Blowing Smoke...

I see more and more national television advertising for electronic cigarettes—while---at the same time---I see disturbing news from Illinois’ Public Health Department about serious breathing problems reported by 22 people---one of which has died.

I’m not a smoker. So I can’t relate to the need for vaping by people trying to quit the habit responsible for the vast majority of lung cancer deaths in America. But, I find it very interesting that we are seeing a surge in e-cigarette advertising at the same time we are hearing about damage done by the practice.

It was a lifetime ago that the government prohibited cigarette advertising---1971 to be exact. Why are e-cigarette’s different? In fact, the dosage of nicotine delivered by vaping is substantially more than a regular cigarette.

More concerning…..an annual survey of drug, alcohol and cigarette use in the 8^th, 10^th and 12^th grade.  The survey showed 37-percent of the kids are vapers.  That’s up dramatically over the previous years.

Look, I don’t care if you vape your brains out. I just wonder what the difference is between cigarette advertising----and e-cigarette ads----which are totally legal. They both apparently deliver some destructive chemicals to your lungs and arteries.

Don’t you find it at odds that cigarettes are not able to be advertised, while e-cigarettes are flooding commercial telecasts with convincing advertising?

I can’t help but think an ad featuring a smoker trying to stop might…also get a youngster to start.