Gov’t and MSA payments
State governments & the MSA
On November 23, 1998, all but four state governments entered into the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) with the 4 big tobacco giants.
These tobacco companies committed to pay out around $200 billion over twenty years to the state governments. Payment amounts are based on annual cigarette sales.
What would motivate authority to villiainize harm reduction?
Money.
Vaping nicotine is proven to help smokers off of cigarettes and keep them off.
If smoking rates drop because of vaping then the states get less money from the MSA. Therefore, successful uptake of vaping threatens to reduce the amount of the MSA payments.
Ignoring the purpose of MSA
In the first section of the MSA, this agreement was made “to avoid the further expense, delay , inconvenience, burden and uncertainty of continued litigation” by the state against the tobacco industry for expenses occurred to Medicaid as a result of smoking.
Unfortunately, the MSA did not make clear provisions for how the MSA money is to be spent and very little of it is being spent on the intended purpose.
MSA protects the 4 tobacco companies
Since the 4 tobacco giants entered an agreement to pay the state though the MSA, other tobacco companies are to be penalized by the state for doing business because the state doesn’t get a cut of their sales. So, since vaping helps smokers get off of cigarettes (which would lower MSA payments) the FDA catigorized vaping as tobacco and the states can ‘dilligently enforce’ laws against them.
It’s important to note that vaping is no more tobacco than vitamin C is an orange.
Spending money before they had it
Some of the state governments issued bonds based on the projections for future MSA payments. Unfortunately, they underestimated the rate at which smokers would stop smoking which means the payments were lower than they banked on. The actual payments were too insufficient to pay the bonds when due.
S&P bond ratings sound alarm
The S&P Global Ratings rates publically trading securities such as bonds. Ratings range from AAA to D which indicates the reliablility of the security to pay out when due. They assessed the immerging vaping industry as reducing the amount of smokers and therefore the ability of what is backing the bonds (MSA payments) to cover the pay out. This means the governments that issued the bonds have to find money elsewhere to pay the bonds out when due.
Next page:
What went wrong in the USA
What went wrong in the USA
Governments, health authorities, medical professionals, anti-smoking groups and health-related nonprofits utilized mainstream media to repeatedly claim that vaping was injuring people without specifying that the injuries were caused from illegal THC cartridges.
Over and over again, they included vaping nicotine in their conversations, statements and announcements. A false narrative that blamed vaping nicotine for the lung injuries spread throughout the public and the health community.
CDC contradicts their evidence
As a national health authority, the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a responsibility to report on the facts. Their publications influence medical policies in the USA and all over the world. During the lung injury outbreak, despite the growing evidence that vaping street-level drugs were the cause, the CDC continued to allude that vaping nicotine was to blame.
FDA vs CDC accuracy
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC advised the public about the facts on the lung injuries. Both released reports on Sept. 6, 2019. It is very clear, when reading the titles of the two reports that the CDC chose a fear-based narrative about vaping nicotine and omitted the cause of EVALI. It’s important to note that the word “e-cigarettes” means vaping nicotine.
Health-related regulatory bodies
During the outbreak, health-related regulatory bodies, such as the American Medical Association (AMA), joined the CDC in avoiding identifying the causality of the outbreak. They continued to scare the public about vaping nicoine with the fear-based narratives they have been promoting for years. As a result, health professionals continue to be misinformed about tobacco harm reduction.
State officials & harm reduction
Utilizing the outbreak, Gov. Baker discouraged the smokers in Massachusetts from switching to vaping. He banned most flavours which are essential to helping smokers detox and withdrawal from cigarettes by making vaping appealing. He added a tax which makes vaping more expensive for the poor which have the highest smoking rates.
Fake news
The United Kingdom (UK) promotes vaping for smokers. They are different than most of the world because they independently reviewed the science on vaping before the global narrative that Canada has adopted was dictated. The deceptions about EVALI were so pervasive that even their citizens became misinformed!
The lies are working
The misinformation campaign through authority and media has convinced the public that vaping nicotine is the source of EVALI. Within 15 months, an increase of 13% of the people wrongly believe that vaping is MORE harmful than smoking, The public now demands eliquid flavour bans and other restrictions on tobacco harm reduction (vaping).
