How Far Is Too Far?

Nicotine may be classified as performance-enhancing drug - More Sports - SI.com:

"WADA and sport federations should evaluate the inclusion of nicotine to the Prohibited List or/and Monitoring Program," the Lausanne lab reported after a year-long study published by the Forensic Science International journal.

The performance-enhancing effects of nicotine included increased "vigilance and cognitive function," and reduced stress and body weight.

"Interestingly, nicotine also triggers a significant increase of pulse rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and epinephrine release owing to simultaneous stimulant and relaxant properties," the report said.

"Smokeless tobacco is a very attractive drug from a doping perspective," researchers suggested, because it did not damage an athlete's breathing and respiratory system.

As much as this sickens me and believe me it does sicken me,there are far worse stories I read every single day.
For some reason this beings to mind something I read last week,it's relevant enough that I feel justified in linking it  here.
The second article I linked is all about The World Anti Doping Agency and the steps they can and do take to ensure that professional athletes aren't using anything to enhance their performance.
This all seems like it's going too far.
Once the WADA gets around to adding nicotine to their list professional athletes are going to have a harder time than they already do.

Resistance brewing to Ontario schools' caffeine cutbacks

Resistance brewing to Ontario schools' caffeine cutbacks - The Globe and Mail:

 With its new policy, Ontario has joined several other provinces that have taken a hard line against caffeine, either by banning it or putting strict limits on what can be sold on school property, in the cafeteria or at fundraisers. In British Columbia, a 15-mg-per-serving limit on caffeine means that chocolate milk barely avoids being culinary contraband, and students in Nova Scotia can buy only milk, 100-per-cent juice and water at school.

Honestly I have nothing to say.Just seems like another way society is going overboard protecting the children.
Not really on the same subject but it somehow seemed related in my brain.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb5gpv_george-carlin-child-worship_fun
Besides after reading that story I could use a laugh.

My Story

For the people who don't know by the posts on this blog I do vape.
Some people make the decision for whatever reason to try vaping and love it,some replace partial cigarette use with it and some do make a switch.
For some it isn't a real enough experience and they go back to smoking.
For now I am going to talk about myself,it is sometimes easier to explain myself than it is to explain others.


As a child I could remember smoking in places like the shopping center or the local restaurants.
My mom and dad had always smoked,so did my brothers and later on I did as well.
I am not a quit type of person,never have been.
I had no desire to quit and no real financial intensive to pay prohibitively high sin taxes to my government for indulging in what is a perfectly legal behavior.
Until this time around two years ago I had never questioned why no one could smoke indoors in a public place anymore or why people didn't like us when we smoked outdoors.
That part had bothered me most  the nasty behavior by other people when I would go outside to smoke,you know what I mean,the coughing,the handwaving the "helpful" advise "Those things will kill you.".
I had never experienced mean beyond that though,I live in a pretty small town and most of us know each other,it does make some difference I guess.

Being that I am curious and the fact that I read alot I before I even attempted to begin to use e cigs started reading,looking for a reason why our freedoms were being trampled,why no smoking zones outdoors were being moved further and further away.
No one really had any useful information until I somehow found myself here.

From there it was a short journey to other places with more useful information.
Back in those days Christopher Snowdon hadn't begun blogging and I had no idea exactly who half the people on my blog sidebar were.
But I was pretty sure of one thing this man told a story so amazing,so sickening that I had to check and be sure what he was saying was true and it was.
There is a point that most people reach and it changes them,reading this stuff changed me.
If nothing else it made me more aware,made me take a harder look at the places I spent my money and the companies I gave my money to.
Worse than what I found there was the sad and slowly sinking feeling I started to get in the pit of my stomach that some of the money I paid out in state and federal cigarette taxes was going to persecute me and other smoker's like me.
My parents,my brothers,friends and people I had never even met were being hurt by the money I was putting into these coffers.

I had never ever thought of growing my own tobacco or buying roll your own tobacco but I knew I had to do something.
The idea for electronic cigarettes was something I thought about for months,it wasn't the easiest decision I ever made.
Do I use electronic cigarettes?
Yes
Do I still consider myself a smoker?
Absolutely

The reason for this post which I knew was coming yesterday when I read this was the absolute anger I felt when I read it.
I assume other people who vape read this and were overjoyed,I wasn't.
I knew people would feel a whole lot like this.
The way they feel isn't without reason,they I would say we but apparently the government had decided that I am o.k. for whatever reason and people who don't do what I do aren't.

I didn't do this for my health,I did this because I had high hopes that starving them (the government,the charities) would change their minds.
I see we still aren't where we need to be yet.
It makes me sad.

Smoking: Orlando urges people not to smoke in public parks.

Smoking: Orlando urges people not to smoke in public parks. - OrlandoSentinel.com:

The measure stops short of banning outdoor smoking because that's something the city doesn't have the authority to do. But it does ask the Florida Legislature to grant cities that power so Orlando officials can pursue an outright ban in the future.

"We want the public to realize our children need healthy areas to play in, and we can help with that," said Commissioner Sam Ings, who introduced the resolution.

FFS
Is there any place left besides home a smoker can smoke?
Oh wait sometimes you can't do that in your home either.
It's a depressing state of affairs when the city is begging the state legislature to give them the power to ban smoking in parks.
This is just getting sickening.
History tells us this stops,because it becomes an issue no one can afford to persue not because people suddenly change their minds.
I guess we aren't at that point yet.

Smoking in Russia: will old habits die hard?

Smoking in Russia: will old habits die hard? : The Lancet:

Persuading Russian society of the need for what many will label draconian anti-smoking legislation will be absolutely crucial if new legislation is to stand any chance of being enforced. Currently, only flights are smoke free, and according to Toropova this is explained “only by such will of the airlines”—it is not a legal obligation. There is nowhere else that is 100% smoke free, including hospitals. “The only penalty existing today for smoking in the forbidden places is RUB100 (about US$3)”, says Toropova—“that is for smoking on a train, in a non-smoking compartment”

Persuade?
Hell they will just do what they want I imagine.
I do think this will wind up being a Greece type of situation or at least I hope it will be.

Smoking Shelters Get Council Approval - Creve Coeur, MO Patch

Smoking Shelters Get Council Approval - Creve Coeur, MO Patch:

Almost nine months after the city of Creve Coeur's new smoking ordinance went into effect, City Council members passed an amendment to the law Monday which allows employers to build smoking shelters.

The debate has been ongoing for much of the summer, with arguments ranging from whether the idea of allowing the shelters inherently weakened the original ordinance, or if the city was infringing on individual freedoms if the shelters were not allowed.

Nice,I like seeing smokers given reasonable accommodation.
BTW that bill passed the city council vote 7-1.

New Data Suggests Cigarette Taxes a Risky Revenue Source

» New Data Suggests Cigarette Taxes a Risky Revenue Source - Big Government:

Back in 2009, the Reason Foundation identified that since 2003, cigarette taxes had been increased 57 times around the U.S., but that 68 percent of those hikes failed to result in projected revenue increases.

With more people giving up, however, experts say enhancing revenues via raising cigarette taxes could get tougher.

In addition, states that do hike taxes could see an increase in cigarette smuggling, which deprives the state in question of revenue it had anticipated.  This is a problem experienced by New Jersey, which a 2009 report obtained this week by Newark’s Star-Ledger shows is experiencing significant challenges in collecting in the revenue it needs to bank in order to get the full benefit of its $2.70 per pack cigarette tax.

But the health fascists must be jumping for joy,after all this is sort of what they were hoping would happen.
Of course the increase in smuggling is an unintended consequence but the government often acts without thinking about what it will do to them,which is no real surprise.