New Amazon discussion thread:

[BanjoMan]

I just started a new discussion thread over on Amazon.com about e-Cigarettes. I placed it on a page selling Nicotine gum, but it will probably show up on most health-related product pages (until Amazon pulls it). Check it out at the bottom of the page here:

Please fill it up and let them know how you feel. It probably won't do any good but you never know....

 

[Pugzley]

I just posted, my name is Thomas Jefferson.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Wow. That's interesting they are selling nicotine on Amazon considering they cannot check for age.

So... basically, they are supporting sales of nicotine to minors?

"Amazon does sell products for children, but it sells them to adults, who can purchase with a credit card or other permitted payment method. If you are under 18, you may use Amazon.com only with involvement of a parent or guardian."

 

[sherid]

Wow. That's interesting they are selling nicotine on Amazon considering they cannot check for age.

So... basically, they are supporting sales of nicotine to minors?

"Amazon does sell products for children, but it sells them to adults, who can purchase with a credit card or other permitted payment method. If you are under 18, you may use Amazon.com only with involvement of a parent or guardian."

Lacey,
I don't believe there are ANY age restrictions on the sale of Nicotine gum. Remember that 14 year old who overdosed on Nicorette and almost died. The school gave it to him.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Lacey,
I don't believe there are ANY age restrictions on the sale of Nicotine gum. Remember that 14 year old who overdosed on Nicorette and almost died. The school gave it to him.

Actually, wasn't it an anti-smoking group who came to the school and handed them out? Then the kid proceeded to collect all of the pieces from his friends and chewed them all while on the playground?

At first I thought the under 18 thing was true... but apparently it does note on their website that you must be of legal smoking age to purchase... but then again, just under it, it says if you have permission from your doctor and you are under age you can buy it... but it doesn't specify prescription or not.

 

[sherid]

Actually, wasn't it an anti-smoking group who came to the school and handed them out? Then the kid proceeded to collect all of the pieces from his friends and chewed them all while on the playground?

At first I thought the under 18 thing was true... but apparently it does note on their website that you must be of legal smoking age to purchase... but then again, just under it, it says if you have permission from your doctor and you are under age you can buy it... but it doesn't specify prescription or not.

It was an anti smoking group in Great Britain who handed out the gum through the school. I believe he was allowed to get a week's supply.

 

[surbitonPete]

It's the crazy rip off prices they charge for it that get to me as well.

Not only that did you see how much sodium is in each piece of gum?...great stuff for the heart and blood pressure they tell me...lol.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

It's the crazy rip off prices they charge for it that get to me as well.

And this is the problem with the NRT's. In order to pay back all of the money put into the "testing", they have to charge such high prices. Not to mention that they can't be sold anywhere near the tobacco.

Could you imagine what life would be like if the gum was sold near the smokes and at less of a price than a pack of smokes? Backwards thinking yet again.

 

[BigJimW]

And this is the problem with the NRT's. In order to pay back all of the money put into the "testing", they have to charge such high prices. Not to mention that they can't be sold anywhere near the tobacco.

Could you imagine what life would be like if the gum was sold near the smokes and at less of a price than a pack of smokes? Backwards thinking yet again.

Actually Lacey, go into any Walgreens pharmacy and they display the tootie-fruity flavored gums, losenges, and Nicorette patches, right next to the big MARLBORO cigarette display stand chock full-o Philip Morris cancer causing goodness. It's sickening.

 

[Mac]

I used their customer support page to send them a note stating that I was participating in a boycott of their services and that they should be ashamed of themselves for trying to force hundreds of thousands of americans back to tobacco.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Actually Lacey, go into any Walgreens pharmacy and they display the tootie-fruity flavored gums, losenges, and Nicorette patches, right next to the big MARLBORO cigarette display stand chock full-o Philip Morris cancer causing goodness. It's sickening.

That's a pharmacy though. Can't say the same about a gas station or a smoke shop

 

[julianka]

The last time I was in a Walmart I noticed nic gum at the checkout that has the cigarettes.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

The last time I was in a Walmart I noticed nic gum at the checkout that has the cigarettes.

Do they have a pharmacy? (as it is a short sentence/question the tone is not intended to be snotty... as not all Walmart's have pharmacies)

 

[dragonpuff]

Do they have a pharmacy? (as it is a short sentence/question the tone is not intended to be snotty... as not all Walmart's have pharmacies)

I've noticed every walmart's different. Some are supercenters that sell lots of groceries and some aren't, some have auto care centers where you can get your oil changed and some don't, some have pharmacies and some don't... walmarts are as diverse as people, it seems

 

[LaceyUnderall]

I've noticed every walmart's different. Some are supercenters that sell lots of groceries and some aren't, some have auto care centers where you can get your oil changed and some don't, some have pharmacies and some don't... walmarts are as diverse as people, it seems

Well... and I guess this is my point. According to the regulations that govern the NRT industry, in order to sell an NRT in conjunction with a cigarette, one must have a license to be a pharmacy.

