Without Integrity. Tobacco Harm Reduction In The U.S.A.

September 19, 2015 Vaping Links 13 Comments

The tug of war on tobacco has gone on since 1964. Lets face it. It’s been almost 52 years since January 11th, 1964.

The Surgeon General at that time, Dr. Luther L. Terry, announced “an astounding conclusion: smoking causes cancer” in front of 200 reporters behind locked doors. His decision to announce this must have come at some price. Imagine the pressure then, even then.

The Kennedy assassination was fresh in the country’s mind. Conspiracy theories were brewing. The Beatles were on the air invading the airwaves, but not yet on American soil. Ed Sullivan was plotting his next move.

Herbert A Gilbert had already invented the first e-cigarette – almost a year before his patent originally Filed Apr. 17, 1963.

There was no social media – no way to look something up on Google. Look & Life magazines were “Google”. A gallon of gas was $ .25. My older brother John wasn’t even a gleam in the old mans eye, yet. I eventually came along in 1967…. I’ll put my beads & mop tops away now, and focus on this:

FIFTY-ONE years. To improve? That’s the spirit. What THEY are doing is not working in the United States. What they are doing is lying.

What they are doing is without integrity. They tell you to “keep trying”, call the quitline, you’re not trying hard enough. It may take a few tries, We have products available that are approved.

E-cigarettes are not pharmaceutical. They are not tobacco. They are, however, a viable solution to tobacco use, if the user chooses to do so. To pretend e-cigarettes are bad is a “Professor of Tobacco Control“‘s job? The director of the CDC, Tom Frieden? Neither of those have a conflict of interest…

I’ll get back to who’s job this is.

Lets look quickly (and sadly) at two men who represent the United States “Health Care” with questionable integrity.

Earlier this year, the CDC’s Director, Tom Frieden made a decision to be cute. He decided it was a good idea -confusing people with ads on television and billboards. He’s tweeted, set off the #CDCTips (Tips From A Former Smoker) with the impression of e-cigarettes being bad because a smoker kept smoking ((while using an e-cigarette)), and sadly lost her lung. Who knows the truth.

He also tweeted and proclaimed youth, children, tobacco products….

The present Surgeon General chose, embarrassingly to say “we don’t know enough” but kids should not use them.

You all reading know the deal.

When will the lack of integrity catch up in the United States? HOW and WHEN will they be held accountable?

Public Health England released their evidence update to the WORLD.

Public Health England Ecigarettes_an_evidence_update_A_report_commissioned_by_Public_Health_England(6)

Is their report pristine? No.

Is it responsible? Yes.

It gives responsible exposure to the subject. Opens very large doors to smokers. It tells the world there is a viable option, it opens up the world of reducing tobacco in the world responsibly. It creates a solution for the fairy tale goal of tobacco control.

The United States and a select group of idiots worldwide CHOOSE to continue to hide their heads in the sand and pretend it is bad. (Yes, Christoper Snowden brilliantly covered you here – Chapman, McKee, and Glantz, hoping he does Capewell soon).

WHERE is the reaction, agreement or even a contradiction of the PHE report from the CDC & Surgeion General? The U.S. Health Organizations? The Doctors pretending they’re experts? Playing grab-ass with themselves? They don’t have one, they’re trying to hide from it.

They’re not going to recognize it? They’re not going to acknowledge it?

Well, my favorite engineer in the whole wide world, Professor Glantz, a “Professor of Tobacco Control” (self-titled?) who’s criteria is spelled out CLEARLY here

and his conflict of interest is clearly shown here,

and here

and Glantz DID do some cherry-picking and complaining of “conflict of interest” of the Public Health England report here)

This is a SUBSTANTIAL list of various organizations who are supporting Public Health England.

The only improvement to tobacco control I’m seeing in the United States is more taxes, restrictions, regulation processes and bans on e-cigarettes. The only thing I’m seeing in the United States is ignoring the PHE report without cause, without question, and with questionable integrity to the public. You’d think, after all, the effort in tobacco control in the United States is just about money not health. You’d think they wanted you to smoke.

The Beatles, like them or not, changed the face of music.

The e-cigarette, like it or not, has already changed the face (or “two-faced” opponents) of tobacco, tobacco control efforts and the world.

The American public is being lied to like the rest of the world. The honesty of Public Health England, and all involved is a step in the right direction. The path to irrelevance is going to be a lonely one, with less support for the true causes you do represent. Few in the United States are taking the initiative to be honest. Many are arrogant, few have integrity.

I thank those of you who do.