Is doing harm worse than allowing harm to occur?
By discouraging people from switching to reduced-harm tobacco products that are proven to work, the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society and all U.S. health departments willfully allow an estimated 100,000 tobacco-related death to occur each year.
The smoking-cessation methods the agencies encourage only work for about 7 percent of smokers. If they would promote smokeless tobacco products (such as electronic cigarettes or Swedish snus), around 100,000 lives could be saved.
They discourage smokers from switching to smokeless products because they have chosen to demonize nicotine consumption due to their close affiliation and funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
Smokeless products such as snus have decades of usage statistics to prove the reduced harm of cancer, yet they choose to demonize the product.
Electronic cigarettes have been around for nine years with only positive effects reported.
Smokers need to know there are real options that work for more than 7 percent of the population.
We need our health agencies to stop harm from occurring and take innovative measures to improve American lives.
Aaron Frazier Director, Utah Vapers Association
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/54469268-82/harm-snus-products-smokers.html.csp
