All language subtitles for A.Billion.Lives.2016.WEB-DL.x264-RARBG

- this is
not fun and games.

- a corrupt system.
- this is life and death.

- A billion people dying from
smoking related diseases.

- 70% of current
smokers want to quit.

- I smoked for 40 years.

- 50 years.

- using the patch.

- Nicotine patches or chews.

- proven smokeless
cessation method.

- Should be promoted.

- This hasn't helped.

- majority
of them failed.

- That makes no sense.

- E-cigarette.

...E-cigarettes.

- E-cigarettes.

- Alternative to lighting up.
- Stopped.

- We don't know if
that's true, or not.

- They've been making headlines.

- don't look for
an endorsement from the--

- lung association,
heart association.

- world
health organization.

- is raising
the red flag on.

- dangers involved.

- We need to be careful.

- Quit or die.

- The potential harm is
likely to be very, very small.

- Usage has tripled.

- Vapes are everywhere.

- causing blindness.

- Promotes smoking.

- Nicotine is in here.

- Ignorance is a real problem.

- Other than heroin.

- gateway to cocaine.

- It's the most
addictive drug there is.

- But are they
really that awesome?

- Every study has
to be questioned.

- Cherry picking studies.

- taxing them.
- Regulated.

- Puffer control.
- Same as cigarettes.

- Stupid fools.
- Easy to buy a cigarette.

- They're considered cigarettes.

- Than to buy an e-cigarette.

- You cave in.
- Gone.

- my whole life I've
been told that smoking is bad.

Smoking will kill you.

Smokers are stupid.

I pretty much thought that
smoking was a thing of the past.

Part of history.

I was wrong.

I was shocked that I found
out that a billion people

Are projected to die early
from smoking this century.

I was even more surprised
when I found out

That many people were
using new ways to quit.

But that those ways
were being banned

In more and more countries.

On our journey to find the truth

We traveled around the world.

We discovered a
common mentality.

People that choose to
smoke, deserve to die.

Despite research showing
modern cigarettes to be deadly

The number of smokers around
the world continues to rise.

Millions are dying early.

Casualties of a war
they don't understand.

Shoddy studies,

Fear of the unknown,

And passionate enthusiasm
are the weapons of choice.

Battle lines were drawn.

A culture war began.

We discovered a
widespread corruption.

To separate the
truth from the lies,

The emotion from the facts,

We went to the leading
doctors and scientists.

In the end, our journey
became about more

Than just smoking, or vaping.

It's about freedom,

Corruption, and the fate
of future generations.

This is the battle
for a billion lives.

Each year the tobacco
industry produces over

Six trillion cigarettes.

That's enough to create a
chain from earth to mars,

And back, every single year.

It is estimated that
over 1.6 billion smokers

Will be on the planet
in the next 20 years.

That's more than the entire
population of the earth

Only about 100 years ago.

To understand how we got
to this point we went

To the andes mountains,
where it all began.

It's hard to believe
that something so massive

Could begin as
something so small.

Historians tell us that
ancient incan priests

Were the only ones in the
village who smoked tobacco.

That they used it as
a ceremonial cleanser.

To understand where we
are with this debate about

Vapor technology, we need
to look at how we got here.

And how a billion people,
now find themselves trapped.

During the industrial
revolution tobacco use changed

In a big way.

Cigarettes made by
massive tobacco companies

Became more heavily
processed, cheap, convenient,

And a big part of pop culture.

The rise of
cigarettes had begun.

l.S./m.F.T. L.S./m.F.T.

Lucky strike means fine tobacco.

Yes, in a cigarette it's
the tobacco that counts.

And lucky strike
means fine tobacco.

- if we think
of the last century

The big breakthrough
that really got us into

The problem we were--
what we have was actually

A technology innovation in
terms of the cigarette machine.

That immediately allowed
us to have millions

And billions of
cigarettes being produced.

And sales took off.

At the time there was not
much knowledge about the risk.

There actually was already
some hint of this

By 1908, 1909, while
it was taking off.

Yale researchers were
already starting to publish

And advocate for people
to not use tobacco

Because of fitness
concerns and lung effects.

By the '30s the german's
had started producing data.

By the '50s the british
had started producing data.

And then we all know
finally that 1962

The royal college of
physicians report,

Two years later,
the surgeon general report
came out

And shock horror these
products were not just sources

Of pleasures, people
thought they were

They were actually
causing harm and death.

- in the history
of the world, no non-essential

Habit ever got so
entranced so fast.

Seventy million americans smoke.

Today they got a message
from the United States

Surgeon general, who is
at a blue ribbon committee

Studying their
habit for 14 months.

- The committee has reached
the overall judgment

Cigarette smoking is related
to a higher death rates

In a number of
disease categories.

- if we go
back to understand

When did we first have knowledge

That it's tar that kills
and nicotine that addicts?

We now know that bat
and randall williams

Knew this from the early '60s.

You can say this
is a cynical thing,

Why didn't they
stop at that point?

But they were a company
with billions of dollars

Investment and were
not gonna stop.

- I became the winston man

In 1981.

I was 32-years-old.

And I got a call from
an agent in new york

And he wanted to know
if I would be interested

In coming up for an
interview for an audition.

They were doing a
casting for winston.

So I went in, I had an audition.

Two weeks later I get a call

That they narrowed it down
and they wanted to see me

Again for a call back.

So I had to go up the
next day, unshaven,

Because they wanted me
to have that rugged look.

'cause r.J. Reynolds
was looking for a

Rugged macho kind of a theme.

They come out and say,
"you, you, and you."

Now these are your new
winston men for 1981 and '82.

My jaw dropped, I was floored.

I literally was floored.

Never ever, ever,
ever thinking about

The outcome of what
exactly I was doing

And would have done over
the next eight years.

And that was being seven
and a half years as

The winston man, in over 42 ads

Showing smoking to
be, associated with
healthy activity.

'cause that's all
tobacco marketing is.

♪ yeah me and my winstons

♪ me and my winstons

♪ we got a real good thing

- After practicing as a
physician I then went into

Organized medicine and
hit it up the organization

Which is like the
mothership of doctors.

The world medical association.

And at that time we
were very, very strongly

Against tobacco.

Strongly against
tobacco industry,

Who we knew had lied about
the mortality/morbidity

Linked to their product.

And we knew that we
were up against a huge

Marketing machine.

- the flinstones

Has been brought
to you by winston

America's best selling best
tasting filtered cigarette.

♪ winstons taste good
like a cigarette should ♪

- did our first shoots
up in mt. Evans, colorado.

Which was pretty
educational for me because

You know what happens to
a three pack a day smoker

At 12,000 feet on
top of a mountain?

It ain't pretty.

Especially when
you're on oxygen.

And you're not able to smoke

When you're on oxygen,
'cause you'll blow up.

And I was there for a
good five, six days

With the crew.

They were trying to
capture the story

Of what our theme was.

Which was search and
rescue, storm searcher.

We would fly in with
a helicopter, okay.

We'd be out looking for,
whatever we're looking for.

Repelling off the side of
the mountain, which was

What they paid me to do.

And then, at the end of
the day was light up time.

Sitting on the top of the
rock, lighting a cigarette

With your buddy, passing
the cigarette to your buddy.

So the theme was, let's
tell a story about how

Macho these guys are,
how they're saving lives,

Search and rescue, and
then at the end of the day

The camaraderie is so special
that they have to have

A cigarette together to
celebrate their successes

That was the most machismo
that they could come up with

Which was now going to compete
with the number one brand

Of selling cigarettes, which
was marlboro, at the time.

Winston, at that time,
was only number four.

- 50 head of
cattle headin' for home.

Come to where the flavor is.

Come to marlboro country.

- Within two years winston
became the number two

Selling brand, right
behind marlboro.

How did that happen?

Marketing.

Marketing.

Marketing.

Spend more money,
spend more money.

Let's keep associating
this deadly product

With something that kids want.

