The demonization of smokers is an activity as insidious and evil as any other racially-based activity. There exist studies to indicate that smokers have various genetic predispositions to smoking and nicotine hence targeting them as a group is wrong. (And yes this is like what the Nazi's did to the Jews - particularly because society as a whole goes along with it with a wink and a nod because the government portrays smokers and smoking as unclean.)
Smokers are people like everyone else. They have rights which cannot be violated because they make others uncomfortable.
The exact same arguments where used by the Nazi's as an excuse to round up Jews.
And no, smoking laws that eliminate smoking from private enterprise are wrong. Wrong because taking away the rights of the business is no better than taking away rights because of skin color or gender or anything else.
E-cigarettes have nothing to do with smoking and its associated medical side show of misery. E-cigarettes function no differently than vaporizers and coffee pots. Both heat liquids containing chemicals, both give off vapors you can breath, both address specific mental and physical cravings.
Personally I believe that they should not be called e-cigarettes because doing so associates them with the historical demonization of smokers.
So why do it?
I have noticed that in social situations most people are so used to the classic "smoking cues" that if you pretend like the e-cigarette is a pen or pencil virtually no one notices what you are doing with it - even in the homes of virulent anti-smoking Nazi's. People today are accustomed to devices with lights so they don't attract attention - particularly if they are not orange.
People seem to accept it - sort of like seeing a joint for the first time at a party - "Oh, that's interesting!" "How does it work." "Can I try it!"
So in the best interest of success it would seem that its best for e-cigarettes not to be cigarettes at all - but rather vaporizers.
This will make it very, very hard to legislate exactly what the difference is between a vaporizer I might give my child as part of a breathing treatment and an e-cigarette.
Nicotine is not evil. Its a drug, like most naturally occurring substances, that comes from a plant. It occurs in eggplant and tomatoes as well as tobacoo. It is not well studied except as part of smoking.
However, most anit-smoking Nazi's simply apply the evils of inhaling smoke to nicotine.
They should not be given a pass on this.
The government promotes all sorts of other dangerous behavior so long as its "socially acceptable." For example, safe sex. "Safe sex" spreads disease and creates children. Birth control is never 100% effective. They promote the latest "health craze" like Lipitor and statin drugs, antibiotics, and so forth even though there is ample evidence that these substances are not helpful and very, very often do much more harm than good.
But because they are in bed with the drug companies these facts are ignored.
Like a heroin addict government is addicted to cigarette taxes. If you do not believe this conduct the following thought experiment. "Every quits smoking today." What happens? Tens or hundreds of thousands who make a living because of tobacco become unemployed. The local 7-11's go bankrupt or become unprofitable. Thousands of FDA and academic anti-smoking Nazi's loose their jobs. States lose tens of millions a month in revenue - revenue that props up bad pension and other decisions. People stop going to places that accept smokers. Millions gain weight and become obese - encountering numerous and serious health issues as they do so.
All of this cuts off the stream of cigarette, employment and excise tax revenue leaving states, already bankrupt, in worse shape than ever.
They turn to the federal government for aid - but its already over extended and fails to help...
The truth is the government (federal, state, and local) requires tobacco revenue, sales and businesses in order to function. Take that away and they will go bust.
Yet...
They say they want us all to stop smoking...
Given this scenario do you think they really want to lose their jobs? Go bankrupt? Have nothing to study?
Of course not.
And what about the moral implications of this?
If smoking is so unclean and evil how could anyone justify making a living from it?
Particularly if they, as their living, claim its evil and unclean.
No, smoking and her friends are like the prostitutes that visit the judges or police chief's office after hours - they are all corrupt.
E-cigarette technology comes from outside the USA. This is very, very bad because it gives the FDA the entire force of the US government to use against it. Honestly, I think that e-cigarette companies should set up shop in Mexico and give Mexicans crossing the boarder illegally huge bags of e-cigarette materials to carry (for pay of course) into the country.
This would solve the problem since the US government has no real concern about stopping this sort of illegal entry to the US.
Of course the real problem is that ridiculous laws here make developing technology to help smokers something can only be done in another country - thanks Mr. FDA for looking out for your charges here in the US.
Children will use them! Can you please give me a break. The FDA is happy to give condoms to kids - with mere paper instructions in the box. Do the condoms always work? No. Are they reliable birth control? No. Does little Suzy remember to take her birth control pills every day? No. And what are the risks of those pills long term? Are they good for you? If so, why to the packages have so many warnings on them?
Then there is the nonsense of "it entices children"... So does pot. So does drinking. So do most things that adults do that children cannot.
Anyone every been to a giant kids party for 18 and under where tobacco companies are giving out cigarettes? No, me either... Guess we'll have to wait for the vaping companies to do the same - that way the law enforcement community will have something to work with.
How about just saying "no".
Its time for the industry to setup a trade association and start beating the bushes in Washington DC.
Its time to have some hearings on capitol hill where vapers can sit in front of congressmen, like Henry Waxman, puffing away on their personal vaporizers while they explain why congress should leave the industry the hell alone...
This will all come to a head when some toddler or little kid grabs a bottle of nicotine juice, drinks it and dies. This kid will become the poster child for the "vaping is evil" campaign. Posters in every convenience store, dire online warnings, and so on. But it will be a ruse.
Every vaper must claim that they are using the device to "help them quit." Not to actually quit, but the help them. Then explain to everyone that making the devices illegal will cause them to have to smoke again.
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