I think perhaps it would be interesting to get some practical ideas on how to deal strategically with the rapidly-developming Minor Gateway Meme.
Item: The meme is now shaping press coverage, particularly in the US. It's getting harder and harder to find a mainstream media story that doesn't reference the meme as "fact" (or which is otherwise premised on the validity of the meme).
Item: An increasing number of policy makers - particularly politicians - are telling the press that their reasons for supporting anti-vaping restrictions are based on the Minor Gateway Meme. (Including, BTW, the EU: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/infozone/news/profiles-prohibitionism-linda-mcavan.html )
Item: The meme is clearly designed for - and will likely have - US national effect, and may also spill over into other countries. The tobacco Control Industry is most certainly not done yet, I think there's pretty good reason to anticipate that there will be a press conference and/or a media blitz centered around this letter: http://www.nationaljournal.com/
library/123450 ... the only reason why I think we haven't seen a press conference thus far is that Schumer did a big press release on Sun, followed by Blumenthal's press conf. on Mon. I don't know what the exact timing will be for the next move, but presumably they'll wait a little in order to maximize the media coverage (they can't get 50 stories every day, right?).
***
BT isn't likely to help us here, they have an interest in seeing us all being forced to buy a VUSE or something like that. More articles from blogs or R-Street/ACSH/etc. don't seem to be the answer either. And while it's interesting to observe that the Nazi's very tactics are being used here, let's keep in mind that the Nazis won (i.e. they crushed all their internal opposition). Had they failed to do so, then the tactics of their successful opponents would be worth studying. By the same token, I also don't believe there's time to read and discuss a wall full of books on poltics, philosophy, econommics, etc. - no matter how much merit said tomes may possess.
I'd prefer to see practical strategic suggestions that can be put into place soon, since the meme is becoming further entrenched every day in the minds of the media, the public, the public health community, and of course both private and public sector policy makers.
I think it's obvious where I stand on the point, based on my recent post in the CASAA forum - i.e. we need a study that backs up a headine involving cessation and younger smokers (preferably one with the word "youth" and the phrase "7 times more likely" in it.
But there may be other ways.
***
For reference, the rest of this post is identical to what I posted today in the news summary, just because it may be helpful to have this list in one place. I don't claim (BTW) that my list is perfect. Yours might differ in a few respects, or you may have a differerent view of some of these events. (That's not the point, right?)
COLLECTION 2: TOBACCO CONTROL INDUSTRY MINOR GATEWAY MEME - EVENTS TIMELINE
Meme: E-cigarettes are being deliberately and deceptively marketed to teenagers by the tobacco industry. Once these minors use an e-cigarette, they are seven times more likely to become regular cigarette smokers. Since e-cigarette use is exploding among minors, this will lead to an explosion in the number of tobacco cigarette smokers. [And therefore: taxes plus all forms of regulations over sale, use, and manufacturing can help us stop e-cigarettes from producing a new generation of tobacco cigarette smokers.]
Event 1 - Feb 26: introduction of the Protecting Children From Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act of 2014 (PCECAA) by a group of national US legislators - among them (most prominently) Sens. Boxer (CA), Schumer (NY), and Blumenthal (CT).
Result: Nationwide coverage premised on the idea that e-cigarettes are marketed to children because they are flavored and/or because of the imagery used to market them (depending on the source, this imagery is either celebrity endorsements, sexually titillating advertising, or cartoon characters).
Event 2 - Mar 4: Vape pens article in NYT introduces idea that kids are being lured by PVs which are not called "e-cigarettes" but which are marketed as "vape pens" and/or "e-hookahs" with attractive flavors in order to confuse teenagers.
Result: This piece also created a slew of outraged coverage across the US and overseas about the manner in which the "e-cigarette industry is targeting children."
