4 ms·

While their influence is obvious the outcome is still fine by me. Many insurance policies do not distinguish between smoking and vaping. Let alone the fact that

While their influence is obvious the outcome is still fine by me. Many insurance policies do not distinguish between smoking and vaping. Let alone the fact that anything you ingest or inhale that is sold should be proven safe. Where is the proof that they are safe than supports your statement its against the public health to do this? Considering the amount of money cigarette manufacturers pay out to the government and states it makes sense that anything that takes their place needs to be proven safe or not safe and then handled accordingly.

spacemanmatt 11y ago
Like say, scary skull-and-crossbones labeling on the package? There are tons of ways they could have addressed the state of safety research available for the product without handing a giant regulatory favor to the tobacco lobby. But we're talking about the tobacco lobby -- your safety was only ever a giant farce to them.
dTal 11y ago
They don't have to be "safe" - I'm sure they're not. They just have to be safer than cigarettes, which they almost certainly are. Given this it is essential to encourage people to switch. A million bucks to the government for every flavor? A transparent attempt by established players to kill a disruptive nascent industry. Beware status quo bias.
- ethbro 11y ago
  Where "flavor" == "additive mixture that's being aerosolized and inhaled", I think some sort of FDA approval is reasonable.
sokoloff 11y ago
"Proven safe" is a very high bar. Is alcohol, high-fructose corn syrup, or grilled red meat "proven safe"?
- falcolas 11y ago
  Agreed, "proven safe" would fail even with water, which is toxic to humans above certain quantities.
  - Karunamon 11y ago
    What about "generally recognized as safe", which is a category I think most foods fall into unless evidence directly to the contrary surfaces?
    - kolinko 11y ago
      Sugar is generally recognised as unsafe, addictive and unhealthy. Tens of millions of people suffer from it.
      - yaks_hairbrush 11y ago
        You're not speaking the same language as your parent commenter. "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) is an FDA designation, and not a literal phrase. High Fructose Corn Syrup, for example, is GRAS.
      - Karunamon 11y ago
        And yet, we need it to survive.
- gcb0 11y ago
  but I don't put any of those things inside my body if I'm simply walking behind you on the sidewalk while you consume them.
  - unethical_ban 11y ago
    That's not a distinction the parent commenter made.
  - oldmanjay 11y ago

spacemanmatt 11y ago

Like say, scary skull-and-crossbones labeling on the package? There are tons of ways they could have addressed the state of safety research available for the product without handing a giant regulatory favor to the tobacco lobby. But we're talking about the tobacco lobby -- your safety was only ever a giant farce to them.

dTal 11y ago

They don't have to be "safe" - I'm sure they're not. They just have to be safer than cigarettes, which they almost certainly are. Given this it is essential to encourage people to switch. A million bucks to the government for every flavor? A transparent attempt by established players to kill a disruptive nascent industry. Beware status quo bias.

ethbro 11y ago
Where "flavor" == "additive mixture that's being aerosolized and inhaled", I think some sort of FDA approval is reasonable.

sokoloff 11y ago

"Proven safe" is a very high bar. Is alcohol, high-fructose corn syrup, or grilled red meat "proven safe"?

falcolas 11y ago
Agreed, "proven safe" would fail even with water, which is toxic to humans above certain quantities.
- Karunamon 11y ago
  What about "generally recognized as safe", which is a category I think most foods fall into unless evidence directly to the contrary surfaces?
  - kolinko 11y ago
    Sugar is generally recognised as unsafe, addictive and unhealthy. Tens of millions of people suffer from it.
    - yaks_hairbrush 11y ago
      You're not speaking the same language as your parent commenter. "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS) is an FDA designation, and not a literal phrase. High Fructose Corn Syrup, for example, is GRAS.
    - Karunamon 11y ago
      And yet, we need it to survive.
gcb0 11y ago
but I don't put any of those things inside my body if I'm simply walking behind you on the sidewalk while you consume them.
- unethical_ban 11y ago
  That's not a distinction the parent commenter made.
- oldmanjay 11y ago