Tobacco Free Kids Will be Partially Responsible for the Death of Millions Says proffessor

[katink]

Tobacco Free Kids to Kill Millions Says Proffessor

Brad Rodu
Professor of Medicine
Endowed Chair, tobacco Harm Reduction Research
University of Louisville
writes:

.......................

"There is no public health justification for denying smokers information about and access to safer sources of tobacco and nicotine. But the war against tobacco, conducted by Tobacco Free Kids and their allies, is not about public health. It has become the latest in a long line of misguided American moral crusades." ................... (follow link for more)

 

[Caesarea]

Tobacco Free Kids to Kill Millions Says Proffessor

Brad Rodu
Professor of Medicine
Endowed Chair, Tobacco Harm Reduction Research
University of Louisville
writes:

.......................

"There is no public health justification for denying smokers information about and access to safer sources of tobacco and nicotine. But the war against tobacco, conducted by Tobacco Free Kids and their allies, is not about public health. It has become the latest in a long line of misguided American moral crusades." ................... (follow link for more)

Rodu is telling it like it is. Wish I lived near Louisville.

C.

 

[Kate]

I don't know if I'm stereotyping US folk when I say there seem to be a lot of extremists there pushing to have their way declared the correct way. To me it appears to be a cultural trait, fundamentalist/extremist thinking is seen as normal. (Sorry to US folk if I'm being unfair.)

Hopefully the voice of reason, fairness and justice will prevail.

 

[Wildsky]

I don't know if I'm stereotyping US folk when I say there seem to be a lot of extremists there pushing to have their way declared the correct way. To me it appears to be a cultural trait, fundamentalist/extremist thinking is seen as normal. (Sorry to US folk if I'm being unfair.)

Hopefully the voice of reason, fairness and justice will prevail.

I think you are correct Kate

I've lived here for something like 13 or 14 years now and thats the way it is! (doesn't bother me cause I know I'm right) 8-o

 

[badkat]

These people are not your enemy. The more noise the better. It's the noise that garners attention in order for "reason, fairness and justice" to get a chance to prevail. In every decision-making process lots of voices are binned because they're unreasonable .. but the sum of all the voices is what brought the issue to the attention of the decision makers.

 

[Bellinghamster]

I don't know if I'm stereotyping US folk when I say there seem to be a lot of extremists there pushing to have their way declared the correct way. To me it appears to be a cultural trait, fundamentalist/extremist thinking is seen as normal. (Sorry to US folk if I'm being unfair.)

Hopefully the voice of reason, fairness and justice will prevail.

It's not that the majority of Americans are extremists/fundamentalists. It's simply those are the people with the loudest voices, coupled with the fact that our government has become so polarized the only way for a politician to keep his job is to pander them.

If the media is to believed, everyone here is pressured to pick a side on every issue, and to hate everyone with an opposing view. Sadly, some buy into it...

It's very difficult to be an activist moderate

 

[Boston George]

I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it

Or if your not with us, you are a terrorist.

Edit: just making sure It came across that I was being sarcastic.

 

[Kate]

It's not that the majority of Americans are extremists/fundamentalists. It's simply those are the people with the loudest voices, coupled with the fact that our government has become so polarized the only way for a politician to keep his job is to pander them.

If the media is to believed, everyone here is pressured to pick a side on every issue, and to hate everyone with an opposing view. Sadly, some buy into it...

It's very difficult to be an activist moderate

Yes, I bet most people are moderate and balanced and, like anywhere, the loudest get heard the most.

It's the presentation of sides by the media that maybe strikes me or the lack of balance by activists.

In the UK our anti smokers - ASH have not condemned vaping. They've said they can only recommend approved cessation products but that vaping might one day be a good alternative. That seems more realistic than a flat out call for bans to me.

Political lobbying here is different too, I'm not sure that money and pressure have the same influence on legislation.

EDIT:
To add -

Or if your not with us, you are a terrorist.

I've heard that view and it scares me because it implies everything is simplistic and clear cut. It encourages people to make emotional choices rather than use cognitive reasoning and measurements of seriousness.

 

[TropicalBob]

Note that our moderate ally, Dr. Nitzkin, praises the PROMISE of e-smoking. Read his language carefully. He's really good! Now, that's the route to take and it's good we have one sane, scientific voice on our side.

Do not kill this baby before it has a chance to mature!

Screaming and name-calling might make the evening news, but won't win converts to our cause.

 

[Kate]

I noticed that there was one expert that was using careful, accurate language TBob, I think it must have been Dr Nitzkin. He presented the possibilities but didn't imply anything was known for sure.

That's the kind of person I like us to be associated with, one who doesn't forget about integrity for the sake of winning a fight.

 

[Fox3]

Yep, these well meaning zealots are responsible for FAR more suffering and death than they care about or realize.

Hope the brady people sleep well at night having been responsible for depriving people of the basic human right of self defense.

Two quotes from my file which seem appropriate:

"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficient . . . the greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well meaning but without understanding." -- Justice Louis Brandeis

“When seconds count, your police are just minutes away”!!! -- unknown.

Not exactly on topic, I realize, but the same mentality is reflected :-(.

If we only had any pols left with integrity rather than selling their own and our souls for a ticket to the earmark train, sigh, cry...

 

[James]

Unfortunately Rodu doesn't think we will prevail:

The American legislative process is closed to all but a few powerful interests, who will soon be gloating over their "success" in passing FDA regulation of tobacco. I am convinced that these anti-tobacco extremists will eventually be held partially responsible for the deaths of millions of uninformed smokers.

Not being American I can't really comment on that. Having an ex-Tobacco Free Kids man in the White House can't help things, though...

 

[James]

Sorry Fox3, your reply appeared while I was still typing mine making it seem rather unconnected

 

[SupplierX]

Yea, Kate.......we have better food.

 

[Kate]

Yea, Kate.......we have better food.

Ha ... and teeth apparently

 

[joannadiva]

I don't know if I'm stereotyping US folk when I say there seem to be a lot of extremists there pushing to have their way declared the correct way. To me it appears to be a cultural trait, fundamentalist/extremist thinking is seen as normal. (Sorry to US folk if I'm being unfair.)

Hopefully the voice of reason, fairness and justice will prevail.

Not to be disrespectful but this country was founded by people who were too uptight to be British...

Home of the free...only if you do it their way

 

[J W in Texas]

Good one joannadiva! I had never heard that one before but it's funny

 

[TropicalBob]

I exchanged e-mails with Dr. Rodu last year for a magazine article and he's America's top harm reduction advocate -- who has been given a rough time by anti-smoking forces. He's a good man, advocating for smokefree alternatives to cigarettes. Sadly, I think his prediction of the outcome is on-target.

 

[Bryn]

Not to be disrespectful but this country was founded by people who were too uptight to be British...

Home of the free...only if you do it their way

My Scottish ancestors were kicked out of Scotland to make room for sheep, thrown on ship bounded for wild and savage America. (Clearance of Highlanders).

So here I am... a screwed up American.

 

[James]

My little article on Rodu's letter (published on Official Wire) made it to Ash UK's daily news page here: ASH Daily News for 15 May 2009 .