Something to consider?

[Drema]

Looking at the benefits that the e-cig has and the way they have benefited a lot people’s health, I questioned why anyone would want to ban them. The only two reasons I can think of are- they don’t want to see people smoking or acting like there smoking and second, the loss in taxes from regular cigarettes. Here in Oregon they tax cigarettes pretty bad, but offer a stop smoking support number. When a person wants to stop smoking they call the hot line in which they give their name and address in which they will send you 1- rubber band 1- rock and 1-toothpick. The rubber band is to put around your wrist to snap urges away, the rock is to sooth your urges away and the toothpick is for oral fixation. This is a kit that a smoker gets from my state while a small percentage of taxes actually goes to help smokers quit. Most of the taxes are broken up and distributed (mostly schools). If this is the case, are our states trying to keep us addicted to tobacco products for the taxes? I mean we have a healthier way to smoke with the e-cig, but they want to ban it, so it means I have to smoke ie pay their price to smoke. I feel that these issues should be presented to whoever is stopping the e-cigs. Just my 2 cents, thanks!

Drema

 

[drichardson]

1 rubber band
1 rock
1 toothpick

Seriously? Why not toss 3 seashells into the mix -- it's just as sensible.

 

[legalsea]

I would not put any stock into the assertions by the ‘black helicopter’ crowd who maintain that the Federal government, as well as the several state governments, want people to continue to smoke for the taxes.

I do not recall exactly when, but I guess it was in the late 1960s or very early 1970s that the Federal government mandated that all cigarette packages have health warnings. About 10 years later the warnings got even stronger. I do recall that the tobacco companies (R. J. Reynolds, etc) did not want those warnings. However, after the law was passed, the tobacco companies then tried (with varying amount of success) to use said warnings to escape any responsibility for the health problems caused by their product.

Regardless, the reason the Federal government and state governments want people to quit smoking is very easy: it costs governments a lot of money, way more than the taxes that they collect.

Insurance companies want people to quit smoking.

Businesses want people to quit smoking.

Medical doctors want people to quit smoking.

The only people that yap about how these named organizations or groups want people to continue to smoke are, well, gullible people sitting at home in front of their computer believing anecdotal accounts they find on the Web. They are quick to assert that there is a huge conspiracy to keep people smoking, involving not only government officials but medical doctors, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. All nonsense. Plus, no one has ever, to my knowledge, come up with a ‘smoking gun’ showing that any of these groups want people to continue smoking. True, I have heard Rush Limbaugh claim that the ‘liberals’ want people to continue to smoke for the tax reason, but I hardly consider him a credible source and, again, he had no proof, just a ‘belief’.

So why does the FDA appear to want to ‘ban’ the electronic cigarette? I do not know. I guess that the FDA wants to test them for safety first.

I have said before: if the electronic cigarette makers had approached the FDA with the viewpoint that they have developed a ‘quit smoking’ device, all may have gone better. It does seem a little creepy to claim that these are not stop-smoking devices, but simply a nicotine delivery device. And in such yummy flavors too! Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Bubble Gum! Heck, it does seem like children are targeted on some level.

Let us remember, I doubt that the FDA is, at bottom, seeking a permanent ban of electronic cigarettes. They may well be seeking to halt shipments until there is some proof that these Chinese made products are safe. After all, the FDA and other agencies get a lot of grief when other Chinese products prove to be tainted (baby food, dog food, just the latest examples).

 

[jonw]

Well then why don't they let us just use American made juice like say Johnson Creek?

 

[RedBullHighBride]

I dunno about you over there but for us over here tobacco taxes pay for the entire cost to the NHS of smoking related conditions, plus a big bunch extra. If everyone in the UK stopped smoking at once the NHS would fall totally to pieces.

 

[BBanshee]

I have said before: if the electronic cigarette makers had approached the FDA with the viewpoint that they have developed a ‘quit smoking’ device, all may have gone better. It does seem a little creepy to claim that these are not stop-smoking devices, but simply a nicotine delivery device. And in such yummy flavors too! Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Bubble Gum! Heck, it does seem like children are targeted on some level.

I read your entire post and while it does make sense I must disagree with this. Adults aren't aloud to like flavors? I mean common just cause something is flavored doesn't mean its targets are children.

 

[legalsea]

I read your entire post and while it does make sense I must disagree with this. Adults aren't aloud to like flavors? I mean common just cause something is flavored doesn't mean its targets are children.

How many real cigarettes come in cherry flavor?

The question is not whether adults like flavors. The question concerns perception. I actually doubt that e-cigarettes were made to entice youngsters into becoming addicted to nicotine. However, there are people out there in the world who have a propensity to believe that such is the motivation. Unfortunately, some of those people have 'power'.

I agree with what one person said in another thread: if these electronic cigarettes had been developed in the USA (or the UK, for that matter) there may not have been as much fuss. The fact that these electronic cigarettes are being imported from China is what is raising so many red flags (no pun intended).

