Vaping claims rejected – Alice Springs News
Dear Editor,
I read with some surprise a letter from a Doctor Mendelsohn stating that the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Territory have a life expectancy 15 years less than every other group in the area. The phrase used to label every one else was “the general population”.
That’s depressing. Obviously something needs to be done.
The doctor suggests getting more people to vape rather than smoke tobacco. There are several problems with this. Many vaping products contain nicotine which is a dangerous drug to the human system.
Vaping products are not closely monitored for quality or even for ingredients. Many of them contain heavy metals and strange combinations of chemicals used to enable the chemistry set of a vaping device to work.
It’s possible to vape many different things. All one needs to do is mix it into the mix.
In short, vaping is no solution to the problem of smoking.
As to the disparity between the life expectancy of one group over another, has anyone taken a look at the level of medical care provided to the people whose lives are statistically shorter?
In the United States the American Indians have to deal with crushing poverty, residual racism, fear, misunderstanding, distrust, government incompetence and malfeasance and the fact that they were forced onto marginal lands.
Isn’t that the same sort of thing that happened in Australia?
I don’t recommend vaping. The same people that make and sell cigarettes and other tobacco products control the vaping market. There will be no health benefits found there. Why would anyone other than a salesman think there was?
Alfred Brock, Wayne MI, USA
Alfred.Brock@gmail.com
