Monday 14 April 2014

E-Cigs To Be Classed As Tobacco

It appears that the World Health Organisation has jumped the shark and is now entirely under the control of their pharmaceutical industry paymasters.

Via the Financial Times, I challenge any tobacco controller to say that this is a proportionate response to something which is helping hundreds of thousands of smokers to quit tobacco.
Electronic cigarette users are set to be banished to the pavement alongside their tobacco-smoking cousins – and face similar hefty prices – if the World Health Organisation pushes ahead with plans to regulate e-cigarettes in the same way as normal tobacco. 
Attendees at the meeting, which included representatives from the WHO’s six global regions, said that e-cigarettes “would be considered as tobacco products as per the WHO FCTC” if they contained nicotine made from tobacco leaves, according to the minutes. 
The move would see e-cigarettes face the same advertising bans, public smoking limits and hefty excise duty that apply to normal cigarettes, potentially stymieing the products’ rapid growth.
Conveniently, this is just what the pharmaceutical industry needs to halt a dramatic decline in sales of their useless, but expensive, rival products. What a coincidence, eh? And what's the betting that if this is true, the WHO commission 'science' to justify it from someone like, oh I dunno, mad Stan Glantz?

Now, I hate to crow (actually, I don't) but I saw this coming way back in 2008. It has been written in the public health scriptures that the only supplier of nicotine shall be the pharmaceutical industry, even though they too procure their nicotine from tobacco leaves.

Bravo to e-cigs and vapers everywhere for flushing these charlatans out. Their claimed care for health is merely the front for a charade which often resembles a shilling exercise for Big Pharma. If not, I dare ASH and chums to prove me wrong by objecting to these proposals in the strongest possible terms. In fact, scratch that, I double dare you.

Quite how throwing vapers out into the street is supposed to protect those poor choice-free bar workers from the already mythical secondhand smoke terror, the article doesn't say. Just a hunch, but I'd say bar workers have been used like a cheap whore by a tobacco control industry which has never been about health.

The message this is sending is that you may as well carry on smoking - if anyone tries to put you off, just advise them that the World Health Organisation told you to.


35 comments:

nisakiman said...

...e-cigarettes “would be considered as tobacco products as per the WHO
FCTC” if they contained nicotine made from tobacco leaves, according to
the minutes.


So the first question is: What about e-cigs / e-liquids that don't contain nicotine? And secondly, what about e-cigs / e-liquids that do contain nicotine, but nicotine that has been sourced from a plant other than tobacco? I know tobacco is the most concentrated source, but I'm sure some enterprising agriculturalists would pretty soon be able to selectively breed eggplant or whatever with high concentrations of nicotine and extract it from that.

The advent of the e-cig has indeed opened a nest of vipers. It will be amusing watching the contortions of Tobacco Control as they seek to justify their actions, and also try to deal with the inevitable permutations of e-cigs that will follow as the manufacturers create products that evade the clutches of hastily drafted legislation.

Grab the popcorn and pull up a chair. This should be fun!

RooBeeDoo said...

DP, I'm afraid the situation for people that believe smoking is the greatest evil was best described by MacBeth, who was a weak but ambitious man:

'“I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.” Act 3, Scene 4

Acts 4 and 5 to go now. But Act 5 is a goodie, Mrs MacB tops herself and it dawns on Mr MacB that he really didn't have the evidence sussed. He dies horribly by a man called McDuff - that's the name of a beer on The Simpsons. Applause, bows, curtains fall.

RooBeeDoo said...

Actually, 'MacBeth' works for most of those who work in Public Health or Medicine. And pretty much for all governments.

RooBeeDoo said...

Encore? Oh go on then:

http://underdogsbiteupwards.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/recycling-and-other-tales/#comment-24767

harleyrider1778 said...

If you read the last SG report it kept on page after page making it clear that NRTs are not tobacco products....Now we see if the nicotine is from tobacco plants then its a tobacco product. Big Pharma is the 2nd or third biggest buyer of tobacco at the auction barns right behind the federal government that buys whats left over!

harleyrider1778 said...

Big Pharma’s Smoke Cessation Drugs

Nicorette gum is sold by GlaxoSmithKline while nicotine patches are manufactured by Johnson & Johnson. These companies were reported in New York Times as the companies that led intense ecig opposition.

