One month to go before the FDA makes a decision on vaping authorizations around vaping products and tobacco leaders are taking a last stand on informing the FDA on the realities of vaping and dialing deeper into who is vaping in order to educate as well as shine a light on the flip side of the coin – adult smokers who need an advocate.
This last ditch effort on industry leaders, is to once and for all clear up the misconception on the exaggeration of youth vaping by powerful lobbyists whose interests are to heavily restrict vaping products across the board – which ultimately affect the adults who can purchase these items and choose to.
Leaders have submitted a white paper published by the American Journal Of Health claiming that adults are being unfairly penalized and have in essence become invisible to the tobacco control groups and media and the conversation has become one sided. The whitepaper claims the FDA is buying into a skewed view of the youth vaping argument in favor of protecting youth at the cost of adults who choose to vape – in essence eliminating this voice from the conversation.
The reality is that youth vaping statistics are showing that the numbers of high school aged youth that choose to vape daily are very low – only 2% of California high schoolers vape daily.
This whitepaper was crafted by some heavy hitters in the industry that have come to be respected household names in the vaping world: Kenneth Warner Neal, Benowitz, Dorothy Hatsukami, Nancy Rigotti and Robert West. A total of 15 industry leaders were involved in the crafting of this whitepaper and was co-authored by past presidents of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco.
In the paper, the authors show growing evidence in studies (both clinical and population studies), that vaping helps smokers quit cigarettes and their reliance on nicotine from tobacco derived from tobacco leaves. The paper cites a drop in cigarette sales that nicely correspond with an increase in vaping adoption.
Add to that, the authors dispute evidence that vaping is causing an epidemic of youth nicotine reliance and addiction. The article cites studies that show no increase in nicotine dependence and infrequent vaping among youth. Studies showing vaping diverts more youth from smoking than encouraging them are also cited as evidence to their point.
The flavor issue is a delicate one according to the authors and they acknowledge the fact that youth vaping would decrease without the flavor issue to contend with but flavored e-juice is the one critical ingredient that entices adult smokers turning to vaping and reducing their nicotine intake and levels.
The media has exacerbated the issue with popular media pundit Bloomberg and his funded campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids – with the central point being in the backlash to this campaign that it really paints a one-sided message and the adult vape community is being left out in the cold with very little to sway opinion to their message that vaping has eliminated harmful nicotine and without access to this industry’s products will create a backpedal to harmful nicotine products being their only option.
Quite frankly, the public health agencies and anti-tobacco organizations simply do not choose to consider the other side of the vaping discussion that includes the lives of adults who smoke as a part of the discussion. These folks seem not to exist in any form. It is really black and white to those pushing for the ban and with no grey area there is no room for compromise or discussion.
Consider this fact if you are under the impression that smoking does not affect millions of Americans – 1 in every 7 people smoke in America. That is a whole lot of people that will be disenfranchised by any sweeping limitation to access to vaping products as determined by the FDA.
Let’s give these folks a voice.