack..throw whatever you can at the wall and see what sticks...

PV's and e-cigs are a niche item...a novelty..NOT because it's effective or a viable solution...but because it HASN'T become main stream...however word of mouth IS a very effective advertisement tool...and thousands if not TENS of thousands of people monthly are finding that viable alternative for nicotine delivery, and this scares the crap out of big tobacco and the "bean counters" in the government...how will they get "their cut" if people no longer pay special taxes on regulation of tobacco...hmmmmm

And yeah..it "looks" like smoking so obviously...to the ignorant and uneducated, it "IS" smoking

 

[kristin]

If people want to do some "advocacy" work with CASAA, please share this CASAA blog post of our press release: CASAA: E-Cigarettes: Rush To Regulate Could Destroy Effective Alternative

From the link, you can share with Google+, Facebook and Twitter. We need YOU to help us spread TRUTHFUL information to the public!

 

[ElectricalSocket]

Speaking of media and regulation talk: ABC 13 in Houston will be airing an e-cig piece in 30 min. If you have a minute, please leave a comment on their FB page (or anywhere else) if/when they add it later. ABC13 KTRK. It sounds like it will be about 'oh my gerd it's not regulated and teens can buy them! Are they safe?!'

 

[Vocalek]

I can't repeat this often enough:

The fact that past 30-day smoking of real cigarettes and initiation of smoking among 12-17 year old students has steadily decreased between 2009 and 2012 puts the lie to the claim that using e-cigarettes causes youth to take up smoking.
Results from the 2012 NSDUH: Summary of National Findings, SAMHSA, CBHSQ

 

[State O' Flux]

"using e-cigarettes causes youth to take up smoking."

That sentence qualifies in the top 5 as one of "The dumbest things I've ever heard".

 

[MiamiGuy]

Excellent!

 

[ElectricalSocket]

I can't repeat this often enough:

The fact that past 30-day smoking of real cigarettes and initiation of smoking among 12-17 year old students has steadily decreased between 2009 and 2012 puts the lie to the claim that using e-cigarettes causes youth to take up smoking.
Results from the 2012 NSDUH: Summary of National Findings, SAMHSA, CBHSQ

Unfortunately what they're going to say is 'but more kids are using e-cigs! oh my gerd, nicotine evil!!'

That's what they said in the Houston ABC13 piece a bit ago. 'Use of e-cigs has doubled in middle school and high school students the past 2 years'. Of course they don't mention anything about the # of smokers making the switch to improve their health. I hate tv and the media.

http:// abclocal.go.com/ktrk/html5/video?id=9260526&pid=null&section=null

 

[Luisa]

Considering our current President continues to do battle with a smoking addiction... all this pressure from both sides may actually cause him to look more closely at vaping as a personal alternative to his limited success with gum and patches... and see it for what it is, a pro-active, non-destructive and satisfying substitute.

This is only a positive (and perhaps delusional) vision on my part... but can you imagine? A pro-vaping, or at least not an anti-vaping, President?

Oh yeah... I realize we use the term "e-cigarette" because it's easily identifiable by all concerned... but I'll be happy when it's replaced with "personal vaporizer" or some other, more disassociated, term.

The only thing I can say--Dream on.

 

[sebt]

Trying to not go political...but notice how the gubby seems to "rush" to push thru legislation lately...attack attack attack..throw whatever you can at the wall and see what sticks...

It's because everything is always a CRISIS and CHILDREN WILL DIE if the government doesn't DO SOMETHING NOW. Stopping, thinking, researching, reviewing the evidence, coming up with a plan is not an option when CHILDREN WILL DIE. But then, if they couldn't issue urgent calls for immediate action on a CRISIS, how would these alphabet-soup "health lobbyists" stay in the public eye?

And so then the government is under "pressure" to do something, immediately, quickly and badly. And then we have to try to head them off, before the stupidity takes hold, by immediately, quickly issuing a submission of our own. Until the next CRISIS. It's all very tiring, as I'm sure Elaine knows.... (Fantastic work!)