- Gee, we ought to
do somethin' fred.

- Okay.

How's about taking a nap?

- I, I got a better idea.

Let's take a winston break.

- that's it!

- My job was to
deliberately to seek out

The vulnerable 13,
14, 15, 16, or 17

Year old and entice
them into thinking

That this is what they
too could be like.

That's all I did.

26 days a year I had to
work for r.J. Reynolds.

They paid me over
$100,000 a year.

Not to mention being on
billboards, magazines,

Penthouse, playboy,
popular mechanics,

Anything that would be a
male magazine considered,

That's where my ads were.

Because we weren't trying
to entice the girls

To smoke winston.

Because they had their own,
they had virginia slims,

And eve, and satins, and capris.

I was ballsy enough
to ask a question

Of the r.J. Reynolds
tobacco executive,

"how come you guys from
r.J. Reynolds don't smoke?"

They said, "we don't smoke
the shit, we just sell it.

"we reserve the right to
smoke for the young, the poor,

"the black, and the stupid."

And billions of dollars
were there to fund it.

They're spending more
money marketing, okay,

Than a lot of people were
spending to prevent it.

- the u.S. Was
slowly starting to pick

Its act up to
introduce some taxes.

It couldn't make progress
on advertising bans

Because first
amendment protection.

The tobacco industry was
then trying to provide

Research grants to
researchers to buy them off.

Or to at least ensure that
the direction of research

Didn't go in more
of a negative way.

And that's when we had the
era of the large tobacco

Finance research groups
around the world.

- the
tobacco institute.

A trade association
with a unique objective.

To promote a free
and informed discussion

Of all issues involving
america's oldest industry.

- we had a study
done by the warton applied

Research center at the
university of pennsylvania

In 1979.

- We were involved in grants
with the medical college

Of virginia from 1930 to 1960.

- Of course there is a
never-ending concern about

The alleged effects of smoking
on the health of the smoker.

- The evidence is certainly
inconclusive at this time.

- There is no increase in
lung cancer mortality rates.

- An individual would have
to sit in a crowded bar

Or cocktail lounge
for more than 100

Consecutive hours to
inhale the equivalent

Of one filtered cigarette.

- Well this study was performed
by the american cancer

Society.
- That was proven

With the study funded, in
part, by the massachusetts

Lung association.

- Which confirms some of our
own thinking on the subject.

- I basically got into
the anti-smoking movement

Right after I graduated
from-- got a masters degree

In public health.

Where I learned that cigarettes
are causing more deaths

Than everything else combined

And nobody was doing
anything about it

And I got a job at the local
county health department

And I was told, "oh,
you have tobacco because

"nobody else wants the job."

- back then, in the '80s

There were 32
billion packs a year

Sold of cigarettes in america.

32 billion.

- Nothing but the
best for mr. Ricardo.

- Winston filter brand.

- Feel the wonderful smoothness
deep down in your throat.

♪ here's to winston

♪ me and my winstons

♪ turn to salem

- Having done all
these ads that I did

And feeling pretty
good about the money

I wasn't listening to
the public's opinion

About tobacco because
right about then is when

You started getting
all the negativity.

Even though the surgeon
general's had talked a bad--

Talked about secondary smoke

And cancer being the number
one cause of premature death
and disease.

Now this is around
1987 now, '86,

'87, '88.

And I had been doing the
ads for almost seven years.

Now you're getting
all the scuttlebutt.

Now you're getting all
the hate, you're starting

To see anger.

Smoking's killing
people, we got proof now.

- It's best if
there is no smoking

So I can stay well.

Because it hurts people
like me who have asthma

And can cause lung cancer
even in non-smokers.

If I could, I would tell the
president to make it the law

That no one smoke
in public places.

- Things in life that he, he's
gonna come in contact with

In growing up

That he doesn't
have control over

Because we live
in a free society

And we have choices to make.

And smokers have choices,
as well as non-smokers

To be around people who smoke.

- The tobacco industry,
from the beginning,

First tried to do what I
guess any consumer good

Company would do,
deny the evidence.

- If you had your preference

Would you want your kids,
or your grandkids to smoke?

Or not smoke?

- I have no preference.

- We have no preference.

- I don't believe that
nicotine, or our products,

Are addictive.

- like
father, like son.

Think about it.

For information on
smoking and heart disease

Ask your heart association.

- there's now a
movement with the national

Cancer institute,
cancer, lung, heart,

Not to mention the government
and surgeon general,

That says hey,
smoking's killing people

And we got proof now,
now we got evidence

We got tobacco files, we
got people talking about it.

Now it's starting to
get a little curious.

Because I'm getting the
same thing from my kids.

Daddy, quit smoking, my teacher
says you're gonna croak.

Daddy, quit smoking,
you're gonna die.

Dad, you're gonna--

What happens?

My brother gets cancer.

My brother, I was the youngest
of three boys in my family

And he was my older brother,
he was only three and a half

Years older.

And he was diagnosed
with cancer.

And he was a smoker.

And, for about five years I
had to watch him deteriorate.

And I'm doing the ads.

When I did the ads, I was still

Worrying about my brother.

And I had this horrible
experience of driving

To boston, and he was in the
dana farber cancer institute.

And I walked through the doors.

Here we have oncologists,
doctors, nurses

People taking care of
people who are dying,

Literally dying,

From what they chose to
do at 13, 14, 15, 16, 17,

Et cetera.

Now they have to pay the price.

So now I'm starting
to get a little

Clued in here.

Well, maybe this is bad.

Maybe this garbage
is killing people.

My brother's dying from it.

I'm certainly not feeling
the way I did when I was 16

Smoking a pack a day.

Now I can't get up and
down stairs quite as much.

So I'm starting to see the
logic behind all the hate.

I started seeing smokers
being seen, not only as

Cool, macho, tough, rugged,
beautiful, sexy, glamorous,

Fun loving, free spirited,

But smelly, stinky,
yellow-toothed people.

Now you're starting
to see the segue from

60% of the american
people smoking

Or chewing or
dipping or spitting,

And now you're starting
to see the swing.

I had to make a decision
and there was a six hour

Ride home.

And I probably smoked
two packs of cigarettes

On that ride home.

'cause now I'm stressed.

Now I'm starting to feel
pretty bad about this because

Now I gotta go face my kid.

And I talked to my son

And I walked in the door

And he talked to me.

He said, "dad, you're gonna
die like uncle bob, right?"

Boom!

Just like that.

That's how it hit me.

It was like a boom.

You know

There's a good
chance that I will.

That was my epiphany.

So long ago

That's how it hit me.

And, my passion for my kids,

And my wife was so grand
that I was gonna beat it.

Okay, so I made a
decision

It was July 17th,
when I told my son,

"I'm gonna quit.

"I promise, I'm gonna quit."

And, right hand up to
god, "I'm gonna quit,

"I'm gonna quit."

And he said, "okay dad,
you promise, right?"

Well what you don't
tell a 10 or 11-year-old

Is something then not do it.

'cause they will hound you,
and they will hound you,

And they will hound you.

Well he hounded me until
the great american smokeout

In November of 1988.

- You see this fan?

Well, I use it while I'm
around cigarette smokers.

But I may get a chance
to throw it away

During the great
american smokeout.

The day the american cancer
society asks every smoker

In america to quit for 24 hours.

- I picked that day.

I told my son I was gonna quit.

And, I did.

I get a call from every
philadelphia news station,

Television station.

I get a call from cbs this
morning with harry smith.

I get a call from
abc, I get a call

And they're picking
me up by limo

They're taking me to new york.

No one had ever quit
smoking publicly,

Especially the winston man
who's on every billboard,

Every magazine, everywhere
for eight years now,

Going on eight years.

And then he's biting
the hand that feeds him.

My brother's dying of cancer.

I promised my kids I wouldn't
hurt myself like my brother.

And I've seen so many
people dying that I'm not

Gonna do these ads anymore.

I can't do it.

