vaping

There's an infamous still photo at the 40 second mark in the video above. The photo is of the 7 CEOs of the 7 big tobacco companies-- collectively known as the "7 dwarves"-- swearing in front of Congress that tobacco was neither addictive nor harmful to anyone's health. Although the 7 absolutely knew otherwise and although the 7 were absolutely responsible for millions of deaths, none were ever charged with a crime, let alone incarcerated for a single day in prison. Zero accountability.The tobacco companies have kept bribing members of Congress.

Relatively few Americans ever get to India, a real shame, since it's a truly incredible place. I set out from London in 1969 in my VW camper for my first trip.

E-cigarettes may be an effective way of helping people to quit smoking regular cigarettes, but studies show that vaping is far from safe. According to the research, people who vape are more likely to suffer heart attacks, strokes, and depression.
Using the National Health Interview Survey, researchers compared people who reported vaping to with those not reporting any e-cigarette use and found that e-cigarette users had a:

In recent months, federal health officials have increasingly warned that vaping has led to an epidemic of nicotine addiction among teens. But now the Food and Drug Administration says there may be a new worry associated with vaping: It could increase the risk of seizures in young people. [1]
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in a statement:

A new lawsuit alleges that JUUL Labs Inc. illegally underplays the dangers of its product to make it more appealing to kids.

A Little Background First

Experts have warned in recent years that e-cigarettes are a gateway to tobacco use for teens. The problem has become so dire that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now says there is an “epidemic” of youth smoking. One of the most popular vaping devices among young people is JUUL, a small device that looks like a USB device, which includes a pod for liquid nicotine. [1]

Juul Labs, makers of the highly popular Juul e-cigarettes, increased the nicotine content of their products, spurring other e-cigarette makers to do the same. This, experts say in a new report, has led to a serious vaping epidemic among teens and young adults, and a nicotine “arms race” among e-cigarette companies.

In the past year, it has become increasingly-evident that there is a vaping epidemic among the nation’s youth. Though it’s unknown how much of a ‘gateway’ vaping may be to regular tobacco use among teens and young adults, it’s certainly true that many more kids who wouldn’t smoke at all are trying e-cigarettes. To tackle the problem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is threatening to remove e-cigarette products from the market.
Why not regular tobacco cigarettes? Let’s be honest – there’s too much money wrapped up in the tobacco industry to do that.

Juul and Altria, both makers of e-cigarettes and vape products, are in trouble with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) again, this time for reneging on a promise the companies made to the government to help curb the epidemic of youth vaping.
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said he is drafting letters to both companies that will criticize them for publicly vowing to remove flavored liquid nicotine pods from store shelves, while quietly working on a financial partnership that will, in fact, place even more nicotine pods on shelves.

Altria Group, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes and e-cigarettes, announced October 25 that it would pull its pod-based e-cigarettes from store shelves, at least for now. The move is in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) growing concerns over teen e-cigarette use and they’re possible health implications. [1]
The tobacco manufacturer said it would not put the e-cigarette products back on the market until they receive federal clearance or “the youth issue is otherwise addressed.”

If you vape, then you may have heard that e-cigarettes are safer than tobacco cigarettes. There might be some truth to that, but as a study shows, most e-cigarette users don’t really know what they’re inhaling, even if they take the time to look at the ingredients on the label. [1]
Study author Sven Jordt, an associate professor of anesthesiology, pharmacology and cancer biology at the Duke University School of Medicine, said: