The former American Cancer Society’s Vice President for Tobacco Control and founding Director of ACS’s Center for Tobacco Control drafted the attached letter.
Highlights:
"But I think the national tobacco control community in the U.S., my community, is now letting
down tens of millions of adult smokers, their families and friends, healthcare providers, and government decision-makers. I refer to my community’s approach to dealing with electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)."
"The primary target of tobacco control should be ending the unnecessary suffering and
premature death caused by cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products,.."
"Unfortunately, regarding vaping, tobacco control in the U.S. has devolved into a de facto war
between a focus on protecting youth and caring for adult smokers. At the same time, however, it should be recognized that there is also some productive common ground."
"The bottom line is this: Where is the robust focus on the people who are suffering now and will
die before their time because they haven’t been given due consideration, have not been told the truth
by those who should be telling them the truth about the continuum of risk and the fact that nicotine
does not cause smoking-related illness and death, and who are consequently collateral damage in this war between youth and adults?"
"We must find a way to collaborate with integrity. That includes all of us. I encourage both of my
communities to join hands across the ideological divide to pursue our common cause of combatting
illness and saving lives by preventing all tobacco use by young people and helping adult smokers quit
smoking. People who smoke should not have to die because they do not know they have less harmful
sources of nicotine."
Highlights:
"But I think the national tobacco control community in the U.S., my community, is now letting
down tens of millions of adult smokers, their families and friends, healthcare providers, and government decision-makers. I refer to my community’s approach to dealing with electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)."
"The primary target of tobacco control should be ending the unnecessary suffering and
premature death caused by cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products,.."
"Unfortunately, regarding vaping, tobacco control in the U.S. has devolved into a de facto war
between a focus on protecting youth and caring for adult smokers. At the same time, however, it should be recognized that there is also some productive common ground."
"The bottom line is this: Where is the robust focus on the people who are suffering now and will
die before their time because they haven’t been given due consideration, have not been told the truth
by those who should be telling them the truth about the continuum of risk and the fact that nicotine
does not cause smoking-related illness and death, and who are consequently collateral damage in this war between youth and adults?"
"We must find a way to collaborate with integrity. That includes all of us. I encourage both of my
communities to join hands across the ideological divide to pursue our common cause of combatting
illness and saving lives by preventing all tobacco use by young people and helping adult smokers quit
smoking. People who smoke should not have to die because they do not know they have less harmful
sources of nicotine."