I cannot physically, and
morally, do it anymore.

- Image has been a great concern
for the tobacco industry.

The person we choose
this week was once

One of the industries
leading image maker.

- The tobacco industry had
really played out to the peak

Of what it was going to do
trying to thwart policies

- Our long and difficult
four-year journey down
tobacco road

Has come to a victorious end.

- The largest financial
recovery in the history

Of the world.

- We've arrived at
our final destination,

And that's the destination
of tobacco justice.

- Close to 33,000 lawsuits
against big tobacco.

The precedence were being set.

So now if one person sues,
and you got the same disease

Then so on, and so on,
and so on, and so on.

So they sat around, and said,
"let's come up with a way."

And they went to meetings,
they went to private meetings

According to the tobacco
files that I've been privy to.

And they said, "we've got
to come up with something

"that's going to
stop these lawsuits."

Well, here's what
you're gonna have to do

Big tobacco people.

You're gonna have to
give us some money back

In order for us to
convince our constituency

That that money, 'cause
we're sick and tired

Of paying for
medicare, and medicaid

Rehabilitation and prevention

Because your product has
cost us and our state.

Michael moore did
it, in mississippi.

Michael moore took
on big tobacco, said,

"I'm gonna sue your asses."

He's the only one that did it.

He sued, and won
12 billion dollars.

So then it became
even more important

That they justify this
money being spent.

Even if it was for
a year, or two.

They've never said they
were gonna use it forever

In the 25 years that
they're gonna get it.

Florida said, oh my.

I'd like some of that.

We have the same problem.

We're suing too.

They've got 11 billion.

Texas did it, they
got 13 billion

'cause it was all
based on per capita

And pro-rated a
number of citizens.

Minnesota did it.

Four states got
46 billion dollars

In a matter of a week.

46 billion.

Well, every other state wanted
to touch-- a piece of that.

We want some of that.

We, we're paying medicare too.

So let's come up with a number
that everybody can live with.

They came up with 200 billion.

Plus the 46 that went
previously to those four states.

And they gave attorney
generals 72 hours

To sign on.

And the only way they
would get any money

If they signed on without even
knowing what was going on.

And you'll get your money
over the next 25 years.

Every state did it, okay.

But, in that decision
in 72 hours they had to

Sign off that they would not
let anybody in their state

Sue big tobacco.

That was in 1999, and the
msa became the first bailout.

Yeah, we need it for the kids.

We need it for the children.

We need it for prevention.

Education.

Intervention.

Cessation.

We need all the ta ta.

- Like you, the nation's
attorney's general have been

Fighting to help reverse
the staggering toll

Tobacco takes on our society.

And to protect our children
from a lifetime of addiction.

- This plan, in short,
will get big tobacco

Off the backs of our kids.

- They got the money.

They signed on.

And then within two years
that money's
gone.

They either put it in bonds,
where they can't pay it back.

They used it for road repair,
waterfront restoration.

They used it for health
department's new computers,

The states are not using
the money that they said

They needed, and the
tobacco companies are now

Giving all this
money to the states.

And then nobody knew that
within 48 hours after they

Gave up 246 billion dollars

They raised the price
of cigarettes 48 cents

Across the board,
to make up the 246.

Nobody cares about it,
nobody wants to talk about it

Because it's not
scandalous enough.

- The tobacco industry
has conceded defeat.

And we have a settlement
of historic proportions.

- What did new jersey do?

They sold all their
money in a bond.

Now it's due to be paid back

And new jersey doesn't have
the money to pay it back.

There's eight states
that had done that.

The other states wasted
the money on everything

But prevention,
education, cessation.

So there is more corruption,
there's more government

Intervention for
keeping tobacco alive

And keeping the big
tobacco monopolies

Raising half a trillion
dollars a year.

Half a trillion, if not more.

That's what they admit to.

- by the time
of the minnesota court case

In 1998, the state of
minnesota didn't only seek

Redress in financial terms,

But required that
the tobacco industry

Place all of their
previously secret documents

In the public domain.

And from then on, we knew
the road map of the industry

And what it had
been since the '60s.

So it was only in retrospect
that we actually understood

Just how deep and pervasive
the influence had been

At the government level,
at the research level,

And at the individual
ministry area level.

As tobacco rates start
falling to maybe 20%

Or below 20%, you're getting
into a hardcore group

Of smokers who are not
smoking out of pure trice

But they're smoking
because they are addicted

And they have a physical need
for nicotine in their lives.

- I started smoking
cigarettes at 12.

And, really if I think
about it, my daughter's

Not too far from 12.

And thinking of her
smoking a cigarette is

Really just sickening.

The first time I ever smoked
a cigarette a few of my

Friends had come over
to spend the night.

And one of the older
ones had brought a pack

Of cigarettes from
her dad's carton.

We proceeded to go to the
tree house across the street

And we smoked the entire
pack of cigarettes.

I remember it made me sick.

It made me dizzy,
but more importantly

I remember from
that moment forward

Wanting to smoke cigarettes.

So, at 12, I mean you
can't really go out

And buy a pack of smokes.

So I would basically
do what I could.

I would take the

Burning cigarettes
from the ash tray

When my mother wasn't looking.

Or, take cigarettes

Out of her pack.

Or, even worse, I
would take the butts

Out of the ash tray, which
is really disgusting.

- It was not easy.

I probably quit seven,
eight, nine times.

And I come back hating myself.

My son looked at me, and
he looked so disappointed.

He knew I was smoking.

He knew that I had
just failed miserably.

But when the mindset
says I need to quit,

I want to quit, I have to
quit, I'm going to quit.

And then you try and you
fail, you try and you fail,

You try and you fail,
you try and you fail.

After awhile you say,
screw it, I'm done.

I'll go to my grave smoking.

- And those are the
people that are facing

Almost all the risks.

Those are the people that
are gonna account for

99% of the lung cancers,

Chronic obstructive
pulmonary diseases

And heart diseases
caused by smoking.

- We always need a disruption

To actually shift the market
and the market forces.

And I believe that hon
lik's work as the inventor

Of an e-cigarette
really represents

This disruptive change.

- Just a brilliant,
brilliant, brilliant

Moment in time which lots
of things came together

And hon lik took it and
actually made it a reality.

- Hon lik came up with
this brilliant invention

And that's the mark of
a true innovator, okay.

Somebody that can paradigmly
can shift things into

A whole new way of doing things.

- it was in 2005.
Originally, I wasn't that excited

When I saw just the
manual reading about it

Because I'm not a smoker.

When I actually saw the product

With the vapor coming out

I knew there was
something there.

So then we worked on
it for about a year.

And so I officially
formed siterra

In September of 2006
and we launched it.

Really our big breakthrough
was the ces show

January of 2008.

- I'm here at ces

And, I'm mostly interested
in gadgets and things.

But, this caught my eye.

This guy is here, and he
is not smoking next to me.

Because there is no
smoking on the show floor

But he's not smoking.

What is, what
exactly is in njoy?

- Njoy is an
electronic cigarette.

And the way that we do
this, is we take a battery.

From the battery we have a
patented vaporization system.

So what you're seeing
coming from the device

Is not smoke.

It's vapor.

- it became the hit of
the show and became written up

In a bunch of magazines,
and even online.

- it's a huge memory
void as to where I got

My first e-cigarette.

All I know is that I had in 2007

Two or three e-cigs.

One from china, one
from america, one from

Somewhere in europe.

And I'm playing with them,
that's all I remember.

And they're wonderful things,
like absolutely amazing.

But they're also really bad.

I mean, they are, what they
are are a proof of concept.

And I'm struck by
the potential here.

Thinking, oh my god,
this will be the product

That can transform
smokers lives.

But, this ain't gonna do it.

And then I thought, well, my
god there must be other people

Saying the same
thing as me, thinking

Close, very, very close.

And so, you know,
where do you go?

You look on the web.

And, nothing.
Nothing.

A few dodgy commercials,
if you kind of, you know

I-stock photo images of people.

