The AAP Experience
The American Academy of Paediatrics unveiled more of the same ecig nonsense at their annual conference.
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by Dave Cross
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The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) may only meet up once a year for a conference but opposing the harm reduction potential of vaping is a 365 days per year preoccupation. Truth, fact and evidence are simply things to play fast and loose with because (for them) the end justifies the means.
“While the next president of the United States will face a variety of issues impacting the country,” write The AAP, “the Academy and paediatricians will work to ensure children and adolescents have a place at the top of the federal policy agenda.”
As far as the AAP is concerned, opposing electronic cigarettes at every turn is one of the key things they are working to place at the top of that agenda. The job fell to the AAP’s senior editor in the lead up to the conference. “Research mounting on dangers of e-cigarettes,” wrote Carla Kemp.
Really? The research is actually mounting up? If anybody doubted it then Kemp promises that Karen Wilson MD will enlighten all during her conference speech. Wilson is clearly a person with her finger on the pulse of what’s happening: “We really are starting to understand more about the dangers of electronic cigarettes.”
The chair of the AAP’s Tobacco Control Executive Committee details what kind of dangers vaping presents: “The systems also are being used to aerosolize cannabis or leaf marijuana with very little odour. The one that scares me the most is actually designed to look like an albuterol inhaler. The marketing of this is getting very clever. They’re making it in ways that make marijuana use and cigarette use very subtle.”
So, clear evidence that vaping is all about drug abuse then. But there’s more: “The aerosol that is emitted from the electronic cigarettes has been described as ‘harmless water vapor.’ And we know that is just not true.” The thing is, doctor Wilson, we all know that your statement is untrue.
Kemp’s whole article fails to provide a single shred of evidence to support her bold headline. Wilson fails to deliver up anything other than the kind of slanted hysteria the AAP have been peddling for so long, something continued into this year’s conference.
Attendees also heard from Doctor Robert McMillen in a talk titled: “Household rules about e-cigarette use and beliefs about harms to children.”
A horrified McMillen said: “Most U.S. adults surveyed in 2015 agree that e-cigarette use should not be allowed in places where smoking is prohibited. Yet one-third of respondents allow use of the devices within their home.”
Bob is really worried about third-hand vape and can’t believe that parents aren’t concerned too. He has a goal and that is to get the AAP members to whip up fear on the matter.
“E-cigarettes primarily emit a toxic aerosol, not harmless water vapor. Unfortunately, many parents are unaware of the risk that exposure poses for their children and do not implement household rules to protect their children,” McMillen said.
It would appear that the only thing “mounting” is the AAP’s level of hyperbole and fear mongering, woefully out of balance with any danger posed by vaping or the benefits it confers to smokers and their families.
Photo Credit:
Images – AAP twitter feed https://twitter.com/AAPexperieNCE
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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