The Nanny State at Work

[Saint57]

I've been reading as much as I can about the current political state of vaping. Because of the relatively short time that e-cigs (in all of there forms) have been around there is a very small body of serious research. In spite of the lack of studies, it does appear that the Eissenberg study (see Bill Godshall's post in the Medical Research Forum) all but declares e-cigs both safe and ineffective
for the user. If that is in fact true then it goes to reason that there is virtually no danger in second hand vapor exposure. My concern is the hysteria raised by the Big Government, Nanny State, Progressives who can't bear seeing grown people enjoy themselves. Case in point, King County WA 2006. In all of there infinite busy-body wisdom, the Board of Health officials stated that...get ready for this...." even though they're not exactly identical to cigarettes, people see folks using e-cigarettes, and they think somebody else is smoking,"... "It makes it very difficult for inspectors.".... ARE YOU SERIOUS? So because these bureaucratics have to actually DO SOMETHING for a living they are going to simply smash the freedoms of law abiding citizens. It gets better....he says ."its important for local health officials to protect the public from potential harm". Potential harm? Now how many things are potentially harmful? Life comes with no guarantee of safety. You see Progessives see the public as a bunch of Homer Simpsons, not really able to make wise choices in life. (Cas Sunsteen, the Obama Administrations Regulatory Czar actually said that) Thank God we have these government block-heads here to make sure that we don't kill ourselves microwaving a hot-dog or drinking unpasteurized milk. It's amazing we have lived as long as we have. Today, 30 members of the Special Forces (many from Seal Team 6 that took out Bin Laden) were killed while serving this country. War is "potentially dangerous". Are they going to save us from that? Ok, sorry for the rant. Gotta drip.

Read more: King County wants to ban public e-cigarette smoking - seattlepi.com

 

[Mindfield]

Yeah, the King County situation has made the rounds. Even Rush Limbaugh talked about it at length on his radio show. (He's a vaper, too, though perhaps a more casual user -- loves to taunt the busy bodies with them.) Unfortunately this is going on all over the places -- some places worse than others. Here in Canada, Health Canada has, in their infinite lack of wisdom, issued an "advisory" against E-cigarettes and has effectively banned liquids containing nicotine from crossing the border. (Fat lot of good it does though when a lot if not most vendors who ship to Canada simply don't declare them as e-liquids on the customs form.)

It still boggles my mind how politicized these have become in the name of the public good when these are the very things that are in the interest of the public good. The so-called health organizations who are supposed to be working for the public health are actively working against it by their attempts to prevent the very things that will help them get off of the things that are damaging their health more than E-cigs ever could.

This is why I hate politics.

 

[Java_Az]

Has absolutely nothing to do with health and everything to do with the taxes they collect on tobacco. Greedy politicians is all it amounts to.........

 

[toddos]

This blog post and subsequent comments give a good idea of the impact of the KC BOH e-cig ban 9 months later.

 

[cas713]

This blog post and subsequent comments give a good idea of the impact of the KC BOH e-cig ban 9 months later.

I read this blog and am actually scared of the misinformation and ignorance being flouted as "facts." Unfortunately, it seems like some people simply can't .... out of other people's business. Why does it seem to matter so much if people vape in public? The only people losing when a smoker switches to vaping in lieu of smoking is Big Tobacco companies and the government (in the form of lost tax revenue). No one else should have anything to say about the situation and BT and the gov are just going to have to deal with it. At least that's my opinion. I'm ecstatic about my switch to vaping and cannot see myself switching back. My family and friends are just as happy. But, there always has to be someone who wants to condemn something without the requisite knowledge to know what they are talking about. It seems like the ever so popular adage that "people fear that which they do not understand" strikes again (sadly)!

Toddos, I was excited to see all the GREAT (and accurate) information that you added to the conversation! At least one person stood up for vapers and explained the truth of the matter!