I thought, god, we
need a conversation.

We need to start a conversation.

And what a better way
to do that than the most

Antiquated form of
internet communications,

A forum, that's what
we need, a forum.

So I set it up one night
in, I think, December 2007.

And,

Not much happened.

So, I went up, as you do

Around the internet,
and said hey guys

If you want to talk about
it come to my website.

And people came.

And we started a
conversation about

What are these products?

Where do they come
from, who sells them,

How much do they cost?

But principally

These things got to get better.

How are they gonna get better?
You know? What's the--

And we got very anal about it.

So we were taking photographs of

Tiny little pieces of metal

And connections and screws,
and things like this.

- I think that I
had seen a news story on

Cnn, or something, about
this new gadget called

An electronic cigarette.

And I was a heavy smoker.

So, you know, I had
a love of electronics

And gadgets, and I smoked

About two and a
half packs a day.

So I thought, well,
whatever this thing is

It must be for me.

So, I went online and

I found one

And back in those
days, you know, 2007,

All you could buy was these big

Bulky pen style e-cigs.

And I bought one, not
thinking much about it.

And it showed up one day

And I put it together

And, not really thinking
it would be too impressive

But I took a drag,
and I was stunned

I was absolutely stunned.

It was, I couldn't believe at

How closely it mimicked
the sensation of smoking.

And I remember later that
day, four hours had gone by

And it occurred to me
that I had forgotten

To have a cigarette.

I was just amazed by this

Way more than I
thought I would be.

But there was one thing
I was not amazed by

And that was by the taste.

It tasted awful.

You really didn't know,
in those days, you didn't

Know where the liquid
was coming from.

You didn't know how
it was being made.

You didn't know what was in it.

In those days, you
might be lucky if

You'd get a little
plastic bottle

With some liquid
in it that said,

"vanilla" or whatever.

And that was it.

There were no companies
in the United States.

Everything was being made
overseas at the time.

And I was really
surprised by that.

So, at that point, it
wasn't about starting

A company for me.

It was about creating a
liquid that I wanted to vape.

That's all it was.

So, I started just

Trial and error, a lot
of trial and error.

I went out and bought
all the tobacco I could.

I bought cigarette tobacco,
pipe tobacco, cigar tobacco.

And just created this
giant tobacco mixture.

And what I decided to do was

I went and got five coffeemakers

And I lined them up
on my kitchen counter.

And, I brewed,
essentially tobacco water.

And I would use that
water as the water to

Filter it all over again.

By the time I was done,
I had a essentially

A highly concentrated
tobacco reduction.

And this, this was
the primary flavoring.

I went onto the ecf

And I asked if
anyone wanted to try

My new smoke juice, that
I was calling it by then.

And, you know, if you want
a free sample, let me know

And I'll send it to you.

And kind of figured maybe,
12, 13 people would reply.

And I had over 300 replies.

And it took about two weeks

And I got every
single request out.

And then the waiting began.

And it was the longest
week of my life.

And so I'll never forget
about six days later

I got an email

From someone who I
knew was sampling it.

And, and I remember
I had to pull over

Before reading the email
because I figured, okay,

Well it's all gonna
come down to this.

Either they hate it,
or they love it.

And, so I pulled over

I looked at the
email and it said,

You have to tell me
how I can buy this.

And, I thought, okay well

Maybe we have something then.

- it was around
2010 and I saw a friend.

He had a ciga, like,

You know, e-cig.

I asked him about it and
thought, oh that's cool.

A few months later
I did some research

And I got online and I found
there was a company in the uk

That was selling better devices
than what my friend had had

And I bought one.

And the day that e-cig arrived

Was it was a life changer.

Literally, as soon
as I started using it

I never had another cigarette.

I lost it one night when
I was out with friends.

And in the morning, I couldn't
find it, and it was gone.

And they're all quite
expensive back then and

You had to order
them from overseas

And I couldn't afford to
replace it immediately

And I couldn't have
even if I wanted to,
there were no shops.

There was nowhere to buy them
in australia at the time.

So I went back to smokes.

My sister died at

34 years old.

From non-hodgkin's lymphoma

In her lungs.

And, there's no question
that it was the smoking

That did it to her.

And, I've been trying
to quit for years

And this had been the
thing, the game changer,

That changed everything for me.

Not being able to buy it
locally just seemed insane.

So I started a business
and it was great.

It was almost word of mouth
at the beginning it was

Just an online store.

But it started to
get some traction

- The hobbyist side of
things that you see today

Really started
very, very early on

With this kind of real obsession

With precisely what
these devices are.

And what made two
devices different.

And that's really
how it all started.

- As we've seen in so many
other areas of technology,

Suddenly the cozy way
in which public policy

Has driven tobacco was
challenged by something new.

- I don't think that people
either on the public health side

Or the tobacco side, expected
how consumers would respond.

'cause it seems that the
formulation of the early

E-cigarettes met a need of
a smoker to have what they

Really what many of them
wanted, 70, 80% want.

To get nicotine's
pleasures without getting
the damaging effects.

- have we
got a solution for you.

The all-exclusive smoking
everywhere electronic cigarette.

Are you ready for a change?

- In 2009 and 2010,
us customs agents

Seized almost 1,000
shipments of e-cigarettes

At us ports.

- they made a
determination that it was

A drug delivery device.

That since it was
battery operated

That it was a device.

And therefore under
their fda drug delivery

There wasn't fda approval
for it,

That they could
seize the product.

And they seized, I
think probably about

Half a million dollars
worth of product.

And the product, when they
got it back, was worthless.

- Two e-cigarette companies,
smoking everywhere and njoy,
sued the fda

In 2009.

- We were reasonably
pessimistic at the time

And of course, we had
nowhere near the numbers

Of people using the products.

- This was an industry
that needed all the

Help it could get.

- one of our moderators
was actually day to day

Checking the court documents

And finding out whether
there had been an update.

We were on tenterhooks.

I mean, I talk about the ecf
would only last two years,

But right then, we were
thinking everything was

Gonna just disappear.

There was absolutely
no certainty whatsoever

That the judgment
was gonna come back

Against what the fda
was doing at the time.

- There as definitely
a prevailing sense that

If the ruling came down
in favor of the fda

It likely would have meant
the end of the industry

Before it really had had a
chance to get off the ground.

- I filed an amicus brief
with the dc court of appeals

In 2010 in support
of their case.

And we won.

- the us district court
for the district of columbia

Has issued a decision
granting leading global

Electronic cigarette
brand njoy's motion

For preliminary injunction
seeking to prevent

The fda from detaining,
or refusing admission

Into the us of its electronic
cigarette products.

- We had the hearing
in September of 2010.

And actually on pearl harbor
day, December 7th, voted

Three-nothing in our favor.

The fda tried to appeal again.

They turned them down.

They announced they
weren't gonna appeal

To the supreme court.

- There's a lot of
celebrating going on.

- Njoy's a hero
in this industry.

For having carried that
case to its final conclusion

They really are.

Because without that, I
don't think anybody else

Could have stepped
up to the plate.

- I remember thinking that

This is the start
of the industry.

- there's a new
warning this morning that

E-cigarettes may not be
as safe as they seem.

The new England journal of
medicine says e-cigarette

Users are five to
15 times more likely

To get formaldehyde
related cancers

Than long-term smokers.

Formaldehyde is the toxic
chemical found in the devices.

- This is the part in
our journey where people

Are actually using these
devices reached out to us.

They felt like it had
to save their lives

Yet it was under attack.

At first, we were skeptical.

Just like everyone else,
we'd seen the headlines

That vaping might be more
dangerous than smoking

Cigarettes.

- This is a dangerous product.

- It is a poisonous
product of nicotine.

- New studies show that
e-cigarettes are more deadly

Than regular cigarettes?

- These really
have me concerned.

- These products are
exposing you to a variety

Of toxic chemicals.

- Understanding that
over a billion people

Are gonna die this
century from smoking

We knew we had to
find the truth.

Because I'm not a
smoker, or a vaper,

We packed our bags and
headed around the world

To meet with leading
scientists and health experts

To find out what
was really going on.

- I think the first thing
the world needs to know

About vaping is
that all of the harm

And the billion lives
that we're talking about

And in tobacco use,
comes from smoking,

Comes from setting fire to it

And inhaling the smoke.

So it's the toxic
particles, the toxic gases.

That's what's doing the damage.

- The real problem is if
you set tobacco a light

And you inhale it,

It's bad for you.

If you put a piece
of beef in the oven

And you overcook it

And you eat it,
it's bad for you.

Anything you set to light
and inhale or ingest

Is bad for you.

- If you weren't to smoke,
you've solved the problem.

We know how to deal
with the smoke.

So, I think people
working on this

Every morning, just like
clinton when he first ran

For president had
that sign saying,

"it's the economy stupid."

To remind him every day
what to concentrate on.

It's really simple.

It's the smoke stupid.

- A normal cigarette has
at least 4,000 toxicants.

Including-- it has
nicotine, as well.

And if a consumer would
take all of that on board

They are-- one out of
two of those consumers

Will develop disease
and die an early death.

Solid evidence to back that up.

- If somebody would have said,
"bill, can you think of a

"parameters of a product
to replace cigarettes."

Theoretically I've had
said, "well, it would be

"99% less hazardous
than cigarettes.

"it wouldn't be
addicting non-smokers.

"it wouldn't encourage anybody
to switch to cigarettes.

"and it would help lots
of people quit smoking."

That's the ideal solution
to the cigarette epidemic

In this world.

And it's called vaping.

- It's not smoking.

There's no tobacco.

Nothing is lit on fire.

Vaping uses a battery,

Which powers an atomizer,

Which vaporizes a liquid.

Which may, or may not,
have nicotine in it,

Has a flavoring, and is
made with an fda approved

Food grade liquid base.

- Well I first became
interested when some of the most

Hardened smokers that I saw
as a general practitioner

Started giving up
with the use of these.

That really sort of
sparked my fascination

With this whole idea
of turning the idea

Of quitting on its head
instead of being about

Denial and withdrawal.

But being about
something exciting

And something
better than smoking.

- it's gonna
be one of the biggest

Contributions to public
health this century.

It's a really
transformative technology.

And just think back a
hundred or plus years

When the cigarette
was first invented,

That was transformative.

It did away with all
the other kinds of

Tobacco products.

E-cigarettes are gonna be
equally transformative.

- It can save a billion lives.

- Anytime someone attacks
a promising alternative

To a massive problem

And you have to ask, why?

The answer is money.

Money

And one of the most fascinating
alliances in history.

- Well there are lots
of forces that play

Pro-vaping, and anti-vaping.

And it's hugely complex.

- The war on vaping began
with the fdas attack.

But they weren't the
only ones on their side.

To fully understand this
alliance that formed

We need to go to
the american south

And the theory of the
baptists and the bootleggers.

In many counties, they
hold periodic votes

To decide the fate
of alcohol sales.

An unholy alliance forms
between the preachers

Who don't want alcohol being
used in their communities.

And the bootleggers are
willing to sell alcohol

When and where it's not legal.

They're happy to help the
preachers restrict alcohol sales

Because that kills
their competition.

It's a classic example
of the enemy of my enemy

Is my friend.

At the end of the day they
both drive around town

With the same bumper stickers.

Unfortunately, counties that
vote to restrict alcohol

Sales have higher rates of
drunk driving fatalities.

We see the same two
sides in the vaping wars.

You have the bootleggers
who are opposed to vaping

For business reasons.

And you have the preachers
who are opposed to vaping

On moralistic grounds.

Well let's talk about
the bootlegger side.

Remember big tobacco?

They don't like competition
for their one trillion

Dollar business.

- analysts say
electronic, or e-cigarettes

Will become a two
billion dollar industry

Worldwide by the
end of the year.

With some predicting
sales will outpace

Conventional cigarettes
within five to 10 years.

- Cigarette companies realize

That e-cigarettes
are now a threat

To the old business.

- And, are they?

- It's one of the very rare
cases where you have

Such controversy
about the product.

And to the point that
people don't understand that

It is the main competitor
of tobacco cigarettes today.

The e-cigarette is
the main competitor
of tobacco cigarettes.

- some people
have had changes in behavior,

Hostility, agitation,
depressed mood,

And suicidal thoughts
or actions while taking

Or after stopping chantix.

Some people can have allergic
or serious skin reactions

To chantix, some of which
can be life threatening.

Patients also reported
trouble sleeping

And vivid, unusual
or strange dreams.

Talk to your doctor to
find out if prescription

Chantix is right for you.

- Drug companies know
that doctors hold all

The real power in the
prescription drug business.

- break the
hold of nicotine addiction.

See your doctor
about treatments.

- While they spend nearly
four billion dollars

A year marketing directly to us

They spend an estimated
24 billion dollars a year

Marketing directly to doctors.

- Big pharmaceutical
companies also lovingly

Known as big pharma,
want to protect their

Six billion dollar nicotine
replacement therapy business.

- not only are
they trying to ban

All their competitors,

The smoke-free alternatives,

But they are trying to
promote gums, patches,

Lozenges and any
fda approved drugs

As the only effective
was to quit smoking.

- I'm not a big fan
of nicotrol, nicaband,

Habitrol.

The inhalers.

Which contain the exact
same thing that vaping

Devices have.

The propylene glycol.

The only thing it doesn't
have is the the flavors.

- nicotine
replacement therapy

Which is not an
attractive product at all.

And it does not deliver
the success that it should.

- Okay, I'm gonna
cook the purple one.

- he gets the
prescription from his doctor.

It's also found in
the over the counter

Anti-smoking drug zyban.

But crushed,
cooked, and injected

It delivers a crack
cocaine-like high.

Each hit leaves a scar.

Skin abscesses, collapsed veins,

And clogged arteries.

Injuries attributed to
injecting wellbutrin

And zyban.

It's killed six
people in ontario.

- people go out and
get prescription for chantix.

No, that was fast-tracked
through the fda.

It has a black
box warning on it.

Could cause you to
have suicidal thoughts.

Could cause you
to commit suicide.

But that's fine, let's just keep
selling that crap, you know.

- If you look at
the united kingdom

And the solid evidence
which is being built up by

Robert wist, it shows
without any doubt

That e-cigarettes have
already supplanted

Nicotine replacement
therapy, medicine,

As the preferred way
for smokers to quit

Or to substitute their smoking.

- So if you have a
pharmaceutical company

Who's starting to see
your share of the market

On nicotine replacement therapy

Slide relative to these--
up and coming

E-cig people, what
are you gonna do?

You're gonna sit on
your bum and do nothing?

- under the korean
law, electronic cigarettes

Are considered cigarettes.

Until comprehensive research
proves that e-cigarettes

Are harm-free, and contribute
to quitting smoking.

Nicotine patches or chews
that are scientifically proven

To be safe, should be promoted.

- It made sense to find
big tobacco and big pharma

In the bootlegger camp,
'cause they sell things.

But it was confusing to
us when we found national

Governments were
right there with them.

- Governments worldwide
are the biggest

Shareholders in the
revenue of cigarettes.

- Using the united
states as an a example,

In 2010, the year that the
fda went after vaping,

The federal government
collected 15 and a half

Billion dollars
in tobacco taxes.

Just three years later, after
vaping began to take off,

Tobacco taxes were down
to 14 billion dollars.

That's a difference of one
and a half billion dollars.

- The e-cigarette industry
should be put out of business.

- The government's getting
billions of billions

Of billions of tax revenue.

- But it's not just the taxes.

Some countries actually own
their own tobacco companies.

- The chinese national
tobacco corporation

Is the main supplier
of cigarettes.

It's 100% owned by the
chinese government.

So in effect, the
chinese government

Is the world's largest
tobacco company.

- japan tobacco
owns the camel brand.

Besides those two, there
are 14 other countries

That own large
tobacco companies.

So who are the preachers?

Unfortunately, these
are the people smokers

Go to for advice.

Their medical professionals
and other healthcare

Organizations.

Like the cdc,

Fda,

And the world
health organization.

- The fundamental
truth, I think is that

The battle in the end
became very personalized.

It became public health
versus the tobacco industry.

- Tobacco control has
had decades of doing

The same things.

Just, you know, screwing
down the controls

A bit harder, increasing
the taxes a bit more.

Doing plain packaging.

None of which I disagree with.

But, when something comes out
of totally out of left field,

I don't think they know
how to deal with it.

- The groups that were
kind of in charge of that

Around the world, felt that
really they were in the

Final leg, the final push

Would just end
this story forever.

- And now we cannot
allow e-cigarettes

To snuff out the
progress we've made

Preventing nicotine addiction
and its deadly consequences.

- It's shocking to hear,
I almost, you know, flinch

When I hear, colleagues
saying things

About e-cigarettes that we
know, or they should know

Are completely wrong,
exaggerated, or scare-mongering.

There's too much
of that going on.

- We don't know enough
research in terms of

The long-term risks.

- The jury's out on this one.

They might, or might not
be able to help you quit

But there are definite
harms that they can cause.

- We don't yet
know about vaping.

- It's the same as antifreeze.

- We used to have very
dangerous products

And the makers of those
used to lie about those.

We now have much safer products

And the public health
communities lying about those.

- We know that they don't
actually allow people

To stop smoking.

- now there's
even more evidence that

That these are a gateway to
smoking regular cigarettes.

- These cigarette makers
are making these for kids.

Because they make chocolate,
and other flavors.

- What's going on?

- Frankly, they don't think
they can see too clearly

Sometimes when it
comes to a product

That involves nicotine,
like e-cigarettes.

Because of the association
with tobacco that just

Seems to blot out the
sun for these people.

And they can't look at
the facts as objectively

As they otherwise might.

- In many people's mind,
nicotine is so closely

Associated with
tobacco and smoke.

That they don't separate out.

This is just one
of the components

In a cigarette.

- What we always used to say
in the stop smoking services

Is that nicotine is as
addictive as heroin and cocaine.

But actually, we're
finding more now

That once you take it
out of the cigarette

Which we know has got
other chemicals into

Enhance the action of nicotine

It doesn't seem to
be so addictive.

- You never see anyone
sniffing pure nicotine.

You never see anyone
injecting pure nicotine.

No one wants to inject or to
use nicotine in a pure form

And you know it
would be much cheaper

To get nicotine as a solution

Rather than to use, to
take it from cigarettes.

But everyone likes
cigarettes because it's

Not only nicotine.

- It's not particularly
dangerous in itself.

Some people are saying,
well, in terms of risk

It may be on the level
with, say, coffee

Or something like that.

- nicotine is
a mild stimulant.

We have data from sweden
which-- where they have

Huge rates of nicotine use

Lifelong use.

The rates of lung
cancer are half that

Of the rest of europe.

The rates of heart
attacks are half that

Of the rest of europe.

And the reason is because
the tobacco they use

Is a special smokeless
pasteurized product called snus

Which is a harm-reduction
product, much the same

As electronic cigarettes are.

And so we know that really
lifelong use of nicotine

You can't measure any
significant health

Impacts from that.

- The data we have on that
is, it really comes from

Looking at people
using patches and gums.

And the data show that
you can use nicotine

For many many years.

- Many people have gone
on to be lifelong users

Including I might say my sister,

With no additional risk,
but dramatic declines

In their probability of risks.

And I think part of it
is the way physicians,

Nurses, health
professionals get trained

And the way they send
their message forward

They often don't know
that very simple fact.

- What I'm extremely
disappointed with in myself

And in our movement,
especially around the

Framework convention
on tobacco control

Is that we did not recognize
the simple role of nicotine,

Molecule nicotine,

And the possibility of
tobacco on reduction.

Frankly you don't
get people to move

And especially not
one 1.4 billion people

To move by giving them a sermon.

And lecturing them and
saying, you quit or you die.

Here's some nicotine
replacement therapy, or gum

Or your patch, you'll
only be allowed to use it

For 12 weeks.

Because, you're the bad person,
you need to stop smoking.

And use this and then let's
hope that we can fix you.

And that's a gap, and
it's a great failing.

- what struck me, was
in my career, which extends

From working on tobacco in
south africa through who,

Is how rarely we
actually make the point

Very clearly, that nicotine
addicts, tar kills.

That very simple separation
of what's in a product.

And yet we've
known it for years.

It was in the original
surgeon general's report

In 1964, clearly stated

That long-term use of
nicotine alone confers

Very little to no
harms on people.

- do those
professionals actually know

How people die of smoking?

And then you get to the
disturbing fact that

If you ask the
question to, let's say

The physicians in america,

"does nicotine cause cancer?"

Simple question.

Does that cause cancer?

70% of them would say yes.

And the science is
absolutely clear

That nicotine is
not a carcinogen.

It is an addictive agent.

So it's part of the ritual
and the attractiveness

Of people smoking cigarettes.

But it's not the
nicotine that kills,

It's the tar and the smoke.

We weren't honest
with our patients.

If health professionals, and
those who are in a position

Of trust, where people
would want to confide

Or discuss quitting,

You would want them to
have the right information.

And that, to me,
was the shocking

Shocking part, in myself,
is that I

Did not know that nicotine
is not a carcinogen.

So where I would have
been in a position to help

My patients, or family
members who smoke

With less harmful products

So that they, if they
couldn't stop or quit smoking

They'd at least switch to
something less harmful.

And unfortunately, the
health professionals

Especially physicians
are normally

Not in a position where they get

Feedback when they are wrong.

Very honest to say that I
personally got it wrong.

- Fda's own funded
scientists came out and said

That vapers are
exposed to dramatically

Less toxicants than

Smokers.

And they are exposed to very
similar levels of toxicants

As non-tobacco users.

Unfortunately, the fda
officials, when they

Talk to the news
media, don't say that.

- The dilemma is you, you
can't get 1.4 billion people.

It's the size of
the catholic church.

It's the size of the
indian population.

All to quit smoking
cigarettes tomorrow.

It's just not going to happen.

So the alternative
is to provide safer,

Not safe, but
safer alternatives.

- all these other
products are so much less

Hazardous.

And yet, our public health
agencies are saying,

No, no, you have to
absolutely stop all tobacco

And all nicotine use.

That's their goal.

♪ lollipop lollipop

♪ oh lolli lolli lolli

♪ lollipop lollipop

♪ oh lolli lolli lolli

♪ lollipop lollipop

- As we look at the
arguments against vaping

From the preachers, it seems
that there's an issue of pride.

Nobody likes to admit
that they're wrong,

Especially when
they're the expert.

- my name is
serena chen, I'm with the

American lung association.

- Every time we watched a
public hearing about vaping

It was intriguing to see
that one of the major

Health charities was there
to attack it immediately.

- The anti-tobacco community

Is also a small
economy in itself.

- Cancer, heart, and
lung, for the last

20 years, their tobacco
control advocacy

Has all been financed
by pharmaceutical grants

And contracts.

- I found out that cancer's
150 billion dollar industry.

Hmmm.

The american cancer
society, you know,

Most profitable non-profit
organization out there.

- Every advertisement
on television you saw

For gums, patches, and
lozenges for the nicoderm,

Nicorette, and commit lozenge

It said, sponsored by the
american cancer society

And it had the american
cancer society logo on it.

- Every state has a chapter,
every county has a chapter,

And every city has a chapter.

17 to 18% of that
money goes to research.

The rest goes to the
multi-million dollar salaries

Of all of the ceos, cfos,

Coos, cdos,

Clos.

