In its Take Down Tobacco program, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is lamenting the fact that through its sale of flavored vapes, the tobacco industry is addicting youth and reversing progress in reducing tobacco use.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids states that: "Flavored vapes have fueled the youth e-cigarette epidemic, which is addicting a generation of kids and threatening to reverse decades of progress to reduce youth tobacco use in the U.S."
They also claim that: "Eliminating the sale of flavored e-cigarettes is a critical step toward ending the tobacco industry’s modern day pipeline of youth addiction."
The Rest of the Story
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is being disingenuous in claiming that youth who vape are using tobacco. They are doing nothing of the sort. They may be inhaling nicotine, but they are not using tobacco. Perhaps the Campaign is not aware of this, but vapes do not contain any tobacco. Thus, it is inaccurate and irresponsibly misleading to publicly state that vaping is a form of tobacco use.
I don't believe for a moment that the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is not aware that vapes do not contain tobacco. I believe, instead, that they are deliberately making false statements in order to advance their goal of eliminating these products from the market. While youth vaping should be discouraged, it is completely disingenuous to tell kids who are vaping that they are using tobacco. I support campaigns to try to prevent youth e-cigarette use, but I do not support lying to kids in order to achieve this goal.
I also have to question the validity of the claim that tobacco companies are currently marketing flavored vapes (other than tobacco and menthol-flavored products). The FDA has only authorized tobacco or menthol vapes produced by tobacco companies. I'm not aware that they are defying the law by selling other non-authorized flavors as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids seems to be claiming.
For decades, we attacked the tobacco companies for lying to the American people about tobacco use. Ironically, we are now the ones who are lying about tobacco use. And we're getting away with it because the tobacco companies are no longer challenging anything we say.
As I've stated before, I don't believe that the ends justify the means. In public health, transparency and honesty are core values. We are not justified in pursuing the end of preventing youth vaping by using the means of lying to youth and to the general public. This dishonesty has got to end.
