Days without a smoke: 61
Money not spent on cigarettes today: $16.00 (2 packs at $8 each)
Money not spent on cigarettes total: $976.00
Money spent on Green Smokes: $171.15
Total Savings: $804.85

At a time when the government is ostensibly trying to cut health costs, why is it trying to ban something that might help people quit smoking tobacco, perhaps the most devastating health problem in the U.S.?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a press conference late last month to scare Americans about the so-called “e-cigarette” – claiming it was loaded with harmful “toxins” and “carcinogens.” The agency was implicitly saying: Stay away from these newfangled, untested cigarette substitutes – better to stick with the real ones, the ones that we are more familiar with, the ones that cause over 450,000 deaths annually in the U.S.

In making its distorted, incomplete and misleading statement, FDA was violating its long-cherished tradition of sticking to sound science as the basis for its policies. And in doing so, it is putting the lives and health of millions of Americans at risk.

The truthful part of the FDA statement was that e-cigarettes have not been through formal efficacy and safety tests at the FDA, and they have only been around a few years. But in the press conference, here is what the FDA did not tell you but should have:

• Traditional cigarettes are lethal not because of the trace level presence of specific “carcinogens” and “toxins,” but because by using them, smokers inhale enormous amounts of smoke – otherwise known as “products of combustion.” It is the inhaled smoke that kills in so many ways – from cancers, cardiovascular and lung disease, and more.
• The cigarette was a relatively obscure product in our society until the invention of a cigarette rolling machine, and then sales rose quickly prior to World War I. Before that, tobacco was used relatively safely – in chew, pipes, cigars – because little if any smoke was inhaled. Cigarettes changed all of that.
• The e-cigarette – a cigarette-mimicking device made up of a battery, an atomizer and a cartridge – allows smokers to inhale, getting a dose of the nicotine they crave, and then sending steam out the other end (with little or no odor) to mimic the ritual and feel of smoking normal cigarettes.
• The FDA complained that the e-cigarette was a “nicotine-delivery system.” Well, it got that much right. But again, it’s the smoke that kills, not the nicotine. Yes, nicotine is highly addictive, and it is what keeps the smoker hooked. But getting the nicotine without the smoke is an enormous health advantage for cigarette smokers (the nicotine inserts come in various strengths and the users can adjust them downward as they wish).
• The FDA has approved other nicotine-delivery systems in the form of gums and patches – and they have been abysmal failures. The smoking cessation rates using these devices is less than 15 percent after one year, condemning millions of addicted smokers to a lingering death. We desperately need other alternatives. But the FDA has now joined a long list of so-called public-health organizations – including the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and the American Lung Association – whose collective motto seems to be “quit or die.” Not only do they reject e-cigarettes, but they also condemn other smokeless products like snus, which have a mere fraction of the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes.
• More than 1 million smokers are now using the e-cigarette – a product that offers some, if not all, of the “social amenities” of the real thing – holding the cigarette, taking a drag, seeing a plume of “smoke.” The FDA, lacking data that e-cigarettes pose a health hazard, was so desperate, it called on consumers to phone in adverse side effects of e-cigarettes so they could begin to build a case against them and proceed with their intended ban. They neglected, however, to request smokers who successfully quit using the e-cigarette to also call in.

Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States today. Any alternative acceptable to addicted smokers should be taken seriously. Instead of condemning the e-cigarette, the FDA should be sponsoring studies to evaluate its safety and efficacy – leaving it on the market in the interim.

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Atlantic City

Atlantic City officials are again considering a total smoking ban for the city’s casinos, a year after promising to revisit the issue.

Last October, the Atlantic City Council passed a smoking ban that eliminated smoking entirely in casinos, only to overturn the law 12 days after it went into effect when casinos reported a 19.5 percent drop in revenue.

The city then reverted to the previous regulation that restricts casino smoking to 25 percent of the floor, and this remains the current law.

Council members were evenly divided on the smoking ban—the final vote to scrap the measure was 5-4— so they decided to wait a year to reconsider the issue.

During that year, the tough economy has also taken a toll on the city’s casinos. The latest New Jersey Casino Control Commission report shows casino revenue for the first nine months of the year is down 14.2 percent compared to same time period last year.

Casinos are also employing less people, as more than 3,700 jobs have been eliminated in the past year. Bob McDevitt, president of the city’s largest casino union, UNITE-HERE, expressed that casino employees want the ban to be delayed again.

