Time to DO SOMETHING !!!

[maclean]

Even if it contained no nicotine, if the companies claim (or post testimonials) that it can help you quit smoking, the FDA considers it a nicotine cessation treatment,will call it a "treatment" and will require scientific studies before it can be sold

Ok, fair enough. I can understand that.

I also understand that ecig companies, (especially the Mall vendors) prefer to use the 'Quit Smoking' aspect as a marketing tool. But wouldn't it be possible for some of the 'non-mall' companies to just drop the whole nicotine/smoking bit and advertise it as a device for use with food flavoring? I'm sure the FDA would balk at that, but they could they do anything about it? Yeah, they can say that's just a trick to get round legislation, but while they're at it, why not ban matches? They can be used to light cigarettes. LOL.

Pheisty,

I won't get into a debate, because I agree with a lot you say, but I do want to point out one thing. This idea that 'I can harm myself if I want to' doesn't hold water for one simple reason. If you harm yourself enough, it'll be a government hospital that ends up taking care of you. So on that one point, I agree with government action to prevent it.

As for the rest of it, I've always been sceptical about news reports and the media in general. I used to be a photographer, and if you knew half the things that go on in advertising, your hair would stand on end. Ever since the news programs started competing for ratings, the whole idea of journalistic integrity went out the window. I can only imagine what George Orwell would say if he were still around.

Not only is CASAA #1 on Google for "casaa" we are hitting the radar. TobaccoHarmreduction.org just emntioned CASAA as a "reputable source" for e-cigarette facts and the media is starting to contact us for stories, as well.

I'm glad to hear that. To be honest, I'd like to do something, but I don't know what I can do. I'm a UK citizen living 6,000ft up a mountain in Italy, so I can't e-mail my Congressman or M.P. (I did fill in a European survey about ecigs). If you have any suggestions, I'm up for it.

mac

 

[bassthumper]

Wow. My thread was sorta derailed. Lemme remind everyone what this thread was about

LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ECIGS AND THE NEGATIVE IMPACT THE MEDIA HAS ON THEM.

Pheisty- while I appreciate you reminding me that when it comes to politics I DON'T HAVE A VOICE but that's not what I was talking about when I made this thread. I'm not on a world mission to save the ecigs. I think everyone needs to know (regardless of the legal outcome and bans) the TRUTH.

Too many LIES and MADE UP "PRETEND FACTS" are seen in news articles and whatnot. What I meant was that someone needs to do an article on how bad these lies and whatnot are hurting the industry, ppl's opinions, etc. An article on AOL or shoot, even the ASSOCIATED PRESS. I was asking for ppl with CONNECTIONS.

This thread wasn't meant for an argument over rights, the ban themselves, or vested interest in political agendas that have NOTHING to do with ecigs or your activity in politics.

Yes, ppl might not get involved until something important to them is affected, but too bad that's just the way it is.
Casey was on the right path- he had the right idea. Keep it up man!
We're at an ecig forum. As the OP I was talking about ecigs. Let's keep it that way kkthx.

 

[HighHeeledGoddess]

Wow. My thread was sorta derailed. Lemme remind everyone what this thread was about

LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ECIGS AND THE NEGATIVE IMPACT THE MEDIA HAS ON THEM.

Not to be rude, but the title of this thread was "Time to DO SOMETHING" and as I recall the OP was about what you say it was - getting the word out, and preventing a ban. To people like Phiesty and myself, we see the root of the problem as being what we have allowed the role of our government to become, and the level of control we've allowed them to assume. This is not about any 1 politician or party, this has been a creeping problem for a long time.

To me, doing something would be restoring restrictions on our government. In the meantime, I'd like to save e-cigs, but we're just chopping heads off the hydra if we don't attack the real problem.

 

[bassthumper]

Not to be rude, but the title of this thread was "Time to DO SOMETHING" and as I recall the OP was about what you say it was - getting the word out, and preventing a ban. To people like Phiesty and myself, we see the root of the problem as being what we have allowed the role of our government to become, and the level of control we've allowed them to assume. This is not about any 1 politician or party, this has been a creeping problem for a long time.

To me, doing something would be restoring restrictions on our government. In the meantime, I'd like to save e-cigs, but we're just chopping heads off the hydra if we don't attack the real problem.

I know what the OP was about
having written it

although I agree I'm also a big fan of not biting off more than you can chew.
Some say "FREEDOM" is the problem, others focus on more immediate issues...

 

[DC2]

Seems to me this thread has been progressing just fine.
But that's just me.


I would like to add, though, that media connections is something that seems to be severely lacking amongst us.

But there was another thread (which I thought was this one but it wasn't) where someone with media connections posted.
And they were soliciting ways they might be able to help.

Unfortunately she had her connections in Canada, but hey, it's a start right?

I will try to find her post, wherever that was, but I don't remember her username.

 

[kylewinther]

yes I think we all need to come together and voice our opinion and fight this with every effort!

 

[maclean]

In the meantime, I'd like to save e-cigs, but we're just chopping heads off the hydra if we don't attack the real problem

I wouldn't disagree with that comment, but there's also such a thing as choosing your battles. There are only a few of us and it's already difficult to get more than a small percentage interested in defending the thing that's saving their lives. Getting them interested in tackling the government would be flat out impossible.

For the record, I agree with the whole Nanny State thing. It's getting out of control. I'm from scotland, and Tony Blair's government brought the Nanny State to a fine art in the last decade. Never before in the lives of brits has there been so much government intrusion and so many idiotic rules. The Health & Safety regulators are the new police in the UK right now. It's unbe-freaking-lievable! (Btw, a guy in the UK was thrown off a bus several years ago because he was carrying a tin of paint. They told him it had to be inside a plastic bag, or it was considered a 'health risk'!!).

However, as I see it, (for this forum, anyway), that's a fight for another day and another group of forumites. I'd prefer to see people here get riled up and defend their right to live an addiction-free life if they so choose.

mac

 

[warbdan]

For the record, I agree with the whole Nanny State thing. It's getting out of control. I'm from scotland, and Tony Blair's government brought the Nanny State to a fine art in the last decade. Never before in the lives of brits has there been so much government intrusion and so many idiotic rules.

Well, who was always on the news with Pres. Bush when the "War on Terror" was waged? Tony Blair. Now, look what's been going on here. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[KellyinAZ]

James,
GREAT letter! Thank you for taking the time and initiative to write it. I imagine that the author didn't pay much attention to your letter, the media today no longer remains unbiased and objective. It is a shame that the mainstream media can be so complacent and even down right lazy when it comes to collecting the facts on the stories and/or articles the write. Shame on them. There has been a gradual shift in the past decade where the journalists and reporters write their articles with preconceived notions and personal bias...this is the norm and not the exception to the rule.
I hope your letter that you took the time and thought to write was read and has put an itch in the back of the reporter's brain so maybe he will be more objective and leave his own opinions out of the writing process.

 

[Panini]

Seems to me this thread has been progressing just fine.
But that's just me.


I would like to add, though, that media connections is something that seems to be severely lacking amongst us.

But there was another thread (which I thought was this one but it wasn't) where someone with media connections posted.
And they were soliciting ways they might be able to help.

Unfortunately she had her connections in Canada, but hey, it's a start right?

I will try to find her post, wherever that was, but I don't remember her username.

You may have been talking about me...I'm from Canada and did offer to help how I could. I used to work in the media and still know a few people here and there.

There are a lot of valid points being made. The government may already be a couple of steps ahead of themselves here, but media tend to influence public perception and that has a lot of power to sway the government (aside from BT and BP...but there's not much anyone can do about that here.)

I think it's worth mentioning that anyone who contacts the media should do so in a respectful and constructive way. They should also do their best to stay on message and make sure they know what they are talking about, including offering up sources. This whole thing (to someone who is new to the story) can sound like a raving conspiracy theory and media will shy away from looking crazy. It's best to stick to facts If you DO go ahead and pitch something, it's not a bad idea to approach CASAA in advance and give them a heads-up so they can offer advice or prepare to respond if necessary. The board members are extremely well-spoken and they know their stuff.

So far I've prepared one of my contacts to hear a pitch from me soon, but I won't rush into it before the information is pulled together. I'll definitely post in the News section if there is pickup of any kind. I wouldn't expect that to happen for several more weeks though

 

[Pheisty]

Pheisty,

I won't get into a debate, because I agree with a lot you say, but I do want to point out one thing. This idea that 'I can harm myself if I want to' doesn't hold water for one simple reason. If you harm yourself enough, it'll be a government hospital that ends up taking care of you. So on that one point, I agree with government action to prevent it.

I hope you mean under Barack Obama's Health Care Reform, because I definitely wouldn't be in a government hospital if I had a choice.

The argument that 'others' or 'government' would wind up paying for me if I harmed myself and therefore we need laws make certain harmful or risky actions against ourselves illegal (seatbelt laws, helmet laws), then why in the hell don't we have chastity belt laws? Certainly illegitimacy costs us an astronomical amount both monetarily and socially. By your own (and government's) argument, shouldn't we therefore install a chastity belt or other abstinence device on every child until they A) Come of age or B) Get married?

Of course I'm being facetious. I would never condone such a thing that takes away the right of an individual to do what they will with their own body, regardless of the "cost" to society.

Are we living in a free country or not? If we use the argument you just used, all you do is simply grow government even more and justify its continual creeping-in to our personal lives and individual liberties.

Your post just solidified and proved my initial point. Too many people don't understand how we got here in the first place. You have to know what got us to this point to even begin to kill the beast that causes our current problem.