 

[Jim Davis]

Looking at the benefits that the e-cig has and the way they have benefited a lot people’s health, I questioned why anyone would want to ban them. The only two reasons I can think of are- they don’t want to see people smoking or acting like there smoking and second, the loss in taxes from regular cigarettes. Here in Oregon they tax cigarettes pretty bad, but offer a stop smoking support number. When a person wants to stop smoking they call the hot line in which they give their name and address in which they will send you 1- rubber band 1- rock and 1-toothpick. The rubber band is to put around your wrist to snap urges away, the rock is to sooth your urges away and the toothpick is for oral fixation. This is a kit that a smoker gets from my state while a small percentage of taxes actually goes to help smokers quit. Most of the taxes are broken up and distributed (mostly schools). If this is the case, are our states trying to keep us addicted to tobacco products for the taxes? I mean we have a healthier way to smoke with the e-cig, but they want to ban it, so it means I have to smoke ie pay their price to smoke. I feel that these issues should be presented to whoever is stopping the e-cigs. Just my 2 cents, thanks!

Drema

That just may work!

I'd use the rubber band to smap the ... of the head of FDA.
The Rock is for the side of his head.
The toothpick is to jam into his eye.

Works for me.

 

[Tallgirl1974]

How many real cigarettes come in cherry flavor?

The question is not whether adults like flavors. The question concerns perception. I actually doubt that e-cigarettes were made to entice youngsters into becoming addicted to nicotine. However, there are people out there in the world who have a propensity to believe that such is the motivation. Unfortunately, some of those people have 'power'.

I agree with what one person said in another thread: if these electronic cigarettes had been developed in the USA (or the UK, for that matter) there may not have been as much fuss. The fact that these electronic cigarettes are being imported from China is what is raising so many red flags (no pun intended).

LOL I love puns. But the flavor argument only holds water if you also ban flavored alcohol. There are flavored cigarettes too. (Orange crush camel- mint- etc)
And I dont get the whole china thing- they OWN us right now..everything is made there- its so funny to take issue with it. (not funny haha funny, but funny sad funny. they are holding more then half our national debt, they have us by the overies.)

 

[Tallgirl1974]

"they call the hot line in which they give their name and address in which they will send you 1- rubber band 1- rock and 1-toothpick. The rubber band is to put around your wrist to snap urges away, the rock is to sooth your urges away and the toothpick is for oral fixation. This is a kit that a smoker gets from my state"

That is just odd. Its very very odd. Wow.

 

[RandallFlagg]

That just may work!

I'd use the rubber band to smap the ... of the head of FDA.
The Rock is for the side of his head.
The toothpick is to jam into his eye.

Works for me.

Gotta be careful there.
Some of the thin skinned political ...... in Washington called the FBI when someone mailed some teabags to the office in protest of massive tax increases.

 

[Drema]

When looking at the over whelming taxes that come from cigarettes vs. the lack of state support for the smoker, it is obvious where their true interests is, it is not helping the smoker. They could offer stop smoking classes, free nicotine patches (or at least coupons) as well as any other therapy, but they don’t. My state collects $311,278,000 per year (2007) this also includes the employment taxes we already pay for Medicare when/if we get sick. Now if my state was so worry about the smoker wouldn’t they offer everything they can (patches, support, etc). I, as a smoker, find absolutely no other resource to stop smoking other than the rubber band, rock, and took pick kit (yeah right) and I want to know why the state would or government deny the e-cig. I am confused; I feel they can’t have it both ways and this should be asked to whomever is banning the e-cig. I am ...... because they want my money for reasons that are clearly not going into healthcare or smoking support- it is going to make up for their low budgets. They did the samething with the Oregon lottery; it was to go to Oregon’s biggest asset, the parks. If you look at what they spent it on, a fraction goes to parks. Now as a tax payer and a smoker who is looking for a healthier way to smoke, why is the money going somewhere else. Why are they keeping us on regular cigarettes? I would like to know just that one question, because if they make e-cigs illegal, they will keep me smoking.

 

[RandallFlagg]

When looking at the over whelming taxes that come from cigarettes vs. the lack of state support for the smoker, it is obvious where their true interests is, it is not helping the smoker. They could offer stop smoking classes, free nicotine patches (or at least coupons) as well as any other therapy, but they don’t. My state collects $311,278,000 per year (2007) this also includes the employment taxes we already pay for Medicare when/if we get sick. Now if my state was so worry about the smoker wouldn’t they offer everything they can (patches, support, etc). I, as a smoker, find absolutely no other resource to stop smoking other than the rubber band, rock, and took pick kit (yeah right) and I want to know why the state would or government deny the e-cig. I am confused; I feel they can’t have it both ways and this should be asked to whomever is banning the e-cig. I am ...... because they want my money for reasons that are clearly not going into healthcare or smoking support- it is going to make up for their low budgets. They did the samething with the Oregon lottery; it was to go to Oregon’s biggest asset, the parks. If you look at what they spent it on, a fraction goes to parks. Now as a tax payer and a smoker who is looking for a healthier way to smoke, why is the money going somewhere else. Why are they keeping us on regular cigarettes? I would like to know just that one question, because if they make e-cigs illegal, they will keep me smoking.

