The FDA has decided to regulate e-cigarettes. What a surprise! It fits the pattern that public health will find something wrong with anything to do with tobacco or smoking. Even if they have to make it up or rewrite the rules.
In 1993 the EPA ruled smoking should be banned because the smoke was found to be a carcinogen. The method used to do this was found to have violated the EPA’s and the National Cancer Institute’s guidelines. These failings stopped nothing, tobacco smoke is banned almost everywhere. Now e-cigarettes give off a vapor in the likeness of theater fog (I was at a concert last night where a fog machine ran for almost 90 minutes, no injuries or deaths reported) or a shower (no harm done unless you slip and fall). Water vapor has no harm attached to it. Regulation is still requested although the smoke is harmless. Why?
The e-cigarette has been greatly praised by smokers and some anti-smokers for a tool to quit smoking tobacco cigarettes. It’s effectiveness is much better than other alternatives such as patches, gum and cold turkey. Many ask why the FDA is ignoring this fact?
This ruling will likely have many lawsuits filed against it. The e-cigarette manufactures and retailers will have no choice but to go out of business because the hand of regulation will be so heavy and so ill advised.
Losses will be heavy.
The anti-smoking regulators put many restaurants and bars out of business and losses were in the billions nation wide in the last 20 years. The cash reaper may come back to visit again.
The smokers of America are not stupid, they have seen and felt the slap of regulators for decades now are fed up. If they have to go to the black market to buy e-cigarettes one of these days because of the clueless action of government, they will.
Ask anyone and they will tell you don’t stay in an abusive relationship. Do you hear that FDA? Smokers will fight back.
Dave Pickrell
President and founder of Smokers Fighting Discrimination, Inc.
A not for profit organization
Katy, Texas