After commenting on the article itself, I called the ABC 4 news desk and spoke with them about the inaccuracies in the report - most specifically the claim that the "same study also shows that 69% of kids who smoke regular cigarettes, started out smoking e-cigarettes." He agreed the claim was far different in meaning than their earlier story that stated "Utah students who used e-cigarettes were significantly more likely to smoke regular cigarettes than students who were not using e-cigarettes. The smoking rate for Utah students who used e-cigarettes was 69% compared to a 4% smoking rate among students who were not using e-cigarettes." (I emailed him the link to that earlier story while on the phone with him.) He said they would look into it further and took my CASAA information for future stories after I suggested they should be getting information from both sides. He also asked for a local rep, so I gave him the name of a very active member in Utah.
I also gave him correct info regarding the "experts" claims about "not knowing what is in them," "big tobacco is targeting our kids" and that the "wacky flavors" are just to target kids.
(I wrote it out so I wouldn't forget anything when I called):
1) "That same study shows that 69% of kids who are smokers, they started off by using e-cigarettes."
This is completely false. The study did NOT show that. Your own site states that the 2011 study found that "Utah students who used e-cigarettes were significantly more likely to smoke regular cigarettes than students who were not using e-cigarettes. The smoking rate for Utah students who used e-cigarettes was 69% compared to a 4% smoking rate among students who were not using e-cigarettes." That does not in any way mean that those students were non-smokers before using e-cigarettes. What that means is that 69% of youth who use e-cigarettes were smoking. It's logical that non-ecigarette users would also be mostly non-smokers. Because the survey hasn't been made public, it's impossible to know the whole story.
2) "Big tobacco is using these to target your kids."
Only one tobacco company currently sells e-cigarettes in the US. [Note: I forgot that Vuse is on the market now, so technically 2 tobacco companies sell e-cigs in the US. But if they want to be technical, at the time of the 2010 survey, NO tobacco company was selling e-cigarettes.] The vast majority of US companies are small, local business owners who have used the products to quit smoking themselves. [I'm referring to US brick & mortar stores and it's is purely anecdotal.]
3) "They are not FDA regulated, so we really do not know what are in them."
The FDA tested 2 brands in 2009 and found nothing that would actually harm someone. There are many tests and several studies available to show exactly what is in them. Since 2009, no study has found harmful levels of any toxins or carcinogens in e-cigarettes.
4) "Blatantly targeting kids with wacky flavors any kid would like."
CASAA's 2010 survey showed that only 16.7% of adult e-cigarette users exclusively use tobacco or menthol flavors. Over 51% used flavors such as chocolate, apple and orange. obviously, the non-tobacco flavors appeal just as much to adult smokers. Many users report that staying away from cigarette flavors significantly reduces the desire to smoke.
This is my comment on the actual article (may also answer some questions posted here):
This same station has recently reported on this (
E Cigarettes - ABC4.com - Salt Lake City, Utah News) and it says “Utah students who used e-cigarettes were significantly more likely to smoke regular cigarettes than students who were not using e-cigarettes. The smoking rate for Utah students who used e-cigarettes was 69% compared to a 4% smoking rate among students who were not using e-cigarettes.”
Aside from being a ridiculous comparison (how about comparing the percentage of non-smoking youth using e-cigarettes to smoking youth using e-cigarettes, not the smoking rate between the two. It’s like saying “The obesity rate of youth using diet pills was 69% compared to a 4% obesity rate among students not using diet pills.”), all this tells us is that it’s smoking youth using e-cigarettes, not non-smoking youth.
Nowhere has it ever been said (except by this journalist) that the “69% of youth e-cigarette users” weren’t smoking before they started the e-cigarette use. It’s a misinterpretation (and misuse) of the statistics.
By the way, the study cited here was published without any information regarding e-cigarette use. CASAA investigated and discovered (by way of a Desert News journalist who published a story about it in 2011) that “the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health contracted with the SHARP survey operators, to ask additional questions in last year’s Personal Needs Assessment survey. Because they were questions that were not originally in the survey’s format, the data resulting from the answers is not included in the published SHARP survey. The department is working on publishing a separate study containing these numbers.”
We have yet to see that separate study published.