 

[Nicko]

I read this blog and am actually scared of the misinformation and ignorance being flouted as "facts." Unfortunately, it seems like some people simply can't .... out of other people's business. Why does it seem to matter so much if people vape in public? The only people losing when a smoker switches to vaping in lieu of smoking is Big Tobacco companies and the government (in the form of lost tax revenue). No one else should have anything to say about the situation and BT and the gov are just going to have to deal with it. At least that's my opinion. I'm ecstatic about my switch to vaping and cannot see myself switching back. My family and friends are just as happy. But, there always has to be someone who wants to condemn something without the requisite knowledge to know what they are talking about. It seems like the ever so popular adage that "people fear that which they do not understand" strikes again (sadly)!

Toddos, I was excited to see all the GREAT (and accurate) information that you added to the conversation! At least one person stood up for vapers and explained the truth of the matter!

You are forgetting that big pharma will also potentially lose millions if people stop buying their useless cessation products. BP basically control the policies of the so-called health groups. But I agree that the situation has become completely ridiculous.

Health groups do NOT care about our health at all. Which probably explains why they are also attacking the new smokeless tobacco products being marketed by BT. The fact that these products are many, many times safer than smoking has no relevance to the idiotic nannies who make the rules.

 

[cas713]

You are forgetting that big pharma will also potentially lose millions if people stop buying their useless cessation products. BP basically control the policies of the so-called health groups. But I agree that the situation has become completely ridiculous.

You're right I didn't give BP their just desserts. They are just as greedy as BT and the gov.

Health groups do NOT care about our health at all. Which probably explains why they are also attacking the new smokeless tobacco products being marketed by BT. The fact that these products are many, many times safer than smoking has no relevance to the idiotic nannies who make the rules.

That's because a "cure" is nowhere near as profitable as "treatment." Quitting analogs would cut down on treating the diseases caused by them but which aren't caused by vaping. Therefore, vaping must be a plague on society and needs to be crushed.

 

[Saint57]

This blog post and subsequent comments give a good idea of the impact of the KC BOH e-cig ban 9 months later.

That is precisely why I don't even bother with most user groups. They always seem to degenerate into a sixth grade playground atmosphere.... "your stupid"..."you're stupider!" This is why I really love this site. There are people from every possible social and political persuasion and yet the discourse seems to remain very civil. One of the reasons is probably that the focus is pretty narrow. That's a good thing.

 

[Laffs]

I work for the State of Texas. Just to keep the peace, I automatically go vape in the smoker's area when out and about at work. Except in my office after clearing it with the other three I share it with. I keep it to a minimum and low key, but I am expecting to be rebuked for it at any time though.

I'll abide by their wishes, even when the campus goes smoke free, except in my car. However, if they attempt to make me pay the extra charges for insurance coming in Jan. 2012 for smokers, we shall have a dispute. It is sad that supposedly the whole reason they came for the smokers was due to second hand smoke, and yet- they are still coming at vapers.

 

[Zombitedesade]

What about the costs ecigs would save on health care though? Surely this would be in the millions? I know in the US there is no public health care system like the NHS here in the uk, but the cancer treatments, heart bypasses and countless other medical procedures as a direct result of analogue cigarettes must be equal to the billions?

I once asked my brother about this and the tax argument, that the government tax revenue from cigarettes must be greater then the cost it spend son treatment. He said the treatment costs were far greater expense on the NHS then money made through taxation of tobacco products. Far higher. He's a surgeon at Bristol general hospital btw and has Done some research into this and treats people with life threatening conditions caused directly by smoking every day he works.

 

[bryansthl]

Alot of people here in the US don't relize it but the goverment uses are social security for every thing including retirement. The goverment wants us to die before we reach retirement age because thats money they don't have to pay back. If everybody stopped smoking we would live alot longer and that is more social security going where it is supose to go and a higher deficit.

 

[stormlock]

Is it part of teh nature of the politically correct to want to impose their beliefs on the rest of the free thinking world. what bugs me teh most is the self agrandizing these types feel the need for, tahter than live and let live.