Big Pharma Sponsored Front Groups Try to Kill Electronic Cigarettes in the Womb

The Rest of the Story ^ | APRIL 20, 2012 | Dr. Michael Siegel

[Eric Blair 2084]

The American Legacy Foundation released a policy statement on electronic cigarettes, in which it called for the removal of these products from the market. The statement was entitled "The FDA Should Take Electronic Cigarettes Off The Market Until It Is Satisfied That They Are Safe and Effective."

According to the statement: "While we remain open to promising products that can help smokers quit smoking, a consideration of all of the available evidence combined with important unanswered questions strongly supports our call on the FDA to prohibit the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes unless and until the FDA is satisfied that they are safe and effective."

I have already explained why this is an inappropriate policy suggestion that would result in severe public health harm. There is little doubt that these products are helping literally thousands of people to remain smoke-free and that removing them from the market would result in thousands of ex-smokers returning to cigarette smoking because e-cigarettes are no longer available. I have also explained how this policy statement misrepresents the scientific evidence, as it suggests that electronic cigarettes present a carcinogenic risk, although the actual laboratory findings show that only trace levels of carcinogens are present in these products, comparable to the levels of carcinogens present in nicotine gum and nicotine patches -- products which the American Legacy Foundation has no concerns regarding safety. Moreover, the levels of carcinogens in electronic cigarettes are more than 1000 times lower than in Marlboros, meaning that these products can dramatically reduce a smoker's cancer risk.

This commentary, however, focuses on another issue: the question of the objectivity of the policy statement and whether or not Legacy appropriate revealed conflicts of interest that may be perceived as affecting Legacy's position and its reporting of the scientific evidence.

The Rest of the Story

The rest of the story is that the American Legacy Foundation has taken money from Big Pharma. In 2009-2011, it acknowledges having accepted donations from the following pharmaceutical companies, many of which manufacture smoking cessation products: GlaxoSmithKline Pfizer Novartis Schering-Plough The receipt of this money represents a conflict of interest that I believe must be disclosed in any statement in which Legacy is making recommendations for national policy regarding electronic cigarettes. However, I cannot find any financial disclosure in the policy statement which informs the public that Legacy receives significant funding from the pharmaceutical industry.

This funding is highly relevant because electronic cigarettes represent a major potential threat to pharmaceutical company profits. If electronic cigarettes prove to be effective and continue to increase in popularity, they could put a huge dent in pharmaceutical smoking cessation drug sales, causing billion dollar losses for the pharmaceutical companies. This could threaten Legacy's future funding. Thus, by accepting this funding, Legacy has a vested financial interest in the stability of these pharmaceutical companies, and therefore, in the continued high rates of sale of their smoking cessation drugs. Electronic cigarettes threaten those high rates of sale, especially because preliminary evidence suggests that they may actually be far more effective than traditional pharmaceutical approaches to smoking cessation.

I believe that the American Legacy Foundation should have disclosed its financial conflict of interest.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Normal citizens who just don't like the smell of smoke may wonder why the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the other alphabet soup of anti-smoking groups would oppose something that helps smokers quit. It's not very complicated. These groups are heavily funded by Big Pharmaceutical companies who peddle gums, patches for $50.

The idea was to denormalize smoking and smokers and coerce them to quit and use their nicotine products. What does that mean? MO MONEY, MO MONEY MO MONEY!!!"

[Eric Blair 2084]

Big Brother, Nanny State, Grant Junkie, Bogus Study, Junk Science, Social Engineering, Egalitarian, Central Planning, Sheeple Control, Food Cop, Smoke Nazi, Socialism, Collectivism PING

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We the People Sheeple of the United States Nanny State, in Order to form a more perfect Union Socialist Utopia, establish Justice Socially engineer a country of non smoking, physically fit, seat belt and helmet wearing teetotalers, ensure domestic Tranquility Smoking bans in bars, limits on unhealthy food and social drinking, provide for the common defense Universal Healthcare, promote the general Welfare health of the population whether they like it or not, in order to save above mentioned Universal Healthcare entitlement program from bankruptcy, and secure the Blessings of Liberty Dependency to ourselves progressive liberals and our Posterity Hitler Youth who we brainwash through public school education, do ordain decree and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Nanny State of Liberals.

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[E. Pluribus Unum]

Translation: Only members of the Big Government/Big Corporate medical monopoly are allowed to sell anything to anybody.

[Eric Blair 2084]

yep

[libertarian27]

I’m surprised the “BIGS” haven’t taken control of the e-ciggies yet.

Whether Big Pharma or Big Tobacco...they are sitting lazily on the sidelines...watching. Either one of them could make a pretty penny and either one of them a pretty penny for the government.

[Eric Blair 2084]

The big tobacco companies are smart enough to know that their name is MUD. Once you are proven to be a liar, nobody would believe you even if you are telling the truth.

The global warming and 2nd hand and 3rd hand smoke grant junkies and their gubmint grant sponsors are finding this out now. People may be too busy living their lives to pay attention, but adults know a fraud and scam when they see it.

[Secret Agent Man]

Sour grapes because they never developed it themselves.

It is actually a great substance delivery system. Put some oil of oregano and other essential oils in there and you will be a healthy bunny soon.

[Eric Blair 2084]

Unless it’s a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac backed mortgage for $300,000 for a welfare mom to buy a townhouse under the Community Reinvestment Act.

In which case the “adult” will believe what they want to believe and sign up.

[Secret Agent Man]

I’m not.

Big Tobacco - no more government subsidies. Further they have probably been approached by government and said not to get involved because if they did government taxes on cigs will severely go down.

Big Pharma - again, government does not want its taxes going down, and if they ever want to get other things ever FDA-approved again, stay out of it.

Finally neither could get any real money back as they can’t patent it as others have developed it first.

[Eric Blair 2084]

lol. The same delivery system of propylene glycol vapor is what is used to deliver the medicine in asthma inhalers.

They already did think of it in a sense. But you are right in principle.

[Secret Agent Man]

Not really.

The ecig is battery operated and intelligently activates an atomizer when suction is detected. An inhaler is just a pressurized canister that opens briefly when a person pulls a manual trigger.

I’d say patent-wise they are clearly different animals altogether.

[Eric Blair 2084]

You know what you are talking about. This is weird. Normally this keyboard connects me to retards on liberal forums.

I don’t know what to say to smart people. I forgot this was FR where 89% of the people read something besides Yahoo News and watch something besides network news.:-)

I’m speechless. That doesn’t happen often. You win at internets tonight Secret Agent Man.

[Secret Agent Man]

:-)

[gingerales]

Follow the money!