Your post just got me thinking here (Dangerous thing, I know).
Washington is run by a bunch of former lawyers.
What would they do if those of us who have stopped smoking by using ecigs filed a lawsuit similar to what the government did to the tobacco industry?
Since the government's argument was then to state that cigarette companies knowingly placed millions of lives in danger with their products-
OUR argument would be that the government has placed OUR lives in danger by eliminating a safe alternative that breaks our addictions to the same product.

They're a bunch of lawyers. Speak lawyerspeak. Perhaps they'll get it.

(No offense to any lawyers on this forum, of course)

 

[Drema]

Bam! Exactly what I was saying, they are putting that cigarette in my hand by banning e-cigs. I was right about keeping us smoking to, they(representives) are now openly speaking about using taxes as an excuse to fill their budgets, I knew it!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/us/21tobacco.html?_r=1 I never been a person to "spin" things, I like logic, and this tax and the possible banning on the e-cig just doesnt make sense and there has to be a reason, and I believe I found it. Damn, this is a case of taxation while misrepresentation.

 

[Kate51]

Well, I wonder about this.....depending on which interest group has the floor, we wander between Smokers' being the biggest user of medical benefits. OR, could be the seriously overweight folks, Or could be old athletes, Cancer, seems as if the list goes on and on. This year we've had mad cow disease, H1N1, bad Pecans, salmonella in peanut butter products. And Hurricane season...oh no that's a different one...
Just exactly how in the world is FDA in all it's power going to cope with all of these things, now they gotta be managing the cigarette companies, Chinese imports of all kinds of things, from bad pet food ingredients, lead in the paint toys, toxic baby bottles, to these new Nicotine Delivery Devices (medical) my goodness I don't know where they're gonna get time to ever do anything except STOP the sales of these things, oh yeah and then the juice people, cause after all the devices are not good without the lethal juices. I really think we need to just give them all the rest of this decade off, go on vacation, do what ever!! This is one of our own entities, people, they're coming to get us!!
Anyone else had bad dreams, wake up sweating and scared?? What is going on in this world, as The Honorable (?) Senator Dodd said today, "we just can't let this go on anymore, we've been trying for 10 years to pass this legislation!" That's a direct quote, I heard him with my own ears. And they do not want to water anything down with silly ammendments, either! (yell, yell)
Ten years? May he should get on with something else for awhile, I think. Maybe there's a good reason why this has been 10 years in the take-over, er, no, making. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING

 

[RandallFlagg]

Kate51, the thing that frustrates me the most about this show from these looneys is their false premise that, "It's for the CHILDREN!!" They shroud their actions on this lie.

What do they want? Ban everything that kids MIGHT get their hands on?

And in the reverse, they're WELCOMING more people buying analogs...because they're subject to insane tax increases every time a senator sneezes.

These bums will cost us American lives from this if it passes.

 

[SS109]

It's just more taxation without real representation. What's new? When they find a way to tax our e-cigs then they will be perfectly legal. Wait and see.

 

[thevapinator]

Hey people, I've been trolling here for a while while waiting for my ecig to finally ship. I tell you, all of this talk of bans has freaked me out since I first got here. Ive been digging around all day trying to research this 'ban' topic, and I don't know what to make of it. Most of the FDA blah-de-blah happened 2 months ago, and theres been no news except for them shutting down people that claim that e-cigs help ppl stop smoking.

I recall the same thing happening with ephedra. First, the FDA made a big stink because companies were advertising them as "weight loss" pills. SO, all of the ephedra fans went psycho about it. A few weeks later they were back on the market as "energy pills" which made no real claims. Of course, some joker took 20 of them and had heart attack, which caused more ruckus.

so personally I'm thinking the only real big stink that is going to happen here is when (if) some fool decides to drink a bottle of e-liquid. Then again, im trying to look on the bright side and be hopefull until i at least receive my 1st ecig!!

The FDA lets alot of things slip under the radar as long as they aren't specifically labeled as doing anything. And if they do actually say they medically help you somehow, they always say "this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA"

If the cigarette companies had such sway on politics, i doubt we'd be seeing 5 dollar packs of smokes in IL (7 or 8 in chicago). I know a ton of ppl that stopped smoking when chicago hiked smoke prices. I also really doubt that e-cigs will tear down the analog market. I know most smokers around here would be confused/afraid of the e-cig and all of the complexities of cleaning/loading/charging vs just lighting up, especially older people who don't even use the internet. Some people are just too lazy to even care about their health. The Fast Food market is proof of that.