Tag Archives: Public Health

Documentary Film, E-cigarettes, Ethics, Health Care, Indie Film, regulations, Vaping

A Billion Lives : The Fight Continues

May 14, 2017 Vaping Links 2 Comments

A Billion Lives, the award-winning documentary film – is making a global impact on policy, politics, and regulations.

The Fight Continues

The fight for A Billion Lives continues in Iceland where their Parliment must weigh their options on the evidence for a safer alternative to smoking.

Welcome to Iceland 😍 Looking forward to @ABillionLives w the Icelandic audience may 14th. #veipumlifum Streamed @VeipumLifum https://t.co/7EgIiQ0FHK

— G. Karl Snæ MD (@KalliSnae) May 12, 2017

Included was a live-stream from the conference with Linda Bauld, Prof Peter Hajek, Prof John Britton, Clive Bates, Director Aaron Biebert and more.

In New Zealand

Do NOT dismiss the power of this film.

This film is already a history-making documentary.

In New Zealand earlier this year, the film helped CHANGE the DIRECTION on legislation of e-cigarettes with combined efforts from Dr. Marewa Glover and the team at Aotearoa Vape Community Advocacy (AVCA).

Here’s a few links pertaining to New Zealand: New Zealand – Special Edition

MUCH More Than A Film

The Village of Hartland, Wisconsin is challenging the deeming rules set by the Food & Drug Administration for not coordinating with the Hartland government.

Both the film and Director Aaron Biebert’s testimony are on public record from the hearings and are headed to Washington.

Much More Than A Movement

This brand new consumer group formed on Facebook – has grown quickly to over 3,000 folks in under a week and show no signs of slowing down.

Here’s that group: A Billion Vapers

To rent or purchase the film online,

please go here.

Find A Billion lives:

On their website at:

ABillionLives.com

Facebook:

A Billion Lives

Twitter:

@ABillionLives

@Biebert

@AttentionEra

A Billion Lives

My latest:

Vaping In The News May 13th, 2017

Nicotine Is Not Addictive.

Health aspects of e-cigarettes – Short information for physicians

NEWS from my friends across the pond: Vapers.org.uk.

You can find me here trying to be cordial on Facebook

You can find me here being a bit more evil on Twitter

You can also find me on LinkedIn

You can follow me on this blog!

Medical, Research, Science Professionals:

M.O.V.E.

Research:

Politics:

E-Cigarette Politics

A Billion Lives

Your comments are NEVER filtered, always encouraged and welcome on this blog.

More to come.

Keep ON #Vaping On.

Kevin

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Anti-Tobacco, data, ecigs, Ethics, Health Professionals, Nicotine, Public Health, Research, Tobacco Control, Vaping

Nicotine Addiction: An Open 30-Day Public Health Challenge

March 19, 2017 Vaping Links 25 Comments

Foreword:

For decades, Public Health, Tobacco Control, and Government experts have agreed in unison, that nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes with comparisons and statements that nicotine is as or more addictive than heroin.

This “Public Health Challenge” is to show scientific proof that the assertions of addiction are true.

I have decided to put (our) money where your assertions are by taking you, the health, tobacco control, science and research communities, to literal task on nicotine addiction.

This is a 30-day challenge for anyone in public health to show nicotine addiction in humans, without MAOI’S, ammonia, or any other non-nicotine additive or any form of tobacco, without question.

You don’t need to prove me wrong, you need to prove yourselves right.

That’s it.

Nicotine Addiction

An Open 30-Day Public Health Challenge:

Addiction to a habit-forming substance is defined by Merriam-Webster:

Medical Definition of addiction

: compulsive physiological need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly: persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be physically, psychologically, or socially harmful [emphasis added.]

Criteria:

To show proof of nicotine addiction with existing clinical trials, case studies, data, and scientific documentation of addiction to nicotine alone, without any form of tobacco or Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI’S), ammonia, or any other non-nicotine additive, in humans.

Documentation submitted (either as a text file or in the form of a web link) must be accessible and not be behind a “paywall”.

