What a load of BS! I cannot believe that the media is still persisting in publishing this crap!
Yup, people are moved by emotion far more than logic and reason. Hence all the fear-mongering. Sadly not many who read such articles will actually check the "facts" the article gives to verify they are accurate.
Yeah they are, sadly.
But the big part of the problem is that this is not even media nor is this an article.
With a 'real' article in the main stream media you kinda hope (yeah i stopped assuming they do, now i hope) the journalist did his/her research and at least attempted to present an unbiased view.
But this is not an article really, it is a verbatim copy of what looks like to be a press release issued buy the 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs Office at Nelis Air Base. and copied from here:
Feature - Different product, same results: Air Force aims to curtail electronic cigarette use
And as a press release, while it still should be accurate and this is a big bad that it is not, is obviously going to be slanted to the promotion of the views of the Air force that the press release is created to push. It is not unbiased and by it's nature cannot be. but it SHOULD be accurate in the facts.
So that stated any comments on the article at the Bullseye/aerotechnews site left while good for the general reader that stumbles across it is not actually addressing the main audience of that press release.
If anyone want to comment at the Nelis Air Base site i would suggest to do it very very politely, and pure fact. Comments are reviewed before being posted, and they reserve the right not to post them. there are none now, not sure if because no one really commented or no one passed the screening
As for the AerotechNews
When i first looked at this my impression was that this was some kind of publication/magazine aimed at the people working in the field of aeronautics, like engineers, techs, mechanics... you know like a professional journal.. with some link to military development.
but it's not really - by their own description:
"The Bullseye is published by Aerotech News and Review, a private firm in no way connected with the U.S. Air Force, under exclusive written contract with Nellis Air Force Base, Nev."
And Bullseye is a Base newspaper for Nellis and Creech Air Force Bases published weekly.
So a base newspaper, under exclusive contract to the particular base is not unbiased, not is it mainstream media.
But unlike 20 yrs ago when this article would affect a few thousand people at the base, with the internet the potential audience is much larger. And if your site looks 'official' and legitimate, many do not ask nor check the credibility or the agenda of those providing the news.
and lets be honest, many do not have time to check the source of every piece of information they come across. And those with an ax to grind wont even bother, anything they find that justifies their views regardless of the source will be 'fact'.
i've already see quotes of the "Mrs. Laura Weart, 99th Aerospace Medicine Squadron Health and Wellness Center director", and as impressive as that title sounds, the Health and Wellness Center is not a hospital or a medical facility, its a health promotion 'office' attached to the Fitness center at the base. who's objective is to "furnish individuals with knowledge and skills that encourage healthy lifestyle behaviors. Services include tobacco cessation classes, fitness assessments, nutrition education, stress management, education on cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention."
I completely applaud the effort of the air force for providing it. but unless you know what it is, it sound a lot more impressive. My gym has one of those.
and by their own statement while the well being of the air force personnel is a concern so is $$
"By focusing on preventative medicine and creating awareness of healthy living programs across the [Department of Defense] we will [hopefully] be able to drive down health care cost over time,
"
my 55
