Report: e-cigarettes are ‘potentially carcinogenic’

[caseymoz]

18. And you've take an overview of company literature

to arrive at this conclusion? I bet you have. "At least none that I've ever seen," is a big qualifier if you haven't looked. You dismiss the article as trite nonsense by saying "Life is carcinogenic" and then undercut your own credibility by declaring the companies innocent of deceit, but qualify it by admitting that you may or may not have even looked. Yeah, that's unbiased.

Where did the Economist get the information for their article? At the time, no studies had been done on e-cigarettes. If it didn't have any scientific or expert source, they were informed by company marketing.

Presume this: every company lies to sell. If they have a product like a recreational drug, they'll tell you it's harmless. They'll even tell you it has health benefits, if they think they can get you to believe it. Look at patent medicine ads in the early 20th century. The only way they'll admit it's harmful is if the government makes them.

I think e-cigarettes probably minimize sickness and death from cigarette smoking and second hand smoke. I believe they might be a vast improvement over old-fashioned combustible cigarettes. That doesn't mean they're completely safe.

So, we're in agreement on that. Where I disagree is scoffing at people who ask, "Well, how safe are they?"