Documentation:

Unacceptable documentation:

Animal studies (rats, mice, monkeys, etc.) are not acceptable.
Submissions not published in professional or scientific journals or government websites are not acceptable.
Anything inaccessible by the public, including “paywalls” via the internet, are not acceptable.
Oral presentations, press releases are not acceptable.
Existing clinical trials, case studies, data, in vitro studies, self-reported surveys and scientific documentation in humans that claim probabilities or hypothetical possibilities as they do not show nicotine “is” addictive and are not acceptable.
Existing clinical trials, case studies, data, in vitro studies, self-reported surveys, and scientific documentation cannot include words and phrases like “hand to mouth, dependent, habitual, ritualistic” or words like “can, conceivably, could, likely, may, might, perhaps, possible, possibly, possibility, probably, probability” and cannot include tobacco or MAOI’s, ammonia, or any other non-nicotine additive for this challenge.

Acceptable Documentation:

Documentation must be accessible to the public.
Documentation must show the acceptable definition of addiction in existing clinical trials, case studies, data, or science and include characteristics of addiction such as increased tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms of nicotine alone, in humans, without any form of tobacco or MAOI’s, ammonia, or any other non-nicotine additive.
Documentation showing addiction in clinical trials or case studies with 3% or 2 subjects, whichever is greater.
Documentation must include a clear description of methodologies and results.
Peer-reviewed submissions must include names and affiliations of reviewers.

Documentation submitted (either as a text file or in the form of a web link) must be accessible and not be behind a “paywall”.

Documentation submitted must also include proof of existence with at least three of the following compulsive use or behaviors identified and defined, such as:

Physical addiction
Loss of job
Erratic or deviant behavior
Decreased social activities
Increased tolerance of nicotine and use over time
Harm to the patient or others around them
Withdrawal symptoms, phases

Submission:

Documentation must be submitted to this blog publicly and directly in the comment section below.

Reward:

If addiction to nicotine is proven according to the criteria above, 5% of the funds donated during this 30-day challenge (minus processing fees) will be donated to The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

The remaining 95% (if proven) will be donated as follows:

In the absence of or lack of documentation submitted per the criteria stated above, or if this Public Health Challenge is deemed uncontested, any and all funds donated during this 30-day challenge (minus processing fees) will go to ecigarette-research.org for further research by Dr. Farsalinos and his colleagues.

To *donate any amount, please go here to the GoFundMe page:

Nicotine Addiction: An Open 30-Day Public Health Challenge

*If you cannot donate with GoFundMe (due to bank fees, country of origin or other reasons), please message me. I can accept your donation of any amount securely via PayPal here and I will then transfer it with your name or initials (please specify) so there is a receipt for both of us.

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Anti-Tobacco, E-cigs, Ecigarettes, Tobacco, Tobacco Control, Tobacco Harm Reduction, Vape, Vaping

Vaping In the News

February 18, 2017 Vaping Links 2 Comments

Depending on where you look and who’s got the narrative on e-cigarettes – There is good, bad, and ugly. Every DAY, vaping is in the news. Every day, something is breaking.

In the spirit of and inspiration from my friends across the pond at Vapers.org.uk, this is a quick selection of what I’ve seen (good, bad and ugly) this past week with the obligatory op-ed above each one designed to inform, enlighten and enrage.

The Outstanding News

If you don’t know about Cole-Bishop, you need to hydrate, educate yourself – and waste no time:

“There is a legitimate role for tobacco regulations, but vaping is not a tobacco product.”

“Regulations should be based on evidence and the FDA doesn’t have the evidence to say that vaping is a harmful product.”

“There is a legitimate role the FDA plays for tobacco regulations, but e-cigarettes are not a tobacco product.”

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) Discusses the Cole-Bishop Amendment with Nicopure Labs

The Good

It’s an amazing thing when people take matters into their own hands when decisions they make have a direct impact on their lives. There is a continuous stream of light from consumers who have switched from smoking combustible tobacco and their journey with e-cigarettes. We, after all, are the experts.

Shining that light is a proactive effort to educate the public and smokers who may be thinking of switching to e-cigarettes.

A series of videos released by the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT) and New Nicotine Alliance (NNA) was released with personal stories from those who have made The Switch.

