US media heavyweight Steve Forbes this week took a strong stance in favour of vejpning and e-cigarettes, warning of an impending total ban.
"Should e-cigarettes be banned? No, on the contrary. We should encourage smokers to use them instead" said the media mogul and Republican Steve Forbes in its recurring feature "What´s ahead" on the forbes.com website
Steven Forbes and his Forbes.com is one of America's biggest media companies. And Steve Forbes is not mincing his words. He accuses several organisations of misleading the American people with unsubstantiated, unscientific arguments. Something that recently came to the fore when California banned all flavourings except tobacco flavours in e-liquid.
Lying about e-cigarettes
"They have already convinced thousands to believe that e-cigarettes are as dangerous, even more dangerous, than traditional cigarettes. And it's shocking how they base their arguments on misconceptions and sometimes outright lies" says Steve Forbes
By acting in this way, the organisations, and the authorities that listen to them, are condemning millions of smokers to an unnecessary and premature death," says Steve Forbes.
"E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco. They allow users to inhale nicotine, but without inhaling the deadly residues of burnt tobacco. Vaping is the most effective and safest alternative to smoking tobacco" says Steve Forbes
E-cigarettes reduce smoking
He also pays tribute to UK health authorities and doctors encouraging smokers to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes. Something US authorities like the CDC and FDA should also do, he says.
"There is a growing concern that young people are using e-cigarettes and that this will lead to tobacco use in the future. But the truth is that it is the other way round. Young vejpers are not taking up smoking. Rather, smoking among young people has fallen sharply in recent years, from 16% to 6%." says Steve Forbes
Lobby pressures authorities
Steve Forbes also discusses last year's outbreak of EVALI disease. That it was caused by illicit marijuana products and not e-cigarettes with regular nicotine. Something that was not made clear by the authorities or the media.
"Despite the truth about e-cigarettes, these anti-vejp organisations are pressuring federal authorities to outright ban flavourings in e-cigarettes." says Steve Forbes
Flavour bans lead to total bans
And flavour bans are just the foundation stone to an outright ban of all vejp products, he says. And that's something that would suit many other companies in the market. The technology competes in a previously fairly exclusive market.
"It comes as no surprise that companies involved in tobacco, cigarettes, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and other stop-smoking products view e-cigarettes with scepticism. But e-cigarettes ARE less harmful than traditional cigarettes and these campaigns against the technology must stop. We should take the example of the UK and encourage smokers to switch to e-cigarettes instead." Steve Forbes.
