On today’s BradCast, voters head to the polls in West Virginia and Nebraska; The Philippines elects its own version of Trump (but worse); and the FDA issues deadly new rules that may wipe out an industry and help kill hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American. [Link to full audio below.]
First up, it’s Primary Election day again, this time in West Virginia and Nebraska (Republicans only). In WV, many voters will be forced to vote once again on 100% unverifiable touch-screen systems, though Donald Trump tells voters not to vote at all, at least until the general election. At the same time, new polling from Quinnipiac [PDF] shows Hillary Clinton virtually tied with or losing to Trump in three key swing-states (OH, FL and PA), while Sanders outpaces Clinton in each, beating Trump in all three crucial states.
Meanwhile, in elections overseas, London elects its first Muslim as Mayor, though he’s worried he may not be able to visit other Mayors in the U.S. if Trump becomes President and, in The Philippines, it looks as if they have elected a new President who is even more disturbing than Donald Trump. So, yes, it can happen.
Then: the FDA issues insane new rules for electronic cigarette and e-liquid manufacturers which could end up killing the vaping industry that is currently helping to prevent the tobacco-related deaths of some 500k Americans each year. Chris Hughes, President of the PA Chapter of the Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association, and owner of the Fat Cat Vapor Shop, explains the new onerous regulations and how Democrats are supporting them despite scientists and experts, such as those at UK’s Royal College of Physicians who recently announced: “in the interests of public health it is important to promote the use of e-cigarettes…as widely as possible as a substitute for smoking.”
If the misguided FDA rules are finalized, it could cost as much as $1 million to receive approval for every single vaping product, e-liquid flavor (including each level of nicotine). The only companies likely to afford that process are the Big Tobacco companies that the bulk of the vaping industry is hoping to put out of business. In turn, millions of folks who have quit smoking by moving to vaping (which has almost none of the dangers of tobacco cigarettes) are likely to begin smoking again. “People smoke for the nicotine but die from the tar,” explains Hughes, adding, “there are over 7,000 chemicals in cigarette smoke. And many of them act in concert with nicotine to make it more addictive.” That is not the case for vaping products!
As someone who, thanks to vaping, was able to quit the deadly habit after decades of smoking myself, this is a very disturbing development. It’s made even more disturbing by the particular big name Democrats (some of the otherwise best Dems — Hughes names names!) who support the new regulations that will only help both Big Tobacco and, as Hughes notes, “the same giant pharmaceutical corporations that make nicotine patches, lozenges and gums [and inhalers!] and view my business, and thousands of other small businesses in the country, as competitors.”
“This plan, if its fully implemented,” he says, “will close every vape shop like mine in the United States. The only other thing we can say certainly will happen is smoking rates will skyrocket again across all demographics. There are currently over 9 million adults using these products regularly in the U.S. and those people will seek an alternative product. The alternative for them may be to go back to smoking in many instance. Half of those people will die prematurely as a result of smoking. And that’s the catastrophe.”
While I try to contain my rage here, even in writing this item, Hughes suggests those who would like to support the effort to kill smoking by saving vaping should stop by the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA.org). They offer a number of things you can do immediately. He also suggest you “call your representatives and tell them — politely — that you feel very strongly that the Senators should re-evaluate their stance on vapor products.”
Finally, Desi Doyen joins us for the latest Green News Report with disturbing climate change news and, thankfully, even a bit of hope…
CLICK TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD SHOW!…
[audio:http://bradblog.com/audio/BradCast_BradFriedman_ChrisHughesVapingFDA_051016.mp3]
(Snail mail support to “Brad Friedman, 7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594 Los Angeles, CA 90028” always welcome too!)
|
Most people don’t smoke, and most people don’t vape, and most people don’t care about this.
Anybody who is concerned about his health should quit smoking. It may be difficult but it is not complicated. It is not necessary to replace the behavior with something else.
Thanks, Nemo. Yes, 500,000 of your fellow citizens (presuming you’re American) are unnecessarily killed each year. But fuck them! Am I right?
They do something you don’t, so they can all fucking die, cause, hey, it’s not “most people”.
Also, “most people” don’t drink the water in Flint, MI, so why should we care? Most people will be dead before the worst effects of climate change, so why bother? Most people don’t even die in wars, so let’s wage a lot of them! Why not? Most people aren’t gay, so why should they have any rights at all if we don’t want them to have them? Most people aren’t even black so…
I’ll just step away from the fucking keyboard now, so I can cool down. Hopefully you’ll grow the fuck up in the meantime. Like most people.
as a retired doctor, I commend you Brad for quitting smoking, but just a brief google search and my own knowledge of how lungs work tells me that inhaling chemicals is likely a bad idea. As for kids ‘going to smoke anyway’ -only kids whose families smoke are likely to smoke. Vaping products should absolutely be as restricted as cigarettes. This segment was amazingly biased compared to anything else I’ve heard on your show,
Brad:
I am for smokers using vaping products. I used to hide or burn my mothers cigs so she would not smoke (when I was a kid). I don’t mind the smell of vaping.
My problem with vaping is that it adds another stimulant to the market that will compromise the affect of ADHD medications. I know we can’t regulate everything but people with ADHD often have problem controlling impulsivity and desiring stimulation. Having another relatively easy way to access stimulants causes problems , (you are correct it’s not death) but these problems compromise attentiveness in schools and work places. It may not kill people like cigs but it compromises the abilities and futures of people that already have the deck stacked against them.