The proposed rules on ecigs from the FDA are impending and this rule making is being shadowed by Big Pharma.

Drug industry is known for its heavy spending on lobbying in the US. Drug companies’ agenda frequently involve bigger government. With no drug lobbying efforts, the Obamacare, for example, would have been exterminated last summer of 2009.

Also, upon the request of drug makers, Medicare prescription drug benefit was created by the Bush government.

Now, Big Pharma is lobbying against the tools aside from their prescription smoke cessation drugs that smokers use in quitting like electronic cigarettes. Once again, it is working with the government to achieve its goal.

Mitch Zeller, a firmer lobbyist, was assigned by President Obama to head FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products that would be responsible in creating ecig regulations. Zeller’s consulting clients included GlaxoSmithKline and other drug companies.

In 2009, Zeller was a special guest at the White House Rose Garden when President Obama signed the tobacco regulation legislation. He disclosed in a 2009 article that he provided consulting support to the drug company GlaxoSmithKline via Pinney Associates.

Right now, this very pharma consultant is given the regulatory authority on Big Pharma’s competitions like ecigarettes.

Consumer groups and federal regulators argue that ecigs are not tested and dangerous. They are also against the fact that these products contain nicotine; yet evidences show that nicotine is not what makes smoking dangerous, but other ingredients in tobacco cigarettes.

Dr. Gilbert Ross of the American Council on Science and Health stated that the concerns raised by drug companies are comprehensible as they are rent-seeking. In economics, rent-seeking refers to the seeking of profits via public policy with no economic value created.

Ross added that Zeller has been in the field of promoting traditional nicotine replacement therapy products approved by the FDA. He has been in the forefront of opposition to alternative products like ecigarettes and snus. Avail V2 discounts on kits and accessories using our Exclusive V2 Coupons!

http://www.nitro-hq.com/war-against-electronic-cigarettes-by-big-pharma.html

harleyrider1778 said...

E-Cigs and Big Pharma

By Peter Gillespie on Jan 17, 2014 in Features, Gilla Blog | 1 comment



Big pharma have their eyes on e-cigarettes. It was always just a matter of time, really. But, what does this mean? How can big pharma affect the e-cigarette market?

As we have reported in the past, studies are showing that e-cigarettes are just as effective as Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) in helping tobacco smokers fulfill their nicotine cravings. If not more effective. Inevitably, this puts the electronic cigarette industry on big pharma’s radar since they profit “from treating disease, including diseases stemming from smoking; if there is less disease to treat, then their profits will fall, which is bad news for shareholders.” Not to mention the fact that big pharma is clearly active in the NRT market…

NRT includes such items as nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches, and GlaxoSmithKline is the leading marketer of these products within the United States. Obviously, if smokers who are in the process of quitting turn to e-cigs rather than NRT, Glaxo will lose revenue. – Daily Finance, January 10, 2014

As a result, it’s not surprising that big pharma might be working against the growing e-cigarette movement. They have deep pockets and even deeper connections, from the American Lung Association to Mitch Zeller, head of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. That said, it also wouldn’t shock us if they decided to follow in the footsteps of big tobacco: If you can’t beat them, join them.

Big pharma already have a very like-minded product in play: The description, directions and general methodology for nicotine inhalers are uncannily similar to those used for e-cigarette products, and the ingredients aren’t far off either.

What are they used for? To mimic the act of smoking and to replace how you get nicotine into your system to help you quit.

How do they work? They release nicotine into your mouth when you inhale. They have replaceable nicotine cartridges (we call them caps or cartomizers!). Each cartridge will provide you with about 40 minutes of use.

What’s in them? Nicotine and menthol flavoring.

Sound familiar?

You’re supposed to use anywhere from three to six, and upwards of 12 cartridges per day, depending on your needs. If you do a quick look, you can find refills online… 168 go for $100 on ebay. If you follow the six per day recommendation, that should last you around a month.

Looking at that model, I’d be worried about e-cigarette popularity as well.

http://gillainc.com/e-cigs-big-pharma/

harleyrider1778 said...

Big pharma already have a very like-minded product in play: The description, directions and general methodology for nicotine inhalers are uncannily similar to those used for e-cigarette products, and the ingredients aren’t far off either.

harleyrider1778 said...