Title: E-Cigarettes, by Other Names, Lure Young and Worry Experts
http://www.nytimes
.com/2014/03/05/business/e-cigarettes-under-aliases-elude-the-authorities.html
Event 3 - Mar 6: Dutra & Glantz paper published in JAMA Pediatrics which falsely claims (in some places) that the use of e-cigarettes is a causal factor in tobacco smoking, AKA a gateway effect: minors who use e-cigarettes are "seven times more likely" to become regular tobacco smokers.
http://archpedi.jamanetwork
.com/article.aspx?articleid=1840772 Criticized here for confusing causation with correlation: http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/03/conclusion-of-new-glantz-study-on.html [Also criticized by a number of Tobacco Control Organizations, such as the ACS:
http://antithrlies.com/2014/03/07/stanton-glantz-is-such-a-liar-that-even-the-acs-balks/
Result: This lead to hundreds of media stories around the world in which e-cigarettes were "linked" with increasing tobacco smoking among young people (despite the fact that these rates have dropped dramatically during the 2011-12 period in question). Paper:
Event 4 - Mar 9: NY Sen. Schumer issues a press release, in which he expresses outrage that e-cigarettes are being marketed to children, who are "seven times more likely" to become tobacco smokers - citing the Mar. 6th JAMA paper.
Result: This press release generated scores of articles around the world:
Title: Schumer Looks To Snuff Out E-Cigarette Marketing To Kids
(NYC CBS affiliate) http://newyork.cbslocal
.com/2014/03/09/schumer-looks-to-snuff-out-e-cigarette-marketing-to-kids/
Event 5 - Mar 10: CT Sen. Blumenthal and Rep. DeLauro hold a news conf. and issue a press release in which they re-iterate the points made in Schumer's earlier press release, and emphasize the issues cited in the March 4th NYT article concerning "vape pens" and "e-hookahs."
Title: Blumenthal, DeLauro: E-hookahs attractive, dangerous, and marketed to children
(Republished from NH Register, New Haven CT local paper) http://www.middletownpress
.com/general-news/20140310/blumenthal-delauro-e-hookahs-attractive-dangerous-and-marketed-to-children
Result: Once again, this received wide and admiring coverage around the US, and in some cases overseas.
Event 6 - Mar 11: IA Sen Harkin and several other sponsoring Sen.s of the PCECAA mail letter to White House, calling for the FDA to release regulations the that FDA originally proposed last fall (but which were rejected by the Office of Management and Budget as too burdensome).
http://www.nationaljournal
.com/library/123450
Result: As of this writing, there are no press reports about this letter - but no news conf. has been called, nor (?) has a press release been issued. Stay tuned for this to generate another hundred stories or so when it does.
Item: The meme is now shaping press coverage, particularly in the US. It's getting harder and harder to find a mainstream media story that doesn't reference the meme as "fact" (or which is otherwise premised on the validity of the meme).
Item: An increasing number of policy makers - particularly politicians - are telling the press that their reasons for supporting anti-vaping restrictions are based on the Minor Gateway Meme. (Including, BTW, the EU: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/infozone/news/profiles-prohibitionism-linda-mcavan.html )
Item: The meme is clearly designed for - and will likely have - US national effect, and may also spill over into other countries. The tobacco Control Industry is most certainly not done yet, I think there's pretty good reason to anticipate that there will be a press conference and/or a media blitz centered around this letter: http://www.nationaljournal.com/
library/123450 ... the only reason why I think we haven't seen a press conference thus far is that Schumer did a big press release on Sun, followed by Blumenthal's press conf. on Mon. I don't know what the exact timing will be for the next move, but presumably they'll wait a little in order to maximize the media coverage (they can't get 50 stories every day, right?).
***
BT isn't likely to help us here, they have an interest in seeing us all being forced to buy a VUSE or something like that. More articles from blogs or R-Street/ACSH/etc. don't seem to be the answer either. And while it's interesting to observe that the Nazi's very tactics are being used here, let's keep in mind that the Nazis won (i.e. they crushed all their internal opposition). Had they failed to do so, then the tactics of their successful opponents would be worth studying. By the same token, I also don't believe there's time to read and discuss a wall full of books on poltics, philosophy, econommics, etc. - no matter how much merit said tomes may possess.
I'd prefer to see practical strategic suggestions that can be put into place soon, since the meme is becoming further entrenched every day in the minds of the media, the public, the public health community, and of course both private and public sector policy makers.
I think it's obvious where I stand on the point, based on my recent post in the CASAA forum - i.e. we need a study that backs up a headine involving cessation and younger smokers (preferably one with the word "youth" and the phrase "7 times more likely" in it.
But there may be other ways.
