Clearing The Air

To understand Pat McKone of the American Lung Association of MN’s outrage regarding E-cigarettes, you have to understand the background of the smoking ban movement and how they came about.

The American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Medical Association, etc were instrumental in lobbying lawmakers for smoking bans around the country. But what politicians and the public were not told, is that these non-profit heath organizations were paid nearly $446+ million for their role in “educating” lawmakers about the need for smoking bans by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/02/smoking-bans-good-public-policy-or.html

Who is RWJF? 

RWJF is the political wing of the Johnson & Johnson Company.

Why would J & J fund smoking ban lobbyists to get cigarettes banned?

Johnson & Johnson manufactures or owns Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ, Nicotrol, Nicorette, and Commit alternative nicotine delivery products. As such, their sole purpose in funding the non-profits to lobby in favor of smoking bans is purely profit motivated. Eliminating the public use of tobacco by way of coerced government legislation (smoking bans), is primarily meant to increase demand for the products J & J sells.

And it's working, here in Minnesota BCBS hailed the bans for tripling demand of the smoking cessation products they distribute....Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ, Nicotrol, Nicorette, and Commit, all sold or manufactured by J & J; which helps explain how J & J profits increased 40% in 2008.

Update 2013: Obama is now using OUR tax dollars (stimulus bill) to fund the giveaway of these Quitplan alternative nicotine delivery drugs to smokers Nicoderm, Nicotrol, Commit, etc. ....making our 'friends' at RWJF and J & J company even more prosperous and vociferous against e-cigs.

So when Pat Mckone feigns outrage over smokers’ substituting one addictive drug delivery system (cigarettes) in favor of an alternative nicotine delivery system (E-cigarettes) her real complaint is that the substitute nicotine system was not the one they were paid to push, (Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ, Nicotrol, Nicorette, and Commit).

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2008/06/nicoderm-manufacturer-alza-is.html

GSK distributes Nicoderm, but it is manufactured by a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary......ALZA. As explained by GSK rep here:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/11/it-has-been-alleged-by-mayo-doctor.html

Very important foot note, smoking bans have closed thousands of bars and restaurants eliminating hundreds of thousands of jobs, more information at this hyperlink:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2009/03/worldwide-economic-meltdown-and.html

E-Cigarette maker responds to ASH:

http://www.officialwire.com/main.php?action=posted_news&rid=4838

Dr. Siegel covers the E-cigarette issue on his website here:

http://tobaccoanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/03/senator-and-anti-smoking-groups-want-to.html