For over 20 years, RealClearPolicy has been reviewing US domestic policy and analyzes “the most pivotal information on the day’s need-to-know issues”. They reviewed how the CDC handled EVALI in their article titled, Heads Should Roll at CDC after Botched Vaping Investigation.
Filter is a nonprofit, their mission is to …”advocate through journalism for rational and compassionate approaches to drug use, drug policy and human rights”. Their critique of how CDC handled EVALI is titled, Vapes and Lung Disease: The CDC’s Lesson in How Not to Handle an Illness Outbreak.
Next page:
Expert warnings
Expert warnings from the UK
Since the 2016 publication of ‘Nicotine Without Smoke‘, UK health authorities have been promoting vaping as a smoking cessation aid for their citizens.
The UK health community understood that the cause of the 2019 vaping-related lung injuries (EVALI) was not from vaping nicotine. Yet, North American experts were saying it was. Scientists, health authorities and doctors in the UK issued statements and reports to help people learn the truth.
“Complete madness”
Dr. Britton calls out the deception
When asked about the USA authority’s reaction to EVALI (which was to blame vaping nicotine), Dr. Britton said that their reaction was “complete madness.”
Smoking experts in the UK spoke out against the misinformation spread about EVALI and continue to encourage smokers to choose harm reduction.
Quotes from experts
Prof. Newton reassures smokers
We can argue that authorities in Canada and the USA have grossly mismanaged the response to EVALI. They continue to discourage smokers from harm reduction and therefore encouraging continued smoking, smoking-related diseases, disability, and premature death.
Dr. Leonard observes misinformation
Smoking kills over 40,000 Canadians and over 480,000 Americans every single year! How many North Americans have been diagnosed with a chronic smoking-related disease because they didn’t know they had an effective and safe harm reduction option?
Dr. Shahab addresses false belief
Smoking is the primary cause of preventable disease & death in North America. Yet, health authorities and nonprofits in Canada and the USA, wrongly blame vaping nicotine as the cause of the lung injuries and as a result demand stricter restrictions on tobacco harm reduction.
Dr. Aberegg sums it up
It’s important to note that dispite being surrounded by deceptive health authorities, Utah health authorities and community remained objective with the evidence. Dr. Aberegg identifies the obvious reason why EVALI patients would omit illegal drug use when self-reporting: people are simply afraid to say they used illegal drugs.
Repeated fear provoking narrative
The pervasive message in North America is that we have to ban vaping because their is a ‘youth vaping epidemic’.
In Great Britain, vaping is recognized as a significant harm reduction strategy and is promoted by their public health. Yet, less than 2% of 11-18 year olds vape more than once a week.
WHERE is the youth vaping epidemic in Great Britain?
Teens mess with stuff they shouldn’t
Youth experiment with adult activities, this is why 52% vaped “to give it a try”. Cigarette smoke is far more addictive than nicotine vapour and far more harmful. Since smoking tastes gross, perhaps the flavours in eliquid are preventing youth from becoming smokers.
CALL TO ACTION
Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs wrote a referenced paper about EVALI. It is the perfect document to enlighten health professionals about how they have been deceived about EVALI and vaping.
Canada gov’t THC cartridges
Canadian government & THC cartridges
The Canadian federal government controls the sale of cannabis products and makes revenue through a cannabis federal excise duty.
On October 19, 2019, during the EVALI outbreak, THC cartridges were approved for sale in Canada. Remember, the lung injuries were caused from illegal THC cartridges.
Health Canada acknowledges the cause
In December 2019, Health Canada was questioned by CBC News about the cause of EVALI because the Canadian government approved the sale of THC cartridges during the EVALI outbreak. Health Canada clearly communicates that they understood EVALI was being caused by illegal THC cartridges and not from vaping nicotine.
Myths or facts
In late February 2020, the CDC closes the case on EVALI because they had identified the source, took action and the injuries stopped occuring.
However, over a year later the Health Canada, Vaping-Associated Lung Illness, page states: “The cause or causes of cases in Canada is still under investigation.”
Protecting THC cartridges revenue
March 2021 Health Canada website: “In Canada, most cases of vaping associated lung illness do not appear to have been associated with the use of THC-containing products.”
When reading this statement, consider that Health Canada relied on patient self-reporting during a time when THC carts were all black-market. They did not conduct biopsies, product analysis nor toxicology screening.