Lauren @3 –
Appreciate the note, even if I must disagree with a few points. Not the “biased” part — cuz I am certainly biased in favor of the science! — but some of the other parts. I’ll try to share my thoughts on air in the next day or so if I can squeeze it in. If not, I’ll try to come back here and share my thoughts when I get a more time.
Alex @4-
When I hear calls for FDA bans on Coke, Mountain Dew and cigarettes I’ll consider the idea that life-saving vaping should be restricted for the reasons you mention. Until then, I remain amazed that so many folks find so many reason to make it harder for people to take advantage of life-saving technology that could save a half a million each year in the U.S. alone!
And, once again (for both you and Lauren), the UK’s Royal Academy of Physicians (the folks who initially sounded the alarm about the dangers of tobacco decades ago!) said in April: “in the interests of public health it is important to promote the use of e-cigarettes…as widely as possible as a substitute for smoking.”
Is there more evidence that young people want to get addicted to something because it was less deadly then tobacco, then evidence to support the claim that tobacco corporations wanted a better market share?
I really doubt that.
Is there evidence that the vape industry might be enticing young people to vape, like the tobacco industry did with cigarettes? I’d bet on it.
Is anybody old enough to remember candy cigarettes?
Money kills.
This helped me when after about 20 tries, I finally was able to quit smoking and stay smoke free for over 20 years. This method is the best for any relapse.
Treat your cigs like cigars-DO NOT INHALE. This is very unsatisfactory for 3 days while your brain is withdrawing from nicotine, but you do get to have a little second hand smoke and the behaviors associated with smoking, so it is very different than going cold turkey. It then takes a few weeks when you notice that you were reducing the number of cigs all along without even thinking about it. Then none. Then you are faced with a relapse.
Cigs are unique in that they deliver just what you need on demand. If you need revving up as on mornings, they deliver; if you need a stress reliever to calm down, they deliver.
Relapses occur very often when one is stressed. The trick is DO NOT INHALE, if you relapse. It turns out to be a very satisfactory several puffs, which does not deliver enough nicotine to make you dizzy from a renewed addiction. Too little nicotine to become addicted. You can put it down again without feeling that you need another and another.
Anyway, that’s what finally worked for me. Pass it along if you have friends and family that are trying to quit. It may help them or you.
If it’s a medical problem, then nicotine should be regulated like other medical stimulants and be offered as a prescription. Cigarettes would then be a controlled substance and people who are addicted to it can get a doctor to sign off for cigarettes (unlikely) or vaping (much more likely) to rid them of the addiction. It would make it much harder for people to become addicted in the first place, and for kids and adults, especially those with ADHD to access substances that are harming them more than helping them.
I am not against vaping but if nicotine is as addictive as you say, then it should be a controlled substance, not easily acquired over the counter or in gas stations by anyone who has the cash.
I want to help those addicted to nicotine get off their addiction, I just don’t want to create more problems (addictions and lost academic and work abilities) in the attempt of solving an initial problem. Severity of the problem is not an excuse for not developing a rational, thoughtful;, and considered program to help those with nicotine addictions.
Let’s see I believe that we went into Iraq because we saw Saddam Hussein as a major threat, so we got rid of him, but then created a bunch of other problems since then, isn’t jumping into one problem and saying we have to do this now and screw the consequences for others, the kind of thinking what got us into the problem we still have in Iraq. Let’s think about it and come up with a better solution (especially if it’s better than this one) then to have a Libertarian “let everyone have vaping to rid us of cigarettes” and damn the consequences.
Make nicotine hard for everyone and make it by prescription only.
Alex @ 9:
Should we also make coffee available by prescription only, since caffeine is addictive too? How about alcohol?
How is my, or anyone else’s, nicotine addiction a problem for you (or for me, for that matter?) The problem is tobacco smoke, not nicotine — which, studies have found, btw, also has some very beneficial qualities when it comes to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s rates.
When nicotine is as addictive as you say, and it is readily available, it will be misused and abused. I am not saying take it away, just make it harder for the people who don’t need to acquire it.
Alcohol is a problem as well as opioids. We are never going to have full control of substances (and prohibition showed that a total ban is a sad idea), but does that mean everyone should have access to everything and damn the consequences?
Caffeine is a problem for people with ADHD too, it compromises their presricption medication. I acknowledge that vaping is the highly preferred method of nicotine acquisition, and should be available. But because it is preferred and has higher dosages than patches, it is also more likely to be abused. I am only saying that there is a form of blow back from the wide availability of nicotine products.
My life is influenced when my daughters consume caffeine or vape with their friends after school, and cause their ADHD medication to be overwhelmed. Life with highly impulsive individuals is stressful and scary at times. Yes your addiction to nicotine affects me. The market has created a new product to satisfy your addiction in a less annoying way than cigs. Nicotine addiction used to only be done only with smoking or patches that our generation should have learned were not good for them (instead of succumbing to the “cool” factor and trying to stick a carcinogen in your mouth). You are right the vaping is less invasive to us than cigarettes but you addiction still affects others.
Should we make it so available that we create new generations of addicts to nicotine through vaping, because the older generation got hooked on cigarettes?
Please get off your high horse. Vaping is better, but not perfect. I wonder if those same studies included the question is vaping better than not ingesting any nicotine? What would be the scientific results of a study that compares vaping to nothing? Stop rationalizing how vaping is the greatest thing since sliced bread, when it’s just the best band-aid out there for people who got hooked on cigarettes.