New Low For Tobacco Control Activists
Public consultation exercise by the FDA has been flooded with bogus anti-vape comments.
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by Dave Cross
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The move accompanied a consideration to regulate the flavours available across the whole of America. Naturally vapers were encouraged to add their opinions on the matter, to counter the arguments being put forward by anti-vape tobacco control activists.
Freeman Vape Juice was one company encouraging its customers to take part: “Well-reasoned, non-emotional language will always carry more sway with regulators than any name calling or harsh language. Demonstrate acknowledgment of the concerns over flavours being seen as targeting youth and make your case that flavours help you avoid combustible tobacco products. The FDA is looking for people to tell their story that vape flavours may help adult tobacco smokers reduce cigarette use and switch to potentially less harmful products.”
“This is our chance to have our voices heard. Tell your story, be well reasoned and cite data. There is a time limit on the FDA public commenting period so if you are interested in making a comment please do so as soon as you can.”
Comments for and against flavoured eliquids began to be submitted, but all that changed over a few days. Suddenly, the comment section began to be overwhelmed by a deluge of mainly anonymous anti-vape comments. In total, over a quarter of a million entries engulfed the site, from four IP addresses, and was identified as the work of ‘bots’.
Although it is almost impossible to say which organisation or individual is responsible for this act, fingers are being pointed at Tobacco-Free Kids.
“60%, if not more, can be identified as anti-vaping spam” – Regulator Watch
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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