Kaiser
Permanente, the health care consortium that insures over 10 million
Americans, is telling its members, “say no to e-cigarettes…here are 3 good
reasons to give them a thumbs down.” Those
reasons, straight from the prohibitionist playbook, are outdated, irrelevant,
deceptive and irresponsible.
Reason #1: “Safety concerns.” KP mentions a six year old FDA study that reported
traces of diethylene glycol and tobacco-specific nitrosamines in some e-cig
liquid samples. As I
explained, “the FDA tested e-cigarettes for TSNAs using a questionable
sampling regimen, using methods that were so sensitive that the results may
have no possible significance to users. The agency failed to report specific
levels of these contaminants, and it has failed to conduct similar testing of
nicotine medicines that have been sold in the U.S. for over 20 years.” Not only is the study outdated and
irrelevant, subsequent studies have failed to find diethylene glycol in e-cig
liquids.
Reason #2: “No convincing evidence they will help you quit.” As I
reported earlier this year, ignoring medical literature is not just
irresponsible, it’s laughable: There are legions of former smokers who credit
e-cigarettes with life- and breath-saving benefits.
Reason #3: “What’s proven to work still works.” KP advises that “the most effective way to
quit is to use a combination of FDA-approved medications (like the nicotine
patch, gum, lozenge, or bupropion) and counseling support,” which works
for about 7% of smokers in the general population. KP urges smokers to use these coping measures
to “fight
the urge”:
- · Take 10 deep breaths and hold the last one while lighting a match. Exhale slowly and blow out the match. Pretend it's a cigarette and crush it out in an ashtray.
- · Take a shower or bath.
- · Learn to relax quickly and deeply. Visualize a soothing, pleasing situation and get away from it all for a moment. Concentrate on that peaceful image and nothing else.
- · Light incense or a candle instead of a cigarette.
- · Try crossword puzzles, needlework, gardening, or household chores. Wash your hands, do the dishes, or try new recipes.
- · Brush your teeth and use mouthwash.
KP’s e-cigarette advice violates its mission “to improve the
health of our members and the communities we serve.”
2 comments:
I guarantee you the toxins from lighting incense or candle would far exceed those of e-cig.
What an awful misleading infographic. The comparison needs to be vaping versus smoking. Yes, vapor contains stuff that may be harmful. But there is no question that the level of "stuff" in vapor is far far (orders of magnitude) less than combustible tobacco. When you open a bottle of nail polish you are inhaling stuff too. Cosmetics and household cleaning liquids... Review of the National Adult Tobacco Survey shows that smokers who, after two years, became daily vapors, were 8 times more likely to have quit smoking completely. No evidence that vaping helps you quit?
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