Thread by @Amelia_RH

Shall we look at some smoking and vaping data from Michigan @RashidaTlaib, @GovWhitmer?

Panicked decision-makers who think outlawing harm reduction alternatives to deadly & addictive goods, like cigarettes is a good idea, really ought to look at data first. So let's do that!

https://twitter.com/Amelia_RH/status/1169274646476275714

Let's begin with some facts
Fact: vaping is unquestionably much safer than smoking & does not carry any known risk of premature death.
Fact: the vast majority of people use the products you've recklessly decided to ban are using them for harm reduction. @RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer

@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer I'll also remind you that people still smoke. Middle class folk tend to forget this. Few of us smoke, few of our loved ones smoke, few in our social & professional networks smoke. And we've stigmatized smoking, erased it from visible, respectable society
@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer

But people still smoke. And not just any people. The most vulnerable people. Poor people, people with mental illness, marginalized people. I'd urge you to read this piece by Prof. Ken Warner (he's at University of Michigan, by the way) sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2019po…

Now. How about that Michigan data @RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer? Let's take a look at adult smoking first. I'm assuming since you want to ban harm reduction (yes flavors are harm reduction) you think smoking isn't a problem in MI?
Here is CDC data on your state. Not looking so good.

@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer Smoking by income in MI.
The poorest people in your state smoke at a rate >2x higher than the national avg. Half of all smokers die early. @RashidaTlaib, Your rich NY mom friends at PAVe don't give a s**t about these people. You & @GovWhitmer should. Please. Please give a s**t.

@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer What about the kids?
Youth in Michigan still smoke. It is important to understand that teens experimenting with nicotine is is NOT NEW. The only thing new here, is that teens are choosing to experiment with products that won't kill them prematurely. @RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer

@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer Here is habitual use of ecigs & combustible products Habitual use is what we are interested in from a public health standpoint, not one-off experimentation, which is a lot of Past30 day use.
<3% of MI students vape habitually. That's a health emergency? @RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer

@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer Vaping by never-smoking youth is VERY rare. Nicotine use is endemic among teens. Overwhelming majority young frequent vapers also smoke(d). You are about to make the recreational nicotine market toxic. That protects no one @RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer

Charts: 12th grade tobacco use

@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer If genuinely worried about recent outbreak of lung illness, understand there's currently NO evidence tying any cases to flavored ecigs/nicotine. Illicit cannabis oil is likely cause & cases limited to places legal pot isn't sold. @RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer

https://twitter.com/Amelia_RH/status/1168452207156617216?s=20

@RashidaTlaib @GovWhitmer Now that I've wasted my day pursuing the fools errand of making a case for harm reduction on twitter, to pols who are woefully confused about risks of smoking vs vaping, I'll still repeat: I'm an expert on this issue with no $ tie to any industry.
Peace.
@GovWhitmer @RashidaTlaib