Thursday, Mar. 12, 2020
VAPING WEEKLY UPDATE PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Due to new federal laws governing tobacco and nicotine use including the marketing and dissemination of product information, Vaping Weekly is now only intended for adults aged 21 years and over. If you live in a state or jurisdiction that allows for younger, this podcast is then for those over the age of 18 years.
Listener discretion is advised.
I’m Michael McGrady, your host, and the public policy columnist for the English edition of VapingPost.com.
To begin, I wanted to apologize for the delay and strange show framework from the past several weeks. While we previously announced a show hiatus for a foreign assignment in Brazil, the events of the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak have prompted a change in plans. Also, due to the need to cover the COVID-19 outbreak, the “Quick Hits” episodes persisted to accommodate a challenging editorial calendar for myself and our staff.
We are back to normal operations of the show, though. So, that’s the good news! Now, here is the news that vape shop owners, activists, and consumers need to know, published on Thursday, Mar. 12, 2020.
[Election Coverage Intro Transition]Former Vice President Joe Biden is now in a better position to win the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. After a strong showing in the past few primary contests, Joe Biden’s centrism and experience as the second most powerful man in the country is appealing to Democrats across the country—especially in Southern states. The March 10 results show this to be true, giving Biden wins in states like Mississippi and Missouri.
Though he is still behind, Bernie Sanders is still challenging the status quo. Based on the current state of the race, the Democrats are still due to be divided and could lead their efforts to select a nominee well into the actual Democratic convention.
Tulsi Gabbard, an outspoken candidate merely running to make a statement, is still in the race. However, all chances of Gabbard winning the nomination are now zero.
Note, Biden though is still considered a hostile candidate to the state of the vaping industry. Amid the changes in policy, Biden is likely to take on the e-cigarette issue as a central point to his general election challenge against Donald Trump if he’s elected to be the nominee.
Bernie Sanders, luckily, is seemingly more open to vaping policy that is based on evidence. Tulsi Gabbard has not spoken openly about the topic in a dramatic capacity.
Stay tuned for more coverage and results as they come available. Let’s take a break, now.
***
Hi, it’s Michael. Vaping Weekly is a user-supported show. We depend on the generosity of our readers and listeners to support our production efforts. You can donate one time or offer a recurring monthly gift to help continue our groundbreaking journalism and reporting on vaping, snus, nicotine, and the vertical of tobacco harm reduction.
To donate, please visit www.Anchor.fm/vaping-post in your web browser. Or, you can click the link in the episode description. Thank you for helping us make this show for vapers, by vapers.
***
Now, back to the show.
Amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, expect a variety of headlines to continue regarding the state of the vaping industry and how it’s impacted by the outbreak. I’ve previously reported in Filter, among other publications who’ve followed similar stories, that tobacco control and public interests are advising smokers and vapers from using products because of the belief that the actions could increase the probability of getting infected with COVID-19.
Much has been proven that smoking cigarettes do cause patients to have a greater likelihood of getting a viral or respiratory infection. COVID-19 is a viral infection. Given the causality, it is being argued by some to refrain from smoking. Vaping, too, is being targeted in this rhetoric despite the overwhelming evidence that vaping and the use of other risk-reduced tobacco products could alleviate any further harm done to the respiratory system while still accommodating a modified risk delivery of nicotine to users.
Please feel free to read more about this hypothesis in Filter, a coming piece for Vaping Post, and a few other commentaries and news articles linked in the description of this show.
And, that’s the news for now. More headlines will be reported in the next edition of Vaping Weekly Update.
You can listen to Vaping Weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, PocketCasts, or where ever you get your podcasts.
Vaping Weekly is created and hosted by Michael McGrady.
The editorial team for VapingPost.com also produces this show.
Sound design and recording of this podcast are done at Perihelion Creations in Monument, Colorado.
Vaping Weekly is presented by Anchor.fm.
We are independent of big tobacco.
