Since the dawn of time youth has a privilege. The privilege to rebel against ossificated, corrupt, intolerant, lying, cheating, oppressive systems. Especially if the ruling classes, mobs, or ideologists have betrayed themselves and their initial goals on their way to predominance. Former “champions” succumbing to the lure of filthy lucre and power. It is the inalienable right of the youth to show them the finger with a heartfelt “Eff you!”.
The latest instance of juvenile rebellion, albeit a minor one, manifests with smoking.
Ten years ago in China Hon Lik invented—more precisely: finally developed an old idea to marketability—the tobacco free electronic cigarette. Until a few years ago it was a gadget for freaks and technophiles.
Ignored by governments, BigTobacco, and Pharmafia, the tobacco free ecig had some time to evolve. Consumers and tinkerers drove the developement towards a viable, even better alternative. Capable to completely replace the toxic fumes of burned tobacco. This process also gave birth to many new thriving small and medium businesses. Independent, innovatiive, responsible, and responsive. Quite unlike the industrial giants.
According to all reliable studies these ecigs have the potential to reach the goals “Public Health” profess to dream of: A world devoid of collateral damage caused by smoking. And all this even without cajoling, forcing, suppressing, and ostracising smokers. They should be rejoicing—at least that’s what naive common sense would expect.
Unfortunately this product has a major flaw. Its latest and most effective designs are neither geared to maximize the profits of industry giants, nor are they controlled by them. The development of the tobacco free ecig is consumer driven. It also increasingly impinges on the profits of Big Tobacco, Big Pharma, and Big Health industries. Currently their profits have already dropped by double digit percentages.
Now there are a lot of institutions that rely heavily on donations and “charitable” contributions from these industries. Like the WHO on Pharmafia. Of course they fear for their nice nest eggs and plush cushions.
The adult population is already primed by scaremongering about all kinds of fevers, flu pandemics, and other presumed dangers. So a new stream of propaganda bovine excrement started hitting the mass media fans. Drenching the unsuspecting public in wave after wave of a massive slanderous campaign the like probably no product has faced before. Hardly anything is below their sprouting. No phrase too corny. No manipulation too blatant or insidious. No propagandistic catch phrase too outworn. No tale too tall. No lie too base. All continuous badgering tobacco free ecigs.
The most sacred and constantly ruminated dogma is the “Gateway” myth. Spinning a tall tale of how tobacco free ecigs might pave the road for innocent nonsmoking children and finally lure them to smoking tobacco. Everybody who has experienced the (mostly) pleasant tastes of real, modern ecigs vs. the bland, harsh, mostly unpleasant smoke, is wondering how supposed experts could sprout such abysmally absurd nonsense.
For several years now annual national surveys about tobacco use among chlidren and adolecents also include questions about the use of tobacco free ecigs. Regular use has always been about one percent or less. This has started to change dramatically!
Last year the number of smoking children and adolescents in the USA has declined like never before. Actually more than in the whole decade before.
A lot of adolescents are simply switching from smoking to tobacco free ecigs. And—please note!—, according to a study from Hawaii, the major reason for this step was that they recognised it as less harmful! Not because they taste like sweets, fruits, or bubble gum, but because they are less harmful!
Maybe the still fresh memory of the tall tales and fables lets them see the zelotic propaganda as what it really is. Or they simply observe the health benefits adult former smokers experience after switching. Or the chemistry lessons are still fresh enough that they know that there are significant chemical difference between glycerol and an oil. Or their parents were sensible enough to show them an alternative. We don’t know the details. There are not enough studies … yet.
One thing is obvious: Thanks to tobacco free ecigs, there is a significant decline in the number of children and adolescents that smoke harmful tobacco. A much more impressive decline than anything the WHO and all the “Public Health” organisations have ever accomplished spending huge amounts of tax money.
Thanks!
Media reports:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/news-releases/2014/12/teen-prescription-opioid-abuse-cigarette-alcohol-use-trends-down
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/15/electronic-cigarettes-teens/20314561/
http://reason.com/blog/2014/12/17/vaping-rises-to-record-highs-smoking-fal
Studies:
http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2814%2900555-8/fulltext
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/12/09/peds.2014-0760
http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/12/05/ntr.ntu257.abstract
Lose translation by Norbert Zillatron
Original text: https://ig-ed.org/2014/12/der-jugend-sei-dank/
