So I have been hearing about tobacco free Florida on the radio and on the TV constantly and since I agree with Tobacco Harm reduction, i decided to give them a call. Their add says that they give free tobacco cessation aids like gums and patches, but the website has no mention of vaping as an alternate nicotine delivery option. This is how the convo went:
TFF : Hi, welcome, what is your name?
Me: John Smith (not my real name)
TFF: Are you a Florida resident?
ME: Yes
TFF: Hi John, congratulations on making the decision to quit smoking! We are here to help you quit, once you enter the program, we can provide you with a quit coach, and free cessation aids, like nicotine gum or the patch.
ME: Actually, I have already quit smoking 4 months ago, I use a personal vaporizer and it helped me quit. I was just wondering why you don't offer this as an option, because it is much more effective than the gum or patch.
TFF: Do you mean electronic cigarettes?
ME: Yes, well thats what they are commonly known as.
TFF: Sir, we are here to help you stop smoking completely, electronic cigarettes is still a form of smoking, that is why we dont recommend them
ME: How is an ecig a form of smoking?
TFF: It is smoking, just in a different form. We are here to stop people from smoking completely.
ME: How is it smoking if there is no smoke? I havent inhaled tobacco smoke in four months, it produces vapor.
TFF: Sir, its still the act of smoking, studies have shown that most people who use an electronic cigarette go back to smoking tobacco cigarettes because the action is the same and they look the same, this is why most people who use them smoke both, which causes you to become even more addicted to smoking and causes makes it even harder to quit.
ME: Well I certainly dont use both, and I smoked a PAD for 10 years and have met over 100 people in my City alone who are ex smokers that use ecigs that would never use a tobacco cigarette again, in fact we vapers are now disgusted by...
TFF: Sir this is not the case. studies show smokers smoke ecigarettes in places where smoking is not alllowed, then continue to smoke tobacco cigarettes as usual.
(at this point I could tell he was getting annoyed)
ME: What studies? Can you point me to a reference where I can read these studies please?
TFF: No, we do not provide these studies, but you can just google the dangers of electronic cigarettes and you will find a lot of information about them.
ME: That is your source? Random websites on google? Any uninformed person can write a google searchable website, i can get google results on why drinking water is dangerous, plus i wasnt talking about the dangers of electronic cigarettes, i was talking about the specific studies you just told me about most electronic cigarette users going back to smoking tobacco, and using both as you previously stated.
TFF: I'm not here to provide information on electronic cigarettes. If you are not interested in the program....
(My rant starts)ME: i thought your orginization was about tobacco harm reduction. I am an ex smoker and advocate THR completely but it seems ironic to me that you use aids that have a 7% success rate, when there is a great device that has a much higher success rate in THR. If you really cared about THR you would at least acknowledge ecigs and at very least stop spreading misinformation, and blunt lies about cigarettes that are completely fabricated. If you want to spout facts and studies on THR you should look at CASSA.org and read scientific information and truths on.....
*CLICK*
I wasnt going to go off on a rant initially, i just wanted to hear what their policy was. But the fact that this organization is about THR yet spreading blatant lies ...... me off...Plus the fact that he told me to google dangers of ecigs. I understand that ecigs are not FDA regulated, so there are legal issues with promoting them as smoking cessation devices, but don't lie about them. This organization gives vaping a bad image, and in fact is not truly in the interest of THR.
TFF : Hi, welcome, what is your name?
Me: John Smith (not my real name)
TFF: Are you a Florida resident?
ME: Yes
TFF: Hi John, congratulations on making the decision to quit smoking! We are here to help you quit, once you enter the program, we can provide you with a quit coach, and free cessation aids, like nicotine gum or the patch.
ME: Actually, I have already quit smoking 4 months ago, I use a personal vaporizer and it helped me quit. I was just wondering why you don't offer this as an option, because it is much more effective than the gum or patch.
TFF: Do you mean electronic cigarettes?
ME: Yes, well thats what they are commonly known as.
TFF: Sir, we are here to help you stop smoking completely, electronic cigarettes is still a form of smoking, that is why we dont recommend them
ME: How is an ecig a form of smoking?
TFF: It is smoking, just in a different form. We are here to stop people from smoking completely.
ME: How is it smoking if there is no smoke? I havent inhaled tobacco smoke in four months, it produces vapor.
TFF: Sir, its still the act of smoking, studies have shown that most people who use an electronic cigarette go back to smoking tobacco cigarettes because the action is the same and they look the same, this is why most people who use them smoke both, which causes you to become even more addicted to smoking and causes makes it even harder to quit.
ME: Well I certainly dont use both, and I smoked a PAD for 10 years and have met over 100 people in my City alone who are ex smokers that use ecigs that would never use a tobacco cigarette again, in fact we vapers are now disgusted by...
TFF: Sir this is not the case. studies show smokers smoke ecigarettes in places where smoking is not alllowed, then continue to smoke tobacco cigarettes as usual.
(at this point I could tell he was getting annoyed)
ME: What studies? Can you point me to a reference where I can read these studies please?
TFF: No, we do not provide these studies, but you can just google the dangers of electronic cigarettes and you will find a lot of information about them.
ME: That is your source? Random websites on google? Any uninformed person can write a google searchable website, i can get google results on why drinking water is dangerous, plus i wasnt talking about the dangers of electronic cigarettes, i was talking about the specific studies you just told me about most electronic cigarette users going back to smoking tobacco, and using both as you previously stated.
TFF: I'm not here to provide information on electronic cigarettes. If you are not interested in the program....
(My rant starts)ME: i thought your orginization was about tobacco harm reduction. I am an ex smoker and advocate THR completely but it seems ironic to me that you use aids that have a 7% success rate, when there is a great device that has a much higher success rate in THR. If you really cared about THR you would at least acknowledge ecigs and at very least stop spreading misinformation, and blunt lies about cigarettes that are completely fabricated. If you want to spout facts and studies on THR you should look at CASSA.org and read scientific information and truths on.....
*CLICK*
I wasnt going to go off on a rant initially, i just wanted to hear what their policy was. But the fact that this organization is about THR yet spreading blatant lies ...... me off...Plus the fact that he told me to google dangers of ecigs. I understand that ecigs are not FDA regulated, so there are legal issues with promoting them as smoking cessation devices, but don't lie about them. This organization gives vaping a bad image, and in fact is not truly in the interest of THR.
