Letter from the Owner: Flavored E-cigarette ban

CDC data illuminates—we are on the pathway to the elimination of cigarette smoking in America. Nine out of ten cigarette smokers began smoking when they were teenagers. Today, teenagers are switching their preference from cigarettes to flavored e-cigarettes at such a rate that cigarette smoking in high school could soon be a thing of the past. Teenagers, who do not smoke cigarettes, become adults who do not smoke cigarettes.

Government data is being manipulated to imply that there is an epidemic of teenage use of flavored e-cigarettes. In 2011 over 25% of high schoolers admitted to using tobacco products. Current estimates are that 27% of high schoolers have used flavored e-cigarettes, while only 5% now smoke traditional cigarettes. The real epidemic is teenagers becoming tobacco free.

Americans currently spend $170 billion annually on tobacco related healthcare. The largest political lobbying machine in the world is the healthcare lobby, and they need the public to continue using tobacco. If recent trends continue, whereby teens quit smoking cigarettes and become adults who don't smoke cigarettes, it will cost the healthcare industry tens of billions of dollars. This may explain why doctors, politicians and administration officials are speaking out against flavored e-cigarettes. They want to continue to enjoy their share of the billions of dollars being showered on them.

In 2018, the healthcare lobby spent $281 million lobbying administration officials and politicians. This year, they see the opportunity to eliminate the flavored e-cigarette business and will spend whatever it takes to achieve this goal. If they are successful, 480,000 Americans will continue dying each year from cigarette smoking. Those of us who care about America and the future health of our citizens need to speak up.

Sincerely,

Alan Beck
Owner of Beck Services Inc.