Don't imagine for an instant that this is a US-specific phenomenon. Exactly the same thing is happening over this side of the pond. For example, the full EU parliament debate on the Tobacco Products Directive has been accelerated, giving MEPs little time to think about the issues (including an opinion from the JURI committee that the proposed medicalisation of e-cigs would almost certainly fail a legal challenge) and submit well-thought-out amendments.

The reason? The rapporteur reasons that "more time will just give the tobacco companies more time to lobby". Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life down here...

 

[wv2win]

Considering our current President continues to do battle with a smoking addiction... all this pressure from both sides may actually cause him to look more closely at vaping as a personal alternative to his limited success with gum and patches... and see it for what it is, a pro-active, non-destructive and satisfying substitute.

This is only a positive (and perhaps delusional) vision on my part... but can you imagine? A pro-vaping, or at least not an anti-vaping, President?...............................

This is "wishful thinking" at it's best. In the political arena who do you think are the biggest opponents to vaping?? - the President's liberal allies. All "political" calls to ban vaping have only come from one segment of the political arena: liberals.

It is no coincidence that the FDA tried to ban vaping completely and confiscated thousands of vaping supplies in 2009. The President would not even respond to the 10,000 signature White House petition we generated on vaping. He was even sent a starter kit by a Florida Republican congressman as a gift in his effort to stop smoking in 2010. He never even responded to the Congressman's gesture.

 

[Vocalek]

Unfortunately what they're going to say is 'but more kids are using e-cigs! oh my gerd, nicotine evil!!'

That's what they said in the Houston ABC13 piece a bit ago. 'Use of e-cigs has doubled in middle school and high school students the past 2 years'. Of course they don't mention anything about the # of smokers making the switch to improve their health. I hate tv and the media.

http:// abclocal.go.com/ktrk/html5/video?id=9260526&pid=null§ion=null

Of course they are going to say that. It was taken directly from the inflammatory CDC press release.

When you write your Letter to the Editor, you need to explain that the number that doubled was "ever use", which would more appropriately be called "ever tried." This "ever tried" category will inevitably increase for a novel product, even if there is no significant regular usage. If one student tries a puff, he is forever in that category, and if a second student tries a puff the next year, the statistic would double. The statistics show that 98% of youth have not taken so much as one puff from an e-cigarette during the past 30 days. As far as we know from that survey, none of them are using e-cigarettes daily, in contrast with the millions of youth who are known to smoke. The CDC did not report the daily use statistics for e-cigarettes, or even whether the e-cigarettes being tried contain nicotine.

Then finish up with "The fact that past 30-day smoking of real cigarettes and initiation of smoking among 12-17 year old students has steadily decreased between 2009 and 2012 puts the lie to the claim that using e-cigarettes causes youth to take up smoking."

 

[kristin]

Just so people are clear how deceptive the "use has DOUBLED" claim is, here is how it works:

20 students tried it in 2011
20 students tried it in 2012
=
20 kids per year

So same amount of kids tried e-cigarettes at least once in both years.

However, when you ask "Have you EVER tried an e-cig in your life, even one puff?"
The 20 students who tried at least one puff in 2011
+ (are added to the)
20 students who tried at least one puff in 2012
=
40 students who ever tried at least one puff, so CDC claims "use has doubled from 2011." Even though the 2011 students may not still be USING an e-cigarette, just that they tried one back in 2011 and MUST answer that they EVER tried one.

See how that is WAY DIFFERENT from what they want people to believe:
20 students were using an e-cigarette daily in 2011
+
20 MORE students are using e-cigarettes daily in 2012
=
40 students are now using e-cigarettes daily so use has doubled since 2011.

See how they are lying?

 

[Uma]

In other words, the amount of people NOT becoming nicotine addicted has DOUBLED.

The tobacco addiction is at its lowest ever. Vaping is at its highest ever.
Vaping is cheaper than tobacco, yet sales will be beating out tobacco soon. Even the closet smokers are switching over. Even the social smokers are switching over. Even,yes, even the tobacco addicted minors are switching over. (The next generation of addicted tax payers)

But nobody new to it all is becoming newly addicted.
Newbies are seeing what the fuss is all about, then walking away, free from a lifelong addiction that would otherwise be available to them if vaping wasn't here. Tobacco kills. Vaping doesn't.