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Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

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Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#131
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's two vaping crises. One is THC vaping solutions that are killing people. The second is that we're currently living through a meteoric rise in nicotine addiction among teenagers. For a very long time, teenage nicotine use was going down, due to declines in smoking rates. Smoking rates still continue to decline, but nicotine vaping rates have gone up and to the right. 1 in 4 high school students are now vaping n…

> This is a public health crisis. No, no it's not. It's a manufactured hysteria which is now used by the government to squeeze tobacco companies by the nuts. It's the new 'ear sexing' that dem kids are doing. Its parents too busy to monitor their kids and schools stretched too thin to monitor their bathrooms and hallways. No amount of regulation will fix that. Remember when Marijuana was illegal? Yeah, the kids were…

> which is now used by the government to squeeze tobacco companies by the nuts.

As it should. These companies provide absolutely zero benefit to society, and rely on addicts to keep their business going, and they try to get more addicts in the process. Human greed is truly destructive.

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#132

They reached out to me on LinkedIn. Don't know why they need software engineers, but I don't think I'm aligned with their mission -- whatever it may be.

Who cares if you're "aligned with a mission"? It's a paycheck.

Because, in this case, you'd be playing a role in spreading destructive behavior in society. Unlike some other companies which have goods and bads, here we have a company that provides no good whatsoever.

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#133
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is a public health crisis. No, no it's not. It's a manufactured hysteria which is now used by the government to squeeze tobacco companies by the nuts. It's the new 'ear sexing' that dem kids are doing. Its parents too busy to monitor their kids and schools stretched too thin to monitor their bathrooms and hallways. No amount of regulation will fix that. Remember when Marijuana was illegal? Yeah, the kids were…

> which is now used by the government to squeeze tobacco companies by the nuts. As it should. These companies provide absolutely zero benefit to society, and rely on addicts to keep their business going, and they try to get more addicts in the process. Human greed is truly destructive.

mmm.. it depends. Fucking over these companies is a good way to go. But fucking them over just the right amount so that they continue doing business to pay money is not ok. It creates a perverse incentive in which the government actually wants people to buy cigarettes so it can continue the money flow. You'd think that cigarette taxes go into public health but that's not the case. The problem here is that with vaping, people are smoking less, thus buying less cigarettes and paying less to the government via tobacco taxes. Because vape pods/ejuice/ecig hardware is not taxed like cigarettes.

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe in the case of NY it was all flavors except menthol that were banned.

Ya, it is politically too difficult to ban menthol at the moment.

Menthol competes for the same enzyme that breaks down nicotine, keeping nicotine active longer. It is also a moderately strong kappa-opioid receptor agonist: vaping too strong menthol liquid can induce extreme dysphoria, anxiety and panic attacks.

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All the 'big names' companies like 'Juul' and 'Blu' are heavily invested in by 'Big Tobacco'. These are the companies you see in gas stations and convenience stores across the America. But these big companies can't compete with all the Vape Shops that are insanely popular and are everywhere. This is why there is just a big hubbub over regulation and the deaths over black market Marijuana cartridges. These massive cor…

The UK picture is the big tobacco brands are everywhere and so ludicrously expensive. Yet barely sell, and don't get much point of sale love from the retailer. They feel like a line their tobacco rep gave them a discount to carry, yes just about everywhere. £1-£1.50 for 10ml in a vape shop, £1 in the Poundshop and discounters, £4-£5 in a corner shop or petrol station. You can wait out vaping 100x easier than waiting…

You’re not wrong about there being something ”extra” in tobacco, and it’s not being talked about publicly.

See https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine#addictiveness

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/25/health/juul-teens-vaping.... > In April 2017, a Juul representative visited the Dwight School in New York City to meet with students — with no teachers present — and told them the company’s e-cigarettes were “totally safe.” > Other schools across the country were offered $10,000 from the e-cigarette company for the right to talk to students in classrooms or after school. > In Richmo…

Given the way teenagers don’t really fawn over authority figures, this seems like the most counterproductive thing they could have done. Stupid.

Do you really think that cliche even applies here?

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#137
post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm also not forced to consume caffeine merely by standing next to you.

What is the actual quantity of nicotine in second hand vapor? Most likely not very high.

Got any studies to back that up?

Seems to be high enough to feel the effect. Never experienced this by just standing next to someone sipping coffee.

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#138
post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fruity flavors were a life-saver for me, because it allowed me to distance myself from tobacco flavor so much, that it made me nauseous when I would try to smoke a real cigarette again. It just so happens that the "something else which appeals to existing smokers", e.g., fruity flavors, may also be appealing to non-smokers. However, I don't see that as a strong enough argument to ban them.

My concern with 'fruity flavors' is the molecular diversity. Many of these compounds are considered safe for human consumption (edible) but under-researched when vaporized an inhaled, which has the potential for formation of novel unexpected compounds, especially in heterogenous solutions. I think the risk from these compounds is likely an order of magnitude less than the risks of cigarette smoking, and these risks w…

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Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#139
post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As an ex smoker and now ex vaper, who wouldn't have quit cigs without vaping, Juul definitely feels to be something apart. Part of the problem, not the solution. Their USP seems to be delivering a much higher "hit" more quickly, trying to give a hit like your first ever cigarette. Never tried one and don't intend to so have no clue how true this is, but it was definitely part of the buzz around them.

juul is a nicotine salt instead of freebase nicotine, making it unique among market offerings.

Well some regular vape mods can use nicotine salts, so I don't see what's unique. Never tried these so I have no idea why that's different as I said. Just what I picked up from the buzz around their launch about the "faster better hit".

Re: Juul Labs CEO to Step Down

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The UK picture is the big tobacco brands are everywhere and so ludicrously expensive. Yet barely sell, and don't get much point of sale love from the retailer. They feel like a line their tobacco rep gave them a discount to carry, yes just about everywhere. £1-£1.50 for 10ml in a vape shop, £1 in the Poundshop and discounters, £4-£5 in a corner shop or petrol station. You can wait out vaping 100x easier than waiting…

You’re not wrong about there being something ”extra” in tobacco, and it’s not being talked about publicly. See https://www.gwern.net/Nicotine#addictiveness

Interesting. Not come across that before, but it gels with my experience. I found it far easier quitting vaping than switching tobacco to vapes, nor had a huge issue pausing vaping for a day or two.
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