Spin off market would be for asthma attacks!

harleyrider1778 said...

Mitch Zeller, a firmer lobbyist, was assigned by President Obama to head FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products that would be responsible in creating ecig regulations. Zeller’s consulting clients included GlaxoSmithKline and other drug companies.

In 2009, Zeller was a special guest at the White House Rose Garden when President Obama signed the tobacco regulation legislation. He disclosed in a 2009 article that he provided consulting support to the drug company GlaxoSmithKline via Pinney Associates.

Mickelodian said...

How precisely could one determine if a compound like nicotine was derived from tobacco, tomatoes or any other source? or even produced artificially. Now if its synthesized then the nicotine will be identifiable as such since it will have both left and right sided molecules... but not if its derived from any plant except tobacco... This is a rather rubbish rule and utterly unenforceable. Its also rather telling in that the rule had to reach a weird conclusion in order to enforce the rule of 'tobacco product' IF 'derived from tobacco'... so what about everything else derived from tobacco... like pharmaceutical nicotine or even insecticide? Or is it to be the case that all of those get a free pass 'except' eliquid?

Mickelodian said...

Lastly... Please americans I implore you... vote republican next time... I can't stand american politics since both parties to my mind are exactly the same... but republicans have an ideology that prevents them from screwing about with personal freedoms... plus the main thing republicans are good at in enforcing a no tax policy.

nisakiman said...

That link isn't working for me Harley.

nisakiman said...

Greece floated that one more than a year ago. Problem is that most places don't need to spend the money on a licence because people smoke freely inside anyway, despite the ruling passed down from the EU.

harleyrider1778 said...

Figures,thats one of Dave Athertons links he tossed it out there awhile back. Have to look for it again. Sorry

harleyrider1778 said...

Greece was voting on it just last week in a story I found.

harleyrider1778 said...

Ya got that right Mick but theres an abundance of RINO'S democrats in republican garb.................that took over the party about 7 years ago.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

"Its also rather telling in that the rule had to reach a weird conclusion in order to enforce the rule of 'tobacco product' IF 'derived from tobacco'."



That jumped out at me too. It's like they sat round a table for a couple of hours trying to think up some flimsy justification. They're barely hiding their underlying crusade now.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

Indeed, this has been a long time coming and I've been eagerly awaiting it. I must admit that I just thought we'd see tobacco control impotently seething about e-cigs; never did I think that they'd be so blatant with their lies to get them banned. Big Pharma profits are so sacrosanct, it seems, that the carefully-constructed web of deceit is being abandoned and many reputations are being laid wide open for sacrifice. Incredible.

Linda Reid said...

The Big Pharma aren't just running scared because of the vast drop in sales of their ineffective nicotine replacement therapies, they're running scared because if we vapers all begin to get well, who's going to cure the otherwise sick who have been diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, bronchitis, asthma etc, as a result of smoking tobacco cigarettes! They are looking at the much bigger picture, one where 5 million people globally aren't dying anymore and their products can't be used to keep someone alive for as long as they can whilst enduring one of the many associated smoking related illnesses. A long range forecast for them looks very dim indeed.

Ivan D said...

The world would be a better place without the WHO. It is corrupt and unfit for purpose.

Linda Reid said...

What about all the vegetables that created nicotine to save themselves from being eaten by various bugs - tomatoes, aubergines (high in nicotine) cauliflower, mushrooms and so on, will there be a ban on eating these - in fact these aren't inhaled, their ingested?

nisakiman said...

Linda, I don't think you get it.

who's going to cure the otherwise sick who have been diagnosed with
cancer, heart disease, bronchitis, asthma etc, as a result of smoking
tobacco cigarettes!


Those untold millions who have been 'diagnosed with
cancer, heart disease, bronchitis, asthma etc, as a result of smoking
tobacco cigarettes' are as much a figment of the fervid imagination of Tobacco Control as the 'dangers of vaping' are.

There will be no noticeable effect of people switching from tobacco to e-cigs, because for the most part, 'smoking-related diseases' are a construct of the anti-smoking fanatics.

Like the 'miracle reduction of heart attacks after the smoking ban' stories, when you actually look into them, they are nothing of the sort; just cherry-picked figures to add weight to an ideological agenda.

