Lexington Vape Meet Met with Opposition from Univ. of Ky Antz Professor

[TennDave]

So, I was so looking forward to going to this vape Meet in Lexington, KY this weekend.
Well, I'm still going but it has been hit hard with one crazy woman's opposition.
She is a professor at the nearby Univ. of KY and head of their Center for a Smoky-Free Policy.
She has been in the news before and discussed in this very subforum here as one spreading fear-mongering and heresy.
That said, she wrote a letter to the hotel where the vape meet is going to take place, putting a damper on the entire event. It would not surprise me that when we arrive, there will be protesters at the hotel with picket signs... ~sigh~
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-Z66KV_MY2JRFlVbFkzZkh3NUU/edit?pli=1
Notice the erroneous information proported on page 1 of the letter as well as the misinformation on page 2 in the box of "research findings."

 

[TennDave]

Oh, I especially like this statement: "Cartridges may contain up to 500mg of Nicotine (50 times lethal dose)."

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

Dave, you were to polite, all I saw in her letter were out and out lies. PG hasn't been tested in humans? The list of chemicals without quantities, lying by omission. Failure to list her ties to and the grant money received from big pharma. I could go on but the list would be a book.

 

[Fazed]

Thanks for posting this Dave... We need to expose this idiot for what she is... If there are protesters, great! That will mean the news will be there too. I will print off all the studies and research and names with contact information of actual legitimate tobacco harm researchers so they can get a balanced view! Grrrrr... All we wanted was a peaceful vape meet, now we have a fight!

 

[house mouse]

I've never understood the whole "difficult to refill cartridges without getting it on your hands" stance. We're going to inhale it into our lungs for crying out loud and it's a problem for them if we get a drop on our hands?

 

[TennDave]

I've never understood the whole "difficult to refill cartridges without getting it on your hands" stance. We're going to inhale it into our lungs for crying out loud and it's a problem for them if we get a drop on our hands?

well, 500mg pr ML...that's what she's saying- now that would be an issue, but good god- what nonsense.

 

[house mouse]

well, 500mg pr ML...that's what she's saying- now that would be an issue, but good god- what nonsense.

Oh yeah, but at the nic levels that most use that comment is just asinine.

 

[TennDave]

Matt- any word of your interview w/ the radio station? Seems that in light of this letter and all, and the turmoil that this crazy woman has created, they would be happy to take you on for a good story.

 

[house mouse]

I posted this on another thread about the vape meet, but this is my idea. Since the vaping is limited to the conference room could you stay in that room but leave the doors open? Then have a large sign in the lobby along the lines of:

Lexington vape meet in conference room
General public welcome
Door Prizes and Giveaways
Must be 18 to enter

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

This is an excellent example of if you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS.

 

[Uncle Willie]

you would think that a professor would at least do some valid research ..

 

[jordypants]

Official Campaign Signage.

 

[Lacedolphin]

I've been e-mailing this chick for weeks. She is constantly on our local news with her BS and in our local papers. If you vape in Ky., she is the one trying to stop you. She is enemy no.1 for us in this state!

 

[Fazed]

Matt- any word of your interview w/ the radio station? Seems that in light of this letter and all, and the turmoil that this crazy woman has created, they would be happy to take you on for a good story.

Not yet. I'll let you all know when and if it happens.

 

[EJH]

I'm truly amazed at the size of the lies this woman is willing to put out in her apparent crusade against e-cigarettes. This propaganda storm she's generating would be laughable if she weren't essentially killing people in the process.

Hahn it seems isn't even very good at her day job -- trying to stop smoking in Kentucky. The state ranked 50th in 2008 for adult smoking rate (28.2%), 48th in 2009 (25.2%), back up to 49th in both 2010 (25.6%) and 2011 (24.8%). Granted, Kentucky is home to the greatest amount of tobacco farms in the US and the state only spends about 33 cents per smoker per year in cessation efforts. But it seems Hahn and the other anti-smoking efforts in KY are a joke.

I wonder if University of Kentucky officials are aware that Hahn is putting out such unscientific and unprofessional drivel on the university's letterhead. I bet they would be very interested in discovering that UK's good name and reputation as a higher learning institution is being besmirched in such a flagrant fashion. Maybe somebody with some credentials could call up her bosses and convince them that this woman this a complete fraud of an educator.

500 mg in a cartridge...seriously?

