Many Anti-Smoking Advocates Would Apparently Rather You Stay in a Sinking Ship than Use an Untested Lifeboat

I need to start by acknowledging that I am borrowing an analogy that was crafted by Jacob Sullum, senior editor at Reason Magazine. But the analogy is just perfect. Smokers are arguably in a sinking ship. Electronic cigarettes are a potential lifeboat. No, they have not been tested and approved by the FDA. But if you were in a sinking ship, would you remain in the ship because the lifeboats had not been FDA-tested and approved?

Apparently, many anti-smoking advocates and groups would give precisely that advice: stay in the sinking ship because the lifeboats are untested!

According to an article in the Ocala Star Banner, a health education specialist with the Florida Department of Health gave just this advice.

According to the article: "Evelyn James, health education specialist with the Florida Department of Health in Marion County (once called the Marion County Health Department), said e-cigarettes have not been studied. James urged potential users not to “replace one product that has been proven to be bad for you” for another that has not even been tested."

The Rest of the Story

Apparently, this anti-smoking advocate would rather that people continue to smoke, thus assuming known risks, than switch to electronic cigarettes which she states are an untested product.

Even if electronic cigarettes had not been "tested," this would be irresponsible and absurd advice.

But the rest of the story is that electronic cigarettes have been extensively tested and the ingredients in the e-liquids have been well-characterized.

Here is where our "another day, another anti-smoking lie about e-cigs" enters the picture.

According to the same article: 

"Erika Sward, American Lung Association's vice president of national advocacy, said e-cigs have not been thoroughly studied and no one really knows the chemical content in the e-juice."

The assertion that "no one really knows the chemical content in the e-juice" is a lie. As I explained yesterday, the contents of the e-juice have been extensively studied. In Zachary Cahn and my review of electronic cigarettes, we reported the results of at least 18 different studies which examined these ingredients. We know the chemical content of e-juice far better than we know the chemical content of cigarette smoke.

Once again, lies and distortion are necessary for anti-smoking advocates to discourage e-cigarette use because the truth simply doesn't comport with their blind ideology.