***
For reference, the rest of this post is identical to what I posted today in the news summary, just because it may be helpful to have this list in one place. I don't claim (BTW) that my list is perfect. Yours might differ in a few respects, or you may have a differerent view of some of these events. (That's not the point, right?)
COLLECTION 2: TOBACCO CONTROL INDUSTRY MINOR GATEWAY MEME - EVENTS TIMELINE
Meme: E-cigarettes are being deliberately and deceptively marketed to teenagers by the tobacco industry. Once these minors use an e-cigarette, they are seven times more likely to become regular cigarette smokers. Since e-cigarette use is exploding among minors, this will lead to an explosion in the number of tobacco cigarette smokers. [And therefore: taxes plus all forms of regulations over sale, use, and manufacturing can help us stop e-cigarettes from producing a new generation of tobacco cigarette smokers.]
Event 1 - Feb 26: introduction of the Protecting Children From Electronic Cigarette Advertising Act of 2014 (PCECAA) by a group of national US legislators - among them (most prominently) Sens. Boxer (CA), Schumer (NY), and Blumenthal (CT).
Result: Nationwide coverage premised on the idea that e-cigarettes are marketed to children because they are flavored and/or because of the imagery used to market them (depending on the source, this imagery is either celebrity endorsements, sexually titillating advertising, or cartoon characters).
Event 2 - Mar 4: Vape pens article in NYT introduces idea that kids are being lured by PVs which are not called "e-cigarettes" but which are marketed as "vape pens" and/or "e-hookahs" with attractive flavors in order to confuse teenagers.
Result: This piece also created a slew of outraged coverage across the US and overseas about the manner in which the "e-cigarette industry is targeting children."
Title: E-Cigarettes, by Other Names, Lure Young and Worry Experts
http://www.nytimes
.com/2014/03/05/business/e-cigarettes-under-aliases-elude-the-authorities.html
Event 3 - Mar 6: Dutra & Glantz paper published in JAMA Pediatrics which falsely claims (in some places) that the use of e-cigarettes is a causal factor in tobacco smoking, AKA a gateway effect: minors who use e-cigarettes are "seven times more likely" to become regular tobacco smokers.
http://archpedi.jamanetwork
.com/article.aspx?articleid=1840772 Criticized here for confusing causation with correlation: http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2014/03/conclusion-of-new-glantz-study-on.html [Also criticized by a number of Tobacco Control Organizations, such as the ACS:
http://antithrlies.com/2014/03/07/stanton-glantz-is-such-a-liar-that-even-the-acs-balks/
Result: This lead to hundreds of media stories around the world in which e-cigarettes were "linked" with increasing tobacco smoking among young people (despite the fact that these rates have dropped dramatically during the 2011-12 period in question). Paper:
Event 4 - Mar 9: NY Sen. Schumer issues a press release, in which he expresses outrage that e-cigarettes are being marketed to children, who are "seven times more likely" to become tobacco smokers - citing the Mar. 6th JAMA paper.
Result: This press release generated scores of articles around the world:
Title: Schumer Looks To Snuff Out E-Cigarette Marketing To Kids
(NYC CBS affiliate) http://newyork.cbslocal
.com/2014/03/09/schumer-looks-to-snuff-out-e-cigarette-marketing-to-kids/
Event 5 - Mar 10: CT Sen. Blumenthal and Rep. DeLauro hold a news conf. and issue a press release in which they re-iterate the points made in Schumer's earlier press release, and emphasize the issues cited in the March 4th NYT article concerning "vape pens" and "e-hookahs."
Title: Blumenthal, DeLauro: E-hookahs attractive, dangerous, and marketed to children
(Republished from NH Register, New Haven CT local paper) http://www.middletownpress
.com/general-news/20140310/blumenthal-delauro-e-hookahs-attractive-dangerous-and-marketed-to-children
Result: Once again, this received wide and admiring coverage around the US, and in some cases overseas.
Event 6 - Mar 11: IA Sen Harkin and several other sponsoring Sen.s of the PCECAA mail letter to White House, calling for the FDA to release regulations the that FDA originally proposed last fall (but which were rejected by the Office of Management and Budget as too burdensome).
http://www.nationaljournal
.com/library/123450
Result: As of this writing, there are no press reports about this letter - but no news conf. has been called, nor (?) has a press release been issued. Stay tuned for this to generate another hundred stories or so when it does.