Like the 'hundreds of thousands' who die every year from SHS. - challenge any anti-smoking fanatic to supply one certified case, and you will be met with stony silence.

It's ALL propaganda, Linda, and you've bought into it. Yes, e-cigs are great, and inhaling burnt leaf matter is surely not beneficial to your lungs. But smoking tobacco is not the surefire road to perdition that TC would have you believe. Just as the fantasy they are currently concocting about e-cigs is pure and unadulterated bullshit.

Take a step back, Linda, and look at the whole scenario objectively. You have been lied to. Again and again and again. Don't think that the lies about e-cigs are the first they've told. They've been telling them for decades.

MarkWadsworth said...

"you may as well carry on smoking - if anyone tries to put you off, just advise them that the World Health Organisation told you to."
Yup, that was my cunning strategy all along :-)

woodsy42 said...

That's interesting. I started smoking back in the 1960s when I discovered it was the only thing that helped alleviate my very intense and unpleasant hay fever symptoms. I was convinced it worked but could never find any sort of confirmation.

harleyrider1778 said...

studies of children of smokers suggest it is PROTECTIVE in contracting atopy in the first place. The New Zealand study says by a staggering factor of 82%.

“Participants with atopic parents were also less likely to have positive SPTs between ages 13 and 32 years if they smoked themselves (OR=0.18), and this reduction in risk remained significant after adjusting for confounders.

The authors write: “We found that children who were exposed to parental smoking and those who took up cigarette smoking themselves had a lower incidence of atopy to a range of common inhaled allergens.
“These associations were found only in those with a parental history of asthma or hay fever.”

They conclude: Our findings suggest that preventing allergic sensitization is not one of them.”
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Volume 121, Issue 1 , Pages 38-42.e3, January 2008
http://www.jacionline.org/article/S00...(07)01954-9/abstract

.
This is a Swedish study.

“Children of mothers who smoked at least 15 cigarettes a day tended to have lower odds for suffering from allergic rhino-conjunctivitis, allergic asthma, atopic eczema and food allergy, compared to children of mothers who had never smoked (ORs 0.6-0.7)

CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates an association between current exposure to tobacco smoke and a low risk for atopic disorders in smokers themselves and a similar tendency in their children.”
Clin Exp Allergy 2001 Jun;31(6):908-14
http://www.data-yard.net/30/asthma.htm

Hadinuff II said...

Here we go again,vapers join the smokers ,yap,yap,yap,twitter,twitter,twitter
blog,blog ,blog, nothing but an international menagerie of canaries,budgies and stunted parrots all fettered to their cozy perches, all whistling and chirping for justice yet hardly fluttering a feather
Where's the organisers the agitators, the trouble causers,where do we find
ring leaders,where are the ones who know how to kick some ass,pass round
a bit of fear
Anyway the Tobacco Companies must be laughing their heads off
Dont expect much protest from the Vapers,be honest they look like wimps allready.
PS Before we forget,those who are NOT prepared to DO anything
leave it out Please,do us all a favour, just watch telly and stroke the cat.

right_writes said...

While they are at it, they could make "carbon" illegal too...


Ergo...


No more global warming.


Just like that!

Gary said...

Just caught something on the news, a tobacco company is closing it's factory in Nottingham due to falling sales. Interesting times cometh....

Bones said...

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091674907019549

On The Level said...

Harley, you can copy and paste these fake facts over and over across North America blogs (which is apparently a full time job for you) but considering it would appear that all of the sources are made up, it won't make them real except for those that want to believe them.

nisakiman said...

Thanx for the link, Bones. Much appreciated.

harleyrider1778 said...

Mitchell Zeller, J.D., Director, Center for Tobacco ...
www.fda.gov › … › Office of Medical Products and Tobacco
Mar 14, 2014 · U.S. Food & Drug Administration A to Z Index; Follow FDA; ... Mitchell Zeller, J.D. Director, Center for Tobacco Products . Mitch Zeller, J.D., ...

harleyrider1778 said...

Nope doesn't look fake to me one damn bit how about you!

harleyrider1778 said...

I suppose you also call the above fake facts too then ehh! Theres something about fighting an enemy that's worldwide..............you end up fighting them everywhere they show their faces!