More on this from Diane Caruana at Vaping Post:

Short movies about vaping by the NNA and NCSCT

Next, another video released by CASAA with a no-nonsense tone explaining the obvious difference between combustible tobacco and e-cigarettes.

How they work, less harm, nicotine and more.

The Bad

Click-Bait Trend

Click-bait is the staple of the media, and this a sparking example of controlling the flow of information by deleting comments.

You can read the sparkly tweet and have enough to decipher the stupidity, and to read the article would take you less than one minute. I’ve linked with a “do not link” url here so they get no traffic ranking from this blog. I’d venture to say if it weren’t for vapers, there wouldn’t be any traffic to some of these idiots.

Hey @RebelCircus, I'd like an explanation as to why all the comments have been deleted from this ridiculous article. https://t.co/FjmdOqCNW0

— Shannon J 🎼☀️💖 (@anImaginaryEcho) February 17, 2017

Would you like fries with that?

The Mayo Clinic has released positive views about e-cigarettes here.

Now, they’ve caught the attention of Clive Bates who is, without question, impeccable. He maintains his class and style by adding condiments to an “unethical and misleading risk” sandwich to the Mayo Clinic.

I hope he sent them napkins.

Hold the Mayo

Idiot Of The Week

malpractice2

Because who doesn’t know how to describe “toxic exposure” better than Michael Cawley, PharmD, RRT, CPFT, FCCM:.

“Although controversy continues about the limited carcinogenic exposure of e-cigarettes compared to traditional tobacco products, a more alarming fact is the toxic exposure of liquid nicotine used by e-cigarettes.”

Sounds like it’s more alarming to vape than smoke, but if you’re not educated enough with all those letters after your name to find substantially reduced levels of measured carcinogens and toxins, DO some research. Even the American Association for Cancer Research knows better.

We already know that e-cigarettes are “not nearly” as alarming, but the way you put it,

Cawley goes on to insist at the end:

“In addition, potential drug interactions should also be discussed with patients since many do not consider liquid nicotine interacting with any prescribed medications. As pharmacists, we need to routinely include questions about the use of e-cigarettes in all our patients with a smoking history.”

I can’t stand linking it, but it is here: Know the Toxins in E-Cigarettes

The Ugly

There was a “discussion paper” released in 2016 in Australia called:

“Options to minimize the risks associated with the marketing and use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in Australia.”

discuss

Clive Bates covered it here.

One of the authors of that paper is none other than Simon Chapman. Now, he’s having a conversation on his article, “Twelve myths about e-cigarettes” The now retired professor wrote an article stuffed with his quit or die mantra, only this time there are responses including Cardiologist Konstantinos E Farsalinos.

Read the article (if you must), but GO to the bottom and hit “Show All Comments”. Turns out “the ugly”, with the help of Dr. Farsalinos and others within may just educate those in need the most: “experts“.

Twelve myths about e-cigarettes that failed to impress the TGA

The latest from me:

Exclusively on Vaping Media:

Rather than initiate dialogue or pursue evidence to present to consumers, U.S. officials are not mentioning it.

Why Are U.S. Health Officials Ignoring U.K. Colleagues about E-Cigs?

I wrote the President:

Dear President Trump:

I urge you to immediately order the Food and Drug Administration to cease and desist any and all activity involving “regulation” of e-cigarettes by classifying them “tobacco”.

Dear President Trump: Stop the F.D.A

Finally:

With more than 560 physicians surveyed, over 70% “indicated that e-cigs can help patients reduce or eliminate smoking” and “almost half believe they can reduce risk” according to a new survey by Andrew Nickels, M.D.

Doctors tell smokers: Switch to e-cigs

E-cigarette NEWS Monday thru Friday is here

from my friends across the pond at Vapers.org.uk.

**Comments are not filtered and are always welcome on this blog.**

Medical, Research, Science Professionals: GO HERE

If you’re interested in learning about vaping products:

You can find me here trying to be cordial on Facebook

You can find me here being a bit more evil on Twitter

You can also find me on LinkedIn

You can follow me on this blog!

More to come.

Keep ON #Vaping On.