Everybody's got-- and so
on and so on and so on.

I just know that people keep
donating year after year

After year after year
and we have more walks

And more relays
and more ribbons.

Because people haven't
done what the problem

Needed to be done.

And that is, stop the
source of the problem.

You go to a river, you
see a baby floating down,

A dead baby floating down.

You pull in the dead baby,
I'll pull a dead baby,

Another dead baby comes
out, pull out a dead baby.

All we're doing is
reaction, pull out dead.

Look, go to the beginning
of the mouth of the river

And see who's throwing
the babies in.

Then stop that person
then maybe we won't have

The dead babies
floating down the river.

I know I'm being
obnoxious here, but

It's as simple as that.

- If the tobacco model as
we know it were to change

Drastically, all
of those ngo's

Would be out of business.

They're holding onto the phone,

They don't want
the phone to die.

- Then I started
investigating the product

And I could see the potential.
I was worried, also,

Because potential was very high.

I said, wow, my smoking
cessation center

Would be out of
business in a matter of

A few years.

- So we have the bootleggers

With their billions of dollars.

And we have the preachers

With their loud voices
and trusted brands.

How does this truth
stand a chance

Especially when the vast
majority of vaping advocates

Are a rag tag bunch
of unorganized vapers.

And their loudest group
are the cloud chasers.

♪ I hear the freaks,
freaks, freaks come out

♪ they don't stop dancing til

♪ the sunlight hits their eyes

♪ I hear the freaks,
freaks, freaks come out

♪ and this club's lookin' like

♪ everyone's lost their mind

♪ heading tonight

♪ li-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-ive

♪ I get the feeling that
tonight's on for sure

♪ inject my blood with
the bass line black light

♪ I hear the freaks are
coming out for some more

♪ I hear the freaks-freaks

♪ frea-frea-frea-freaaeaeaeaea
frea

♪ I hear the freaks-freaks

♪frea-freafreaffrearferaferaerfa

♪ let's drop

- For the first time,
stopping smoking can be fun.

You don't see websites
devoted to the latest patch.

You know, you don't
see any chat like that.

You see masses of chat
in the forums and so on,

People talking about these
devices, how they're using them

And so, it's kind
of interesting.

It's kind of a bit
of a community sense.

- they're
hanging out together.

They're a group again.

They're family.

They were persecuted, he
was persecuted, and she was--

So now they can
all come together

And they're not gonna be
persecuted anymore because

They've done what
we've asked them to do

And that is find a
safer alternative.

♪ whoa whoa

- But the vast
majority of vapers

Are moms and dads,

Grandmas and grandpas,

Your neighbors,

Who are desperately
trying to quit

Something that is
slowly killing them.

- I'm from the uk.

I'm a dad.

An it engineer.

A vaper.

An archer.

A cook.

A husband.

Used to be a chemist.

And,

Used to be a smoker.

I tried an rt, and
I've tried cold turkey.

And I tried all sorts
of things to try

To give up smoking
because I knew

That it was making me ill.

And the year before I stopped
smoking I had more than

Four serious chest
infections that required

Inhalers, and drugs,
you know, it was crazy.

Just over five years ago I
came across this bad boy.

I haven't got rid
of it because well,

It's kind of a savior.

On that day I stopped
smoking tobacco.

That was it.

I quit.

That's pretty powerful stuff.

I just got the device myself.

I didn't need anyone's help.

I didn't need a prescription.

I didn't need a
doctor's say so.

I didn't need a hand out
from the government.

Or the health authority,
or a charity.

I just quit smoking.

That's mad.

That's kinda cool.

- In the meantime, the
people who have the power to

Help them quit smoking
find themselves

In a conflict of interests.

Let's look at the fda.

The fda is known to have
a history of hiring people

From big pharma, and then
once they're done at the fda

They go back to big pharma.

It's a revolving door.

The current head of the
fda center for tobacco

Is a former lobbyist for
the big pharma company

That sells nicorette gum
in the United States.

This is the same
division that in 2014

Proposed banning 99% of the
vapor products on the market.

- It will ban more than 99.99%

Of all e-cigarette products
on the market today.

- Over in california, state
senator leno was accepting

Large campaign contributions
from big pharma

While at the same time
proposing regulations

And taxes on vapor products.

- We are at risk of
losing 25 years effort

And a two billion
dollar investment

In keeping a next
generation from becoming

Addicted to the killing
drug of nicotine.

We have information from
not only the california

Department of public
health, which has declared

These devices to be
dangerous and unsafe.

And they are currently
in the midst of an

Educational campaign.

You may have seen some of
the television commercials

That are out right now.

- you
smoke pack after pack

Day after day.

♪ I'm back in baby's arms

♪ I missed those lovin' arms

- your day stays fresh.

♪ I'm back where I belong

♪ back in baby's arms

- And then you're gonna hear
from all the health advocacy

Groups, the lung association,
the heart association,

The cancer society

All those who are
in the business

Of protecting public health

Will be speaking in support.

- The american cancer society
took endorsement money

For nicotine patches and gum

And then released
official statements

Warning against vaping.

- For disclosure, neither I
nor smoke-free pennsylvania

Has ever received
any funding from any

Tobacco company, from
any drug company,

Or from any e-cigarette company.

Most of the anti-tobacco
movement, the
large organizations

For the last 20 years, the
campaign for tobacco-free kids,

The american cancer society,
the american heart association,

The american lung association,
the american academy

Of pediatrics, the american
medical association

And many more have received
hundreds of millions

Of dollars from the
pharmaceutical companies

That manufacture and
market the nicotine gums,

Lozenges and patches

And the chantix and
wellbutrin medicines.

For the last 10 years, these
organizations have been

Lobbying to ban all
smoke-free alternatives.

And we know they started
with smokeless tobacco,

With snus, with dissolvables,

With lozenges, the tobacco
lozenges that came out.

And then when
e-cigarettes came out

The first thing they did
was urge the fda to ban them

In 2009.

And the fda did.

- When you have this
kind of a triage, okay.

And then you have these
other people now feeding off

The tentacles, cancer, lung,
heart, getting all this money

From the government.

Getting money from the
master tobacco settlement.

What are they supposed to do?

- With all the lobbying from
big charities, it looks like

Government took the
convenient opportunity

To protect their
tobacco profits.

- The category is under threat.

Countries like
singapore, thailand,

Probably indonesia, australia

Have banned e-cigarettes.

We just had a vaper
from australia saying

She's smoked for 43 years.

She tried everything.

Patches, gum, behavioral
therapy, the works.

Didn't work.

She heard about e-cigarettes
and she asked her local

Pharmacist, can she have
that, she didn't have.

Then she found the quit line.

Could she have an e-cigarette.

She's tried all the other
modalities of cessation.

They said, "no, it's illegal."

So that is sending
her to an early death.

- Twenty countries have
now banned e-cigarettes

Thanks to, due to world
health organization

Telling them to.

- In hong kong it's
a $12,000 fine.

And/or up to two years in jail.

In brunei, it's $10,000.

This is happening
all over the world

Where countries have banned,
or heavily restricted vaping.

- And you're doing
nothing about smoking.

So you're in a place where
you can get cigarettes

Everywhere

But you cannot get e-cigarettes.

- By banning all these
least hazardous alternatives

They're actually protecting
cigarette markets.

- A vaper...

From dubai.

He was telling me that
he had quit smoking

Two years ago with e-cigarettes.

But, he was forced,

By the government, due
to the ban, to illegally

Introduce e-cigarette
products in the country

In order for him to
stay off cigarettes.

So, you are forcing someone
to become, to do some

Illegal actions in order to
stay away from cigarettes.

And I don't see any reasoning

And any common
sense behind that.

- In some countries you
need a prescription to vape.

But you can go to the
store and buy cigarettes.

In australia, they ban vaping
liquids that have nicotine

In them because they say
nicotine is a poison.

Yet they sell nicotine gum
right in convenience stores

Without any sort
of prescription.

