FDA Not Sure If They're Idiots

Smoking is bad for you. Everyone knows that. Well, unless you're looking to cultivate a sexy, throaty lounge singer's voice. In which case, smoking may be your only option. But if you don't want lung cancer? Probably best to stay away. The only snag is that cigarettes contain nicotine, which many people find is a chemical their bodies have an irrational, insatiable need to absorb. Also, the physical act of flicking out a cigarette, lighting it, and wrapping your succulent lips around its filter can create a muscle memory habit. Also, smoking looks bad ass. Which is why some companies have begun selling electronic cigarettes. There are a few variations, but all of them are basically small, cigarette-shaped vaporizers that deliver a nice, smokey, nicotine-tinged puff of water vapor to fill your lungs via disposable cartridge. No carcinogenic tar or baby puss or whatever else regular cigarettes have in them to make them so delicious. So, that would mean they're safer, right? Not so fast, says FDA spokeswoman Siobhan DeLancey. "We don't know if this is any better for [smokers]." Obviously Ms. DeLancey isn't dumb enough to think that water vapor may be just as harmful as cigarette smoke (I hope), so what's the real motive here? You'd think the FDA would embrace e-cigarettes. But the reality seems to be that the FDA sees anything that even looks remotely like a cigarette to be a potential danger, as it may lead morons like you and me to think maybe all kinds of cigarettes are equally safe. Personally, I didn't know I was that stupid, but I guess you learn something every day. Well, some of us do. More details here.