This is what concerns me if the ecig does go NRT. Gas stations cannot sell NRT's so the ecig, would never sit on the same shelf as a cigarette. Same with a smoke shop. Yes. If one were to wonder into a Walgreens or a Walmart, then it would be safe to assume there would be ecigs next to the cigarettes if those establishments carry a license to dispense medicines.

But on the other hand, many pharmacies and many local laws are moving towards the philosophy of not selling tobacco at all... so then, you would literally only see NRT's in Walmart's and in Walgreen's, if their public policy decides to go this route.

It seems a shame, IMHO, that NRT's have such restrictions. It does nothing for the tobacco harm reduction stance and only moves us further into the "quit or die" philosophy which is an extremely harmful stance.

 

[dragonpuff]

Well... and I guess this is my point. According to the regulations that govern the NRT industry, in order to sell an NRT in conjunction with a cigarette, one must have a license to be a pharmacy.

This is what concerns me if the ecig does go NRT. Gas stations cannot sell NRT's so the ecig, would never sit on the same shelf as a cigarette. Same with a smoke shop. Yes. If one were to wonder into a Walgreens or a Walmart, then it would be safe to assume there would be ecigs next to the cigarettes if those establishments carry a license to dispense medicines.

But on the other hand, many pharmacies and many local laws are moving towards the philosophy of not selling tobacco at all... so then, you would literally only see NRT's in Walmart's and in Walgreen's, if their public policy decides to go this route.

It seems a shame, IMHO, that NRT's have such restrictions. It does nothing for the tobacco harm reduction stance and only moves us further into the "quit or die" philosophy which is an extremely harmful stance.

Years ago, i used to complain that i couldn't afford to quit smoking cuz nicorette gum was $60 a box when my cig cartons were about $20 on the indian reservation; it was clearly cheaper to smoke.

Then i watched the price of cigarettes get jacked up gradually over the course of a few years while the price of NRT's dropped slightly. End result? Now they're the same price!

So i finally tried the gum, and lozenges, only to find they didn't work at all. The dose was way too low . The only thing they were good for was getting me through times when i couldn't smoke.

I find it funny that a quit-smoking product is only good for times i can't smoke, while a product that's made for times i can't smoke (e-cigs) is good for quitting go figure

 

[LaceyUnderall]

Dragon -

And that's the irony of this whole mess. For some, Chantix works great. For some, the gum worked. The patch. The Ecig. But in all of these products, do you really quit? (I commend you that you appear to have stopped smoking tobacco cigarettes... however, if you were to reduce your nicotine and then completely stop vaping, do you *think* you would go back to smoking cigarettes or even e-cigs after a lapse period (and you know what your lapse period is if you have attempted to quit before and gone back)?

But why must it come down to quitting?

Honestly, the more research I do, the more I find that there is validity in the "Cold Turkey" method in conjunction with a support group, as really being the most comprehensive way to quit smoking. I wonder when the FDA is going to require approval for that? And unfortunately, if they DO win this case, and the ecig is found to be a "new drug" even if it is the no-nic solution... it will change the definition of "drug" forever and methods like "Cold Turkey" could be open for FDA regulation based on the health claims that are made to sell the idea.

 

[dragonpuff]

Dragon -

And that's the irony of this whole mess. For some, Chantix works great. For some, the gum worked. The patch. The Ecig. But in all of these products, do you really quit? (I commend you that you appear to have stopped smoking tobacco cigarettes... however, if you were to reduce your nicotine and then completely stop vaping, do you *think* you would go back to smoking cigarettes or even e-cigs after a lapse period (and you know what your lapse period is if you have attempted to quit before and gone back)?

But why must it come down to quitting?

Honestly, the more research I do, the more I find that there is validity in the "Cold Turkey" method in conjunction with a support group, as really being the most comprehensive way to quit smoking. I wonder when the FDA is going to require approval for that? And unfortunately, if they DO win this case, and the ecig is found to be a "new drug" even if it is the no-nic solution... it will change the definition of "drug" forever and methods like "Cold Turkey" could be open for FDA regulation based on the health claims that are made to sell the idea.

Actually, my original intent with nicorette gum was to use it as a permanent replacement, not to completely cease nicotine (tried that before and it was a nightmare; i learned), and it didn't even work for that. I still had the same problems i always had quitting smoking, it didn't even make a dent.

I agree that the best way to quit is a support group, because it is always easier to be strong when you have support. However, many clinical trials proved that cold turkey was actually the least effective method for quitting.

Even so, none of the approved quit-smoking/quit-nicotine methods work long term. That's why i'm so tired of seeing these anti e-cig articles go on and on about the evils of e-cigs and then point people to "approved" methods in an attempt to help them quit smoking. To me, approved quitting method = no hope.

 

[LaceyUnderall]

To me, approved quitting method = no hope.

Beautifully stated