News talk 2013-12-24: electronic vaping

I’ve never smoked cigarettes, but I introduced the World Series of Poker to vapor in 2009, but bringing my e-pipes to a tournament table. I researched extensively before I did this.

Why is government once again reigning in human behavior that is probably harmless? I don’t even inhale this stuff, and a lot of the e-juice I buy has zero nicotine, just fun flavoring.

Yet the hysteria continues and not just in NYC. Crackdowns are looming everywhere, without even a coherent reason provided. Let me set the record straight. This practice produces water vapor that quickly vanishes. You can get whatever flavors you like. If you want nicotine, you can have it, but you won’t get all the harmful ingredients that are added to tobacco cigarettes.

You won’t start a fire. There are no lingering odors. You won’t get “nicotine stained fingers”, because nicotine isn’t what stains. Nicotine is a stimulant, and although it’s arguably addictive, it isn’t particularly dangerous. In fact, if it weren’t associated with cigarettes, it would probably be considered sometimes beneficial.

So, here we have the answer to the health hazard of cigarette smoking — the answer health experts say they’ve been eagerly awaiting for 50 years. And yet, because it didn’t come from government, but from private inventors, the nannies of regulation have attacked. It’s a disgrace, when you think about it. Hell, it’s a disgrace even if you don’t think about it — and most people don’t. — MC