Kevin

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Anti-Tobacco, Corruption, E-Cigarette, FDA, Journalism, Vaping

Controlling tobacco roads – paved with g̶o̶o̶d̶ intentions

February 8, 2017 Vaping Links 5 Comments

Health officials, politicians and distinguished “experts” have, with all intents and purposes, descended into subliminal tobacco promotion – pro bono. Nice work! Despite fictitious and contrived positions against tobacco, they have consumed themselves by demonizing e-cigarettes.

The tobacco companies didn’t have to ask. The pharmaceutical companies sit quietly on standby. Healthcare organizations are dancing in the streets – still bleeding from loss of revenue. Government officials can barely contain themselves.

By design, tobacco control and anti-tobacco are promoting the consumption and continued use of cigarettes by both not saying a word and perpetuating fake news.

They’ve become the largest single advertiser – denying, downplaying, discouraging and ignoring facts to consumers about vaping products.

If less tobacco use is the collective goal, they would have intervened and promoted the 79% success rate of e-cigarettes LONG ago. Instead, they violate the blind trust of the public by manipulation of facts with their opinions. They want revenue.

Nothing says “please keep smoking” like leading consumers to believe high profile doctors like Dr. Oz with his latest, or Dr. Margaret Quomo’s claim that “e-cigarettes will raise your risk for lung cancer but also other cancers, like liver cancer”.

Other delusions of grandeur like “nicotine is highly addictive”, “oral health“, formaldehyde-gate, Popcorn-lung-gate, particulate matters and the ever popular gateway-gate are still standard operating procedure to keep doubt and control of the intent of public perception.

These are professionals with standards?

Added 4/23/17

Against All Odds, the U.S. Tobacco Industry Is Rolling in Money

Deny, Deny, Deny

This please keep smoking advertisement comes from Senator Markey saying the “e-cig industry should be put out of business“.

Please, think of the children™.

Scare the public with your faux authority, Ed. That leaves the choice obvious for consumers, Ed. Ban the safer alternative, keep smoking as the intent – you can see how Massachusetts needs smokers for the money.

Who’s left behind?

See the smokers looking to switch in the rear view mirror?

To deviate from facts readily available to support a safer alternative to smoking is to act, with malice in promoting smoking and cigarette sales. Period.

Withholding differential risk information on legal consumer nicotine/tobacco products: The public health ethics of health information quarantines

Two recent examples of less harm:

New study comes the closest yet to proving that e-cigarettes aren’t as dangerous as smoking

Nicotine, Carcinogen, and Toxin Exposure in Long-Term E-Cigarette and Nicotine Replacement Therapy Users: A Cross-sectional Study

The tragedy – since National Tobacco Day, nicotine is now “tobacco”, is that the public has to ACCEPT their definition of nicotine as tobacco, and in doing so, taxes will be, and already are, the norm. That is their intention.

In that, they get what they want either way, and the cost will be in line with – or higher than cigarettes. Think five years down the road. Legislators asking for the farm by passing insane tax measures – like in Pennsylvania.

They’ve done this before.

This is not their first rodeo.

We are obviously getting louder and harder to avoid.

The “Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda” introduced by Senator Camera Bartolotta does mention Public Health England and Royal College of Physicians.

Then – the guilty as charged get what they want (funding, balanced budgets) by appeasing – and “lowering the bar” while their intention is manipulating us into believing or having to accept the fact that consumers, smokers who may want to switch, are getting a “good deal”.

They’re not doing a very good job of trying to fight us.

Added 02/10/17:

Here’s bias in print:

Research Collaboration Uncovers Biases in UK/US Physician Discussions on E-Cigarettes

Added 02/10/17:

Please, keep smoking.

“The FDA’s multi-million dollar campaign attacking smokeless tobacco is almost certainly leading to higher levels of disease by causing Americans to use far-more-hazardous cigarettes,” adds Sweanor.

That’s here:

Smokeless Doesn’t Mean Harmless’ campaign may be doing more harm, researchers argue

I question their integrity, I question their intent.

They are, after all, in the control business.

They want their piece of the pie.

I’ve written President Trump:

Dear President Trump: Stop the F.D.A.

Cole-Bishop Amendment

**Comments are not filtered and are always welcome on this blog.**

If you’re interested in learning about vaping products: