Atomizing the Market
Just when the market cleans the air, in steps the regulators. The e-cigarette solves the smoke issue by atomizing a nicotine solution in a pen-size device. Pretty slick. But, wait. The feds consider the e-cigarette a nicotine delivery system. Sure, and Mountain Dew is a caffeine delivery system, just as Ho-Hos are a sugar and fat delivery system. Big deal.
The same folks who cheer the regulation of nicotine also want to protect my knees from my bicycle. And they want to protect me from, well, you name it. These nanny-dogooders think a man of 45 shouldn't be riding a bike -- bad for the knees, you know. They cajole me, but I ignore them. It's just a matter of time before my knees are a public health issue and the nanny dogooders have their in -- you know the line: Society should not have to bear the expense of my selfish activity.
I say, you smoke (or atomize) and I ride. And we live in peace.
Comments (9)
Thinker
And here I thought the problem with smoking was the smoke! Apparently, it's the otherwise harmless chemical that happens to be highly addicting.
Published: June 15, 2009 11:40 PM
evad
@Thinker
Either you are outside, in your house, in someone else's house, or in a private business. No matte which, the property owner/manager should make the decision on smoking.
Published: June 15, 2009 11:51 PM
Thinker
evad: I agree with you, but I can't help but be amused at the ridiculous justifications for government intrusions.
First it's to stop second-hand smoke. That fails.
Next it's to preserve the smoker's health. That fails.
Now, it's just to control people. Honesty apparently works.
Published: June 16, 2009 12:13 AM
Nuke Gray
They are trying to protect the bike, not your knees! If you lose control on a bike, who knows what might happen? And your vehicle could impact upon the public's property! The public has a right to be concerned!
Published: June 16, 2009 12:26 AM
BioTub
As long as the inhalent isn't exhaled in noticeable quantities, nobody can seriously claim harm; then again, smoking's this century's drinking.
Published: June 16, 2009 7:49 AM
evad
@Thinker
I feel crazy saying it, but it works and works well.
Published: June 16, 2009 8:31 AM
Saku
At this rate they'll keep going until we're all wearing helmets and shoulder pads to protect us when we walk across the street.
Published: June 16, 2009 10:58 AM
Bluebottle7
The fact that "e-cigs" are basically unregulated means that almost no tax money comes from them. The gov't could care less whether or not your or I die from smoking, as long as it's not on their tab. Take away their spending cash, though, and you've tread on the wrong toes.
What bollocks- these could be a great way to help reduce the harmful impact smoking has on society and it's almost guaranteed that politicians will kill this product for their own personal gain.
Published: June 16, 2009 11:34 AM
Artisan
I have to mention the story of Christine Engelbrecht ‘s German book and independent internet forum “Leben ohne Nikotin”. They have been quite successful, teaching an alternative method (probably the best one out there for heavy smokers) based on cigarettes without nicotine, to eventually quit smoking while getting rid of the psychological addiction of nicotine. Yet the author never managed either – despite the newly voted cigarette ban in 2006 - to improve her early 2003 selling success …
The government lobbies indeed had progressively imposed outrageous regulation upon the sale of cigarettes without nicotine - in the name of health and individual protection !
Soon after the cigs w/o nicotine came on the market, the German Government that had been somehow tipped - seized the products to put a tobacco (!) tax on it, which doubled the public price…
In France then, with one single request letter directed at the French ministry of health (http://www.livrior.com/pdf/Courrier_Dr_Khalatbari_27-09-07.pdf), an infamous doctor Khalatbari claiming the presidency of an obscure unheard association named “Medicine doctors against nicotine” for the purpose, caused the national sales prohibition in the highly regulated French drugstores - where the cigarettes w/o nicotine had been sold for many years before.
That doctor’s own vested interest - fighting for market shares with the help of government - being thereby all too transparent, as the president of yet another association named “International College of Medical Acupuncture“
I know this sounds like Ayn Rand but it’s just trivial reality.
Published: June 16, 2009 4:01 PM