E-cigarettes: Should They Be Regulated as Cigarettes?

[Davinna]

Another anti-ecig article by an M.D. that could use some more comments.

http: // www. huffingtonpost. com/bechara-choucair-md/e-cigarettes_b_4352410.html

There are several problems with this article. He seems to believe that

E-cigarettes are designed to look like cigarettes. They are labeled and marketed like cigarettes. They contain nicotine like cigarettes.

. And many more things that are incorrect in his article.

 

[Vaslovik]

I really think we need to STOP trying to control the living snot out of each other and stop using laws and taxes and Politically Correct cultural Marxism for social engineering. It seems anymore that nothing so needs regulating, reforming and suppressing as other people's habits, and we go after each other with such hateful zeal and gusto for anything we can anymore using shame, laws, taxes, and hate politics to club others over the head for whatever they may enjoy. I can't believe the lengths people will go to for an excuse to get all over someone about some petty thing these days.

I'm so very tired of it.

What ever happened to live and let live?

 

[Davinna]

What ever happened to live and let live?

I agree. We aren't harming anyone, except the pockets of BP and BT.

 

[jpargana]

I agree. We aren't harming anyone, except the pockets of BP and BT.

The sad part is, if we happened to be actually harming people, but without making those lobbies losing boatloads of money, we probably would not see all the fear-mongering and lies we have to endure right now...

 

[Vaslovik]

The sad part is, if we happened to be actually harming people, but without making those lobbies losing boatloads of money, we probably would not see all the fear-mongering and lies we have to endure right now...

Yeah, good point there. It's kinda the lite version of what would happen if you invented a free energy device. Nothing could get you jailed or killed faster than that. It's really a matter of how much of a threat you are to who.

 

[Concat]

Cliff's Notes:

E-cigarettes: Should I research the issue fully before forming an opinion and attempting to influence law-makers?

I don't think so. Kids love bubble gum flavored benzene, and this is even more troubling than my own lack of professional integrity.

 

[Jay-dub]

Individuals don't often see or make the connection between their own personal behavior and how that behavior effects the world when it is multiplied by the number of humans who engage in that behavior. Even doing nothing has a result that accumulates.

(Has anyone else noticed how the Tea Party likes to invoke the spirits of the forefathers in their anti-government rhetoric but... aren't the forefathers the ones that created our government?)

 

[Mrs C]

(Has anyone else noticed how the Tea Party likes to invoke the spirits of the forefathers in their anti-government rhetoric but... aren't the forefathers the ones that created our government?)

Yes they are the ones who created it. They set out what is the business of the federal government and said the rest is up to the individual states. To bad those we elect can't read and follow the directions.

But that's another topic...

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

Yes they are the ones who created it. They set out what is the business of the federal government and said the rest is up to the individual states. To bad those we elect can't read and follow the directions.

But that's another topic...

I wish I could like this statement more than once.

 

[WillyZee]

Sorry, I didn't read the article ... however, I do believe marketing eCigs and having cig-a-likes is going to help convert smokers to quit smoking and start vaping.

true noobs that know nothing about vaping, tend to frown at the big mods ... however, they seem more receptive to cig-a-likes.

 

[Uma]

Great comments though, especially by Kristen. Awesome investigative reporting Kristen!!!

 

[AgentAnia]

I posted a comment, and here's what HuffPost advises me: "Due to the potentially sensitive nature of this article, your comment may take longer to appear publicly." hmmm....

 

[Nermal]

Great post, Vaslovik. I wish I had written it.

 

[Vocalek]

I love AgentAnia's comments, too.

 

[Vaslovik]

Individuals don't often see or make the connection between their own personal behavior and how that behavior effects the world when it is multiplied by the number of humans who engage in that behavior. Even doing nothing has a result that accumulates.

Sounds like the political rationale of all social control-freaks nowadays, and the specious argument they use to impose their collectivist slavery and tyranny upon the rest of us. Ultimately it comes down to the question of do you own yourself, or are you the property of the collectivist state?

I own myself, thankyouverymuch.

 

[Jay-dub]

Sounds like the political rationale of all social control-freaks nowadays, and the specious argument they use to impose their collectivist slavery and tyranny upon the rest of us. Ultimately it comes down to the question of do you own yourself, or are you the property of the state?

I own myself, thankyouverymuch.

!?!?!?!?!Freaks, slavery, tyranny. LOL! We have the luxury to discuss such things. Even rail against our government. How tyrannous they are! I don't know how you came to this out of me stating that behaviors accumulate into sometimes negative unforeseen consequence. I guess I can't walk down the street and spit on people who disagree with me so I'm a slave to the anti-spit regime? I see you're extremism and raise it with an extreme example.

 

[gingersnaps]

I think there should be some regulation but not like cigarettes. They need a new category like "tobacco less nicotine" or "recreational nicotine" . Something that fully sets them apart from other products but keeps them as recreational products.

 

[Traver]

I haven't read of any study that has documented children who are non smokers taking up vaping. That is not the same as the 10% cited by the author. Most whom were already smokers and may only have tried vaping one time. Is this correct or have there been new studies that I am not aware of.

 

[Mrs C]

The thing that bother's me the most about those survey's is they make it sound like "have you ever tried" = regular use and that's not what the question asks.

 

[Vocalek]

I haven't read of any study that has documented children who are non smokers taking up vaping. That is not the same as the 10% cited by the author. Most whom were already smokers and may only have tried vaping one time. Is this correct or have there been new studies that I am not aware of.

The 10% was for high school students only (not including middle school kids) who had EVER used an e-cigarette.

To get a better handle on the numbers, go here and scroll down to the table: Tobacco Product Use Among Middle and High School Students — United States, 2011 and 2012

TABLE. Percentage of middle and high school students currently using* tobacco products, by school level, sex, race/ethnicity, and product type — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2011 and 2012

It's important to look at the footnote that explains what they really mean by "currently" using:

* Current use of cigarettes was determined by asking, "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke cigarettes?" Current use of cigars was determined by asking, "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke cigars, cigarillos, or little cigars?" Current use of smokeless tobacco was determined by asking, "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you use chewing tobacco, snuff, or dip?" Current use of a pipe was determined by asking, "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke tobacco in a pipe?" In 2011, current use of bidis and kreteks was determined by asking, "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke bidis?" and "During the past 30 days, on how many days did you smoke kreteks?" In 2012, current use of bidis and kreteks was determined by asking, "During the past 30 days, which of the following products (bidis and kreteks) have you used on at least 1 day?" Current use of hookahs, snus, dissolvable tobacco, and electronic cigarettes was determined by asking, "During the past 30 days, which of the following products (hookah, snus, dissolvable tobacco, and electronic cigarettes) have you used on at least 1 day?"

Briefly

Middle School E-cigarette use
2011 - 0.6%
2012 - 1.1%

Middle School Cigarette use (i.e. "smoking")
2011 - 4.3%
2012 - 3.5%

As you can see, smoking is inversely correlated with e-cigarette use among middle school students.

High School E-cigarette use
2011 - 1.5%
2012 - 2.8%

High School Cigarette use (i.e. "smoking")
2011 - 15.8%
2012 - 14.0%

Whoops, we see an inverse correlation here, as well. So tell me again how experimentation with e-cigarettes leads youth into smoking the real thing?

By the way. Even though the CDC did not release these data until November, I'm sure they knew that smoking rates were going down when they wrote their inflammatory September press release.