No Surprise....States Blowing Cash

[maxx]

States failing miserably in their tobacco control efforts, lung association says - latimes.com

Individual states are failing "miserably" in their tobacco control efforts, trailing even the attempts of the federal government, according to the American Lung Assn.'s State of Tobacco Control 2010 report released Thursday. While the federal government has begun implementing the tobacco control policies made possible by the Family Smoking Prevention and tobacco Control Act, which gives the Food and Drug Administration new powers to regulate tobacco, states have taken little new action to prevent or control smoking, instead diverting the vast majority of antismoking funds available under tobacco settlements to address general budget deficits instead.

 

[maxx]

You all remember when the states told everyone that settlement money and sin taxes would go to cessation efforts and healthcare.....right?

 

[CJsKee]

OK by me...anything to pi$$ the antis off

 

[Vocalek]

Left this comment:

Oddly enough, it is the American Lung Association itself that is failing miserably in their smoking control efforts. They have been informed by numerous e-cigarette users that these products are phenomenally effective for achieving smoking abstinence. Yet they continue in their efforts to get the products pulled off the market. They are aided and abetted in this effort by other organizations that claim to be devoted to public health: The American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids, the American Medical Association, and the FDA.

These organizations keep telling smokers that e-cigarettes are dangerous--they should use the "safe and effective" smoking cessation treatments approved by the FDA instead. These organizations also are not listening to us former smokers who have told them that we tried all their products--repeatedly--and kept relapsing. In fact, research shows that when used as directed, approved Nicotine Weaning Therapy is only effective for 7% of users, dropping to 5% at one year and to 2% at 20 months. What other "cure" would be declared "effective" with success rates like that? Surveys of e-cigarette consumers show success rates from 63% to 80%+ for complete replacement of smoking with vapor, and over 90% report their health has improved.