E-Cigs: The New Gateway Drug?!

[jameth]

My boss is a non smoking, non vaping Mormon living in Utah, he secretly buys ecigs for his foster kids who are just under the smoking age, because if he didn't, they would simply go get regular cigarettes through the many channels they have access to, illegally.


He would much much much rather supply his foster kids with a safe alternative, because simply put, no matter what, kids (teens) will in fact seek out, acquire, and use whatever they want.

This "for the kids" crap is absolutely asinine, the "kids" that are using ecigs, are the same "kids" that would be stealing smokes, picking ashtrays for halfies (yea that's safe), and standing in front of gas stations getting shady people to buy them cigarettes.

 

[Kent C]

This whole gateway argument has major flaws in it, just the opposite is usually the truth of the matter. In the Army I was a DAES (drug, alcohol, education specialist), being in Europe we had to deal with things a little different. While the UCMJ was what was mostly used in criminal cases and rehab, we also at times had to use the host countries rules about drug/alcohol addiction, which at that time was a lot different than what was/is pushed in the U.S.

Those old enough to remember a propaganda movie called Xxxxxx Madness that was shown until the late 1960's in the U.S. as an educational tool. The biggest problem was that kids saw this and at first were scared. Then what happened in the '60's when they would see some of their friends using xxx and not going nut's as portrayed in the movie? Human nature would be to think, hey, someone's lying to us! Well now you really have a gateway problem, the propaganda movie was a lie, so what else are they lying about? That IS the gateway to get people/kids to try something else, lie to them about one thing and they will see it as all a lie. We really need to rethink how we treat these problems. People take stuff because it makes them feel good, different, unusual, the problem is when is there an addiction and when must it be treated.

There are studies (Cato Institute) that shows the same things happened with the "DARE" programs starting eventually as low as the third grade. Kids got 'intrigued'. Use was up after the program than prior studies before the program. It still exists despite that. Again, as most politicians that support things like this "it's the intention to care, help, etc." that really matters, not the results in reality

As a side note, there are similar results with "Headstart" - all 'benefits' gone by the third grade in public schools, but we're still funding it with tax money.

 

[rothenbj]

Fantastically well put.

The real gateway drug is lying. Lying about "gateway drugs" is an admission that the person talking doesn't really know what they're talking about; but they have to be seen to be doing something, so they fling any old propaganda at the "problem". And once you accept that it's OK to lie to people "for their own good", that's the gateway to ever more outrageous lies. And the more they lie, the less anyone believes them, so they have to lie harder and harder. I think I've just described a classic "addiction spiral".

Carl Phillips has a paper up on his antihrlies.com site about the "gateway" effect.

I would bet good money that the "increasing use of e-cigarettes" among young people this LA new story cites is actually increasing ever-use. Meaning that any person who's even taken one puff from an e-cig (even if they hate it and never try one ever again) would be counted as a "user". Both Phillips and Mike Siegel (among, oh, dozens and dozens of others!) have called out this shameless bit of lying, classically done with the CDC study a little while back.

Unfortunately, the lies are having their desired effect as more and more walls are being established against this life extending solution to the smoking problem and convincing me that health was never the issue.

 

[sonicdsl]

Just a reminder folks. This is a precarious topic, please be careful with the posts - I've had to edit several already.

Thank you

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ation/255864-why-we-dont-allow-drug-talk.html

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/ecf-forum-rules/51178-forum-rules.html

9. Flaming, trolling, other misconduct
a. These are not permitted -

• Discussion or mention of illegal/illicit drugs or sexual content.

 

[emus]

Took up vaping 2007.
Had surgery 2014. Doctor started the pain killer conversation. I said no, I'm not ready to become an addict.
I prefer to John Wayne the pain than risk that road to ever increasing pain killer dosage.
Couple years ago I had the fortune of visiting hospital w/ acute pain. Halfway out of mind. Had to ask directions to ER from ER parking lot. I told the doc I didn't want any addictive pain killers. I reached pain threshold to the point I was near pass out. I bit plastic key ornament to avoid tooth damage.
Yeah, pretty sure e-cig isn't my gateway drug.

Don't worry, no family member or friend agrees w/ my fear of addictive pain killers. I may well cave one day. Who knows.

 

[cmknight]

E-cigs being a gateway to real cigs makes about as much sense as jockey shorts being a gateway to wearing women's clothes.

 

[VapieDan]

The local news here in Los Angeles aired a story today about the, "Alarming" rise in e-cig use among teens, and the local officials are calling this the new "gateway drug." A few years ago I was forced to sit through one of many drug awareness classes while serving in the Army, and I got into a rather heated debate with the instructor who started his discussion by proclaiming that {OTHER STUFF} is THE gateway drug. I argued that alcohol and cigarettes where the first substances that most youth experimented with before moving on to others. He vehemently argued that his position was the consensus of healthcare community, and the entire event ended with me coming dangerously close to disrespecting an officer! I find it interesting that tobacco products have been able to escape this label, but now all of a sudden millions of our nations youth are one ego-twist away from heroine!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

By the way "Food" is the gateway drug to obesity. You don't believe me? Fast food taxes are in the offing. Always remember it is not the real or imagined threat. It is the excuse to tax.

 

[VapieDan]

My boss is a non smoking, non vaping Mormon living in Utah, he secretly buys ecigs for his foster kids who are just under the smoking age, because if he didn't, they would simply go get regular cigarettes through the many channels they have access to, illegally.


He would much much much rather supply his foster kids with a safe alternative, because simply put, no matter what, kids (teens) will in fact seek out, acquire, and use whatever they want.

This "for the kids" crap is absolutely asinine, the "kids" that are using ecigs, are the same "kids" that would be stealing smokes, picking ashtrays for halfies (yea that's safe), and standing in front of gas stations getting shady people to buy them cigarettes.

Although so obvious I never thought about it in this way. Kids experiment. It is part of the learning process. It is trying to be like an adult.
It is (or was) up to the family unit to define and instill proper and acceptable behavior. If one owned a distillery or winery I am most sure the children would be exposed to alcohol at a younger than "legal" age as part of the education process. It seems government is defining demons.

 

[EleanorR]

The REAL gateway drug to [everything one opposes for whatever reason or no "reason" at all] is Cheerios.

Yep. I said it.

Examine every single person who does [whatever it is you disapprove of], and I can almost guarantee you that person started out in life hitting up on Cheerios throughout the day.

At least, that's how [everything bad] starts out in the US.



["Gateway Drug" GARBAGE. Absolute garbage!]

 

[emus]

I was most addicted to smoking before I ever tried it.
Easier to quit than to not light first one.
Strange.