“My membership clearly, without any ambiguity at all, is petrified of a 100 percent smoking ban,” McDevitt told the Press of Atlantic City.

It is unclear when exactly the council plans to hold a new vote, but it is expected to be sometime in the coming weeks. If the ban goes into effect we imagine you will see a lot of electronic cigarettes in Atlantic City.

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A small victory for the electronic smoker:

Matt Salmon, president of the Electronic Cigarette Association (ECA), today praised California Governor Schwarzenegger’s wise decision to veto Senate Bill 400, which would have banned electronic cigarette sales in the state, protecting adult consumers’ access to these alternative smoking devices.

“This is not just a victory for consumers and common sense but is smart public policy as well,” said Salmon. “Rejecting this bill is the right step and should serve as a model for other states to follow.”

In his veto message, Governor Schwarzenegger reiterated the stance of the ECA that strongly supports restricting access of electronic cigarettes to children under the age of 18. “We agree with the original intent of SB 400 to ban sales to those under the legal smoking age. And we support that on a national level as well,” added Salmon.

The Governor affirmed that this restriction should not apply to adult consumers: “If adults want to purchase and consume these products with an understanding of the associated health risks, they should be able to do so unless and until federal law changes the legal status of these tobacco products.”

The ECA actively communicated to the Governor its members’ concerns about the bill and the fact that banning these electronic cigarettes would disenfranchise thousands of California adult smokers who have difficulty quitting but want an alternative to combustible cigarettes without the host of carcinogens and harmful chemicals. Salmon credited this legislative victory to the efforts of thousands of consumers and ECA members who appealed directly to Governor Schwarzenegger to protect their rights.

“While we know that combustible tobacco smoking kills over 400,000 Americans annually, and the percentage of smokers that quit every year is dismally low, we ought to be looking for more alternatives to traditional combustible tobacco products,” said Salmon.

Electronic cigarette kits usually include the electronic cigarette, a replaceable cartridge pack (that may or may not contain nicotine), rechargeable lithium batteries, and a charger. There is some variation between different companies in what is included in their starter kit, but all components are listed on their Web sites. While ECA members do not market these devices as a healthy alternative or smoking cessation device, it is clear that they do not contain the harmful tars and hundreds of carcinogens that consumers get from combustible tobacco products.

“We look forward to working with all government agencies, including the FDA, to ensure that consumers who want an alternative to combustible tobacco products have access to e-cigarettes that contain fewer harmful substances and produce no secondhand smoke,” concluded Salmon.

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RALEIGH, N.C. – The state is notifying its employees this month that if they are obese or smoke they will pay more for health insurance.

The state hopes employees will change their lifestyles. And that it will lead to savings in the state health plan.

The state spends $2.4 billion a year on medical care for about 650,000 employees. That increases by 8 to 10 percent a year, according to Lacey Barnes, Deputy Executive Administrator for the North Carolina State Health Plan.

About a third of state workers are overweight. About 14 percent smoke, according to Barnes.

“Research indicates that smoking, the use of tobacco products, and obesity are two conditions that do result in higher health care costs,” she said.

So the state is trying something new.

It will force employees who smoke to pay about ten percent more for health insurance than other workers, unless they enroll in a program to quit smoking.

State workers who have a body mass index of 40 or higher will also pay ten percent more than other workers, unless they sign up for a program to lose weight.

The state will do random checks on people who say they are not smokers. They are still working out how to monitor weight.

“You should be willing to pay more for your insurance if you’re going to leave yourself in poor physical condition without doing anything about it,” said state worker Buddy West.

But not everyone is happy about the plan.

“This so called wellness initiative doesn’t make them feel good about going to work. It’s invasive. The testing is humiliating. And no other state really does this to this extent,” said Erica Baldwin with the State Employees Association of North Carolina, which represents 55,000 workers.

State worker Macy Hartsfield said, “it’s going to be hard for a lot of people, especially if you would have to join some type of work out facility. That is a cost.”

The state is expanding free programs to help workers quit smoking and lose weight.

Workers who smoke will start paying more for health care in 2010. Those who are obese will start paying more in 2011. There are exceptions for people with medical conditions that do not allow them to lose weight.

North Carolina is only the second state to charge obese employees more for health insurance.

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