 

[TennDave]

I just sent Dr. Michael Siegel a letter regarding this (attached links to the letter Hahn wrote). I really hope that he blogs this before our Saturday meet.

Dear Dr. Siegel,
I read your blog with much anticipation. You are right on the money in regards to harm reduction.
E-cigs have saved my life! I am one who smoked for over 30 years (2 packs a day) and was unable to quit until I found ecigs 19 months ago and my health is much improved switching to this device. That said, this is not the reason I'm writing you. I do not know if you are aware of this, but there will be a Vape Meet in Lexington, KY this Saturday- August 4. This was suppose to be a peaceful gathering of "vapors-" those of us who use electronic cigarettes as harm reduction and a chance to educate those who want to come and learn about this strategy to decrease or possibly quit their smoking habit. What has unfortunately happened is that a local University of Ky professor (Ellen Hahn) who is head of their Center for a Smoke-Free Policy, uppon hearing of this meet, has chimed in with radio interviews and other fear-mongering tactics, putting a huge damper on this event. She went as far as writing the hotel where this is taking place causing them to changed what they orignially told us about our meeting- now, we can oly vape in the ball room (during the event), outside (away from doors) and in smoking rooms. Many have changed their original reservations in non-smoking rooms to smoking rooms with fear that they would be charged a penalty if they are caught vaping in their room. Some have even switched to another hotel. Some are thinking that there will be demonstrators and picketers at this event who will try to close us down. Anyway, I am enclosing a link to the letter that Ellen Hahn wrote the establishment so that you can see what kind of mis-information is being propogated- by a professional, no doubt. Certainly a response from you, prior to the Saturday even would go a long way in combating such fear-mongering and could help in numerous other ways, including the hotel's position towards us. I appreciate all you are doing to help save the lives of tobacco users everywhere.
Best regards,

 

[mwa102464]

Someone should put a skillful written letter together and send it to the dean in charge of the university, noting everything she said or has said about vaping, noting the false statements she has made if she has and put everything into a letter and expose her as much as possible to the dean & University, giving her the worst possible publicity we possibly can, making her look like the biggest idiot we can. Maybe we can get her fired for what she's doing, or at least a slap on the wrist by the head Dean of the university, usually most Universities don't like any type of negative publicity, it hurts there overall enrollment and bottom line. Someone write this letter and get it done this would be super, surely include all the positives there are about vaping in the letter too

Maybe even get CASSA involved and a little bit of help from the Attorney over there with the letter writing especially with this woman's disruption of the private meet The head Dean of the University would just love that I'm sure of it .

 

[TennDave]

There is much discussion going on on FB specific to the Lexington Meet and CASSA now is involved from what I understand. I do agree with the letter to the dean- certainly needs to be drafted very carefully and not look like it's coming from a bunch of "vaping nut-jobs," if you get my drift.

 

[NorthOfAtlanta]

you would think that a professor would at least do some valid research ..

UW, I think this person did some very careful research on this as there are only 2 provable lies in it, PG and the amount of nicotine in the carto, the rest are all omission. If you know any of the facts it reads like a fairy tale. The timing of the letter is also suspect, written early enough to cause a problem for the event but late enough to make it hard to correct what she has written.

In other words someone with a set agenda trying to cause the most trouble with the least chance of getting it shoved back on them.

Its masters at BP choose their minion well.

 

[Redneck Disciple]

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-Z66KV_MY2JRFlVbFkzZkh3NUU/edit?pli=1

Look what this lady has said and done to try and stop OUR Vape Meet.. This lady needs to go cry to Johnson & Jonhson for more money to tell her LIES.. Come on Ellen, Your saying the PG is not to be inhaled... The next time i have a ASTHMA attack i am going to DIE!!!.. becaue the inhalers we use and NEB treatememts all have PG in them..Bet if her SUGAR DADDY Johnson & Jonhson knew she said this then they may pull her funds.

Johnson & Jonhson has a Nicotine INHALER to help STOP smoking... and look it up People it looks like a EGO E-CIG... WOW really now Ellen it even has the ingredient of Propylene Glycol in it as well as Nicotine..hey Sugar Daddy your paid spokes person is speaking aginst your product as well as the #1 product PROVEN by "US THE VAPER" to quit the nasty anilogs.

More to come as we try to catch Ellen on the phone to ask her questions about Vaping

Redneck Disciple
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