Hiding the truth
As of March 2021, the Government of Canada’s webpage on EVALI mentions nicotine 5 times but only mentions vitamin E acetate just once.
This is the source of information that all provincial health authorities and all Canadian health professionals would consider to be the most current, unbiased and accurate.
Next page:
What went wrong in Canada
What went wrong in Canada
Governments, health authorities, medical professionals, anti-smoking groups and health-related nonprofits utilized mainstream media to repeatedly warn the public that vaping was injuring people without specifying that the injuries were caused from illegal THC cartridges.
Over and over again, they included vaping nicotine in their conversations, statements and announcements. A false narrative that blamed vaping nicotine for the lung injuries spread throughout the public and the health community.
First case of EVALI in Canada
Dr. Chris Mackie, the medical officer for the Middlesex-London Health Unit in Ontario, declared the first of the 19 EVALI cases in Canada. His diagnosis was lipoid pneumonia caused by vaping nicotine. Countless headlines, articles, TV news programs and experts created fear about vaping nicotine.
Enduring false causation
For weeks, Dr. Mackie continued to blame vaping nicotine for the lung injury during interviews with media. As a result of this deception, anti-smoking agencies, health authorities and health-related nonprofits across Canada demanded banning flavours in eliquid and make nicotine vaping less attractive to smokers.
The science is clear
Several years earlier, a 2016 study “Respiratory infections and pneumonia: potential benefits of switching from smoking to vaping” concluded vaping nicotine cannot cause lipoid pneumonia. Water-based vapor cannot cause an oil-based lung injury.
First case of EVALI in Canada
Dr. Chris Mackie, the medical officer for the Middlesex-London Health Unit in Ontario declared the first of 19 cases in Canada. His diagnosis was lipoid pneumonia. Countless headlines, articles, TV news programs and experts created fear about vaping nicotine.
The science is clear
Several years earlier, a 2016 study “Respiratory infections and pneumonia: potential benefits of switching from smoking to vaping” concluded vaping nicotine cannot cause lipoid pneumonia. Water-based vapor cannot cause an oil-based lung injury.
Enduring false causation
For weeks, Dr. Mackie continued to blame vaping nicotine for the lung injury during interviews with media. As a result of this deception, anti-smoking agencies, health authorities and health-related nonprofits across Canada demanded banning flavours in eliquid and make nicotine vaping less attractive to smokers.
Anti-harm reduction advocates
Daily, health experts were featured on mainstream media spreading fear about vaping nicotine. Experts repeatedly referred to vaping as causing the injuries without specifying that it was illegal THC cartridges that was hurting people. They repeatedly include vaping nicotine in their discussions!
Recommends inhaling nicotine
Dr. Tereza Martinu, respirologist, was a guest on media. She admitted that vitamin E acetate was found in all the American EVALI lung biopsies & is used in THC concentrates. However, she suggests that inhaling nicotine through vaping as the cause of the lung injuries. Then she encourages smokers to use nicotine inhalers.
Trying hard to blame harm reduction
Question: since vaping has been around for 10 years, why the sudden outbreak of EVALI? Dr. Martinu’s answer was there was such an increase in vaping that there are now enough cases to see it. She failed to give the percent of increase or the time frame because there wasn’t a significant increase in vaping to warrant the outbreak.
Deceptive authority
With endless resources and funding, the government is fully capable of reviewing the evidence on vaping. Yet, they are still deceiving the public by blaming vaping nicotine specifically for EVALI. Why are Canadian health authorities so misinformed about vaping? They must be aware of the billions of dollars it costs to treat smoking-related diseases.
Fake news
The United Kingdom (UK) promotes vaping for smokers. They are different than most of the world because they independently reviewed the science on vaping before the global narrative that Canada has adopted was dictated. The deceptions about EVALI were so pervasive that even their citizens became misinformed!
The lies are working
The misinformation campaign through authority and media has convinced the public that vaping nicotine is the source of EVALI. Within 15 months, an increase of 13% of the people wrongly believe that vaping is MORE harmful than smoking, The public now demands eliquid flavour bans and other restrictions on tobacco harm reduction (vaping).
Next page:
What happened
What happened
Suddenly, there were hundreds of cases of severe lung injuries in areas around the USA. All the patients had vaped.