Vapouround magazine ISSUE 22 | Page 15

Vapouround contacted the American Cancer Society (ACS) the Truth Initiative and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids for a response to the claims made in the report. By the time of publication, only the ACS had issued a response. Cliff Douglas, JD, vice president of Tobacco Control at ACS told Vapouround: “The report makes too many (false) claims to respond to individually, but the claim of a vast conspiracy has no legitimacy; the only thing we’re conspiring to do is be effective in tobacco control.” “ THE REPORT MAKES TOO MANY (FALSE) CLAIMS TO RESPOND TO INDIVIDUALLY, BUT THE CLAIM OF VAST CONSPIRACY HAS NO LEGITIMACY “ “[But] it is groups that have been working together for years on the same messaging tactics or very similar messaging tactics.” The FDA gets the backing of supposedly objective scientific organisations or health organisations like the ACS and responds with actions that generate a lot of press. While Minton’s interview with Regulator Watch gained significant traction among vapers on YouTube and Facebook, the mainstream media has so far not acknowledged the story. Minton claims that someone at a well-known national newspaper refused to pursue it because they didn’t believe that the government would give out what she calls false information for profit. Next, she plans to investigate if health non-profits are tied to media and what impact this may be having on their reporting. “Part of me is starting to think that it [media anti-vaping bias] is wilful. I’ve heard a few things that might make me think that there is a command from on-high from somebody, that might be influencing the subjects that are reported on or the people they choose to interview.” - AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY VM22 | 15