Funny statement from ALA (old news)

[Unperson]

This is a statement from Serena Chen, regional tobacco policy director of the American Lung Association in California. It's from a news story from March, 2009, but I think her closing metaphor is worth the post. With the heavy drape of serious discussion hanging around this room, I thought we could use a chuckle.

"I understand why people use the nicotine replacement aids," said Serena Chen, regional tobacco policy director of the American Lung Association in California. "But I don't understand why people want to pretend that they're smoking."

Chen believes that many ex-smokers will conclude that the e-cigarette is harmless and be lured back into the smoking trap. "If you had a serial killer who liked to stab people, would you give him a rubber knife?" Chen asked. "This just boggles the mind."

Umm.. ..yes?!?!

 

[Chief_White_Cloud]

"GIVE HIM A RUBBER KNIFE" !!?

Hell No! Let him make his own damn Shank!

 

[Chief_White_Cloud]

It would be more productive to give him the tools (e.g Therapy to address offending behaviours for a prisoner to prevent residivism / an alternate and "harm managed" option.....that actually works..... for a smoker to manage his addiction).

<sarcasm> You have to love these people. </sarcasm>

The Spanish Inquisition was full of them. And to the ones who are still around today, we're all just Heretics, who, if they won't recant (in a manner appropriate to the Holy Church of Supreme Abstinence) need to be burnt at the stake.

VIVA LE REVOLUTION! And bring on the Guillotine!

 

[harmony gardens]

I can understand people who want to promote healthier lifestyles, but I can't understand how banning something that is 99% safer furthers that cause.

The comparison of smokers to serial killers is just too insane to even comment on. It boggles the mind.

 

[Katya]

Just curious, is she a physician?

 

[Unperson]

The part that I thought was hilarious was not the inference that smokers are serial killers. It was her choice of metaphors which basically defends that e-cigs are overwhelmingly safer by suggesting that using them is akin to trying to kill someone with a rubber knife.

Metaphors are hard; like rocks.

 

[D103]

Wow, in the "Dumb, Dumber, Dumbest" contest we definitely have a finalist!
Her comments conjured up to me, the notion of 'pre-existing condition' - can a mind that is obviously seriously boggled, be yet again boggled? I think not.
In her statement, "...but I don't understand why people want to pretend they are smoking", she should have stopped after " I don't understand...." and quietly excused herself - OMG she is the regional tobacco policy Director! She is a perfect example of how we have the whole workforce system in this country screwed up. Currently, in our system, people start at the bottom, or there abouts, and work there way up until they reach a job they OBVIOUSLY are incapable of doing - the old, incompetence rises to the top. We should just start everyone out at the top and we all work our way down until we find the position we can actually do!!

 

[Vocalek]

Actually, that particular quote was used in my satire. See this post:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/e-cigarette-news/90756-satire-recommend-smoking.html

(Not the rubber knife part, the paragraph before it--pretend that they're smoking.)