Saturday, July 3, 2010

Fighting To Maintain Their Title

As we approach the day that the statewide smoking ban is implemented, State Senator Mary Lazich, or more likely, her overpaid glorified secretary, Kevin Fischer, put up a blog post pushing for the use of e-cigarettes.

That would be the same e-cigarettes that consists of a scary chemical cocktail in itself, as the impeccable and multi-talented Emily Mills points out:

What are e-cigarettes? Well, their manufacturers would like you to know them simply as the "tar-free and safe alternative to smoking" and not ask any further questions. They are tar and tobacco-free, yes, but what they do contain doesn't exactly make them all fuzzy bunnies and lollipops. There's artificial flavoring, vaporized nicotine and, as it turns out, a few other chemicals like diethylene glycol, an ingredient used in antifreeze.

That's why the FDA is (rightly) trying to impose tougher regulations on the product, though they're being met with considerable resistance. Some folks want to see e-cigs regulated as tobacco products, others as a drug or device, and the manufacturers seem intent on keeping their cylindrical cash cows free of any pesky oversight or regulation at all.

Ironically, the Lazich/Fischer post comes out just before the release of a study stating that smoking causes 8,000 deaths statewide each year. Apparently the Lazich/Fischer team wants to maintain or even improve those numbers. For the common good, no doubt.

Either that, or they are just trying to stay on top of their game and maintain their title of Worst Legislator and Worst Legislative Aide.

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