- Then three black suvs

Raided my house.

They had a search warrant,
a search and seizure warrant.

And they came in and they
went through all my things.

They bagged and tagged
everything they could find

Related to electronic
cigarettes.

And, yeah, they
took all my stuff.

It was horrible, it
was a scene out of like

It was like, it was like
they thought I was some sort

Of columbian drug cartel,
or something.

They were alleging that
I breached an obscure

Tobacco control act, a law

That said, it is
illegal to sell product

That is not a tobacco product

But is designed to
resemble a tobacco product.

Um yeah.

The law wasn't written to
block electronic cigarettes.

The law was written to
block candy cigarettes,

You know those little
white cigarettes

With the little
red ends on them.

That's what the law
was written for.

And the health department
were trying to stretch

This law and then
use it to block

The lifesaving
technology it was insane.

But nonetheless, they
took all my things

And I had to shut
the business down.

It was horrible
after all the success

And seeing the difference
I was making in so many

People's lives, to have it
shut down and taken away

Like that was just,
it was just horrible.

I felt, I couldn't let this go.

If I had given up at
that point in time,

It was over.

A precedent would have been set

Banning the sale
of these devices.

I can't possibly
explain what it's like

To tell your family that

You're gonna push
ahead with this thing

Even though it's probably
gonna bankrupt you.

But you're simply gonna
do it because it's

The right thing to do.

And then at the end,
after you do it all

And you go through all
of these sacrifices

And all of this pain

And all the fights
and arguments,

The court simply
ignores the argument

And simply finds you guilty.

The lives of millions of
australians and billions

Of people worldwide
don't appear to matter

In this situation.

It seems to be about money.

Somebody's got an agenda.

And it isn't about us.

Don't let the bastards win.

I think that's all for now.

- One of the biggest
vaping news stories in 2015

Was when portland state
university came out with a study

Showing that there was
more formaldehyde in vapor

Than in cigarettes.

- formaldehyde study
basically was a fraud.

The person who did it...

Set the pv on a wrong setting

And it would dry puff,
no vaper could use it.

- All the way up to
12, I'm not trying this

All the way through.

Wish me luck.

It can't be done.

- But they made a
machine inhale it.

And then they assumed
this machine would inhale

So many, hundreds of
inhales every hour

For the rest of their life

For 75 years they
projected it out to be.

And they added up
all these dry puffs

Of the machine dry puffing
for 75 years in a row.

And then said it might
be more carcinogenic

Than cigarette smoking.

But, it was a fraud.

A lot of these researchers,
they're mostly funded

By the federal government.

The food and drug administration

And the department of
health and human services

Through the national
institutes of health

And through the centers
for disease control

Are funding most of the
people who are trying

To ban e-cigarettes.

And they're funding them
to go out and lobby to ban

E-cigarettes.

- Even though it's
completely illegal

The cdc gave grants to the
washington state chapter

Of the american lung association

Who used that
money for lobbying.

This is what happened.

- king five news.

- For so many adults,
this has been a life

Changing intervention.

- now at 6:30 a
heated hearing in olympia

As the state tries to become
the first in the nation

To regulate e-cigarettes
like tobacco.

Staff bureau chief drew
nicholson looks at the proposal

That would make
washington's vaping laws

Some of the toughest
in the country.

- It's a violation
of federal law

To use federal funding
to lobby for laws.

But it's been going on.

The cdcs been warned
about it by the department

Of health and human
inspector general report.

They had hearings in
front of the us house

Of representatives, energy and
commerce committee on this.

The tom freiden was
warned that he could not

Insist in his grants
giving out the

State health departments
that they lobby for laws.

He was putting it in the grapes

And it's a violation
of federal law.

So this has been going on,
this is why all these cities,

Municipal health departments,
and state health department

Directors have come
out calling for bans on

E-cigarettes because
they don't want to lose

Their cdc funding.

And why these researchers
keep coming out

Every researcher that
comes out and generates

A news story saying e-cigarettes
contain toxic chemicals

Gets another 10 million
dollar grant from the fda

Or the national
institutes of health.

- Nothing motivates
people quite like fear.

Especially when it
involves their children.

- You know this recent
report found nearly

Two million middle school
and high school students

Have tried electronic
cigarettes, or e-cigarettes.

That set off some alarm
bells and this week

40 state attorney's
general called on the us

Food and drug administration
to regulate these cigs

Just like it regulates tobacco.

- The federal health
agencies goals

Was hoping by year
2020 that we could get

The past month smoking
rate among youth

Down to 16%.

It's down below 10% now.

Five years ahead of schedule.

And it's because
of e-cigarettes.

- The regulatory authorities
then confused the water

By saying, well,
maybe it reduces harm

But maybe it doesn't.

And we definitely
need more research.

But of course, we need more
research on everything.

- What do you think,
is it a question

Are they bad for you, or
we just still don't know?

- I think what we
can say basically is

They might be or might not
be able to help you quit.

But there are definite
harms that they can cause.

And those definite harms are
in different environments.

So if they get kids
hooked on nicotine

That's a really bad thing.

- Virtually all the
daily users of teenagers

Are either smokers, or
people who used to smoke.

And the problem is, the
researchers aren't disclosing

A lot of this daily use data.

So the only two surveys
have ever asked people,

Did you vape nicotine,
or no nicotine?

And they found 96%
of all non-smokers

Who had ever used an
e-cigarette in their life

Used no nicotine e-cigarettes.

- You've called this deeply
troubling in the past.

And, why?

Well, if you start
with e-cigarettes

There's a real likelihood
that you will become

Nicotine addicted.

- So called gateway effect
is used as a reason why

E-cigarettes should not be used.

If children start with
e-cigarettes that leads

As a gateway to stronger
drugs and to smoking.

There's no evidence
to back it up yet.

- Just applying first
principles to it.

If a product has
mainly only nicotine

And another one has
nicotine and tar

I don't think you need a
long-term 10 year study to say

The former is definitely a
better choice for a smoker

Who wants to quit,
than the latter.

- You don't think that
they had something

So solid that vaping
and e-cigs were deadly

And harmful, the
formaldehyde, the carcinogens,

The nico, the--
it's all bullshit.

- If you look at
the united kingdom

E-cigarette users up
to the end of last year

70% of them thought
that e-cigarettes

Were safer than
standard cigarettes.

That was their perception.

And in the space of six
months, that's dropped down

To an perception
rate of about 43%.

So through the misinformation,
bad science

It's hurt the category.

- Let me ask about the
other people who are

Around people who may
be smoking e-cigarettes.

Is the idea of secondhand
smoke, I mean we know about

That with cigarettes,
but some researchers say

The amount of potential
carcinogens in the vapor

Potentially is extremely minute

That it's insignificant in fact.

I mean, do you
disagree with that?

- Well we don't know what's
in more than 200 different

E-cigarette products out there.

What we do know is
that there is nicotine.

- They should be accurate
and responsible communication

Of the facts to the consumer.

And such a responsible agency

Would need to weigh their
words very carefully.

- The dangers of
e-cigarettes are clear.

Today's electronic
cigarettes are no better

Than the joe camels of the past.

- If all the smokers
of cigarettes today

Switched to
e-cigarettes tomorrow,

The billion lives
will definitely be
significantly reduced.

- It's the smoking
that kills people.

It's not the nicotine.

People smoke for the
nicotine, but they die

Because they inhale smoke.

- We have none of
the tar, the smoke,

Or the 4,000 plus chemicals
going into your body.

- There's no evidence
that vaping has caused

Or associated with any disease.

And we know that it's
helped several million

People quit smoking.

- So the billion lives
that we're trying to save,

Better do a hell of a lot
more than we're doing now

Because right now the
army isn't big enough.

A lot of people don't even
want to fight the war anymore

Because we're, it's
an uphill battle.

People are exhausted
and tired and frustrated

And angry and pissed off

And upset with the fact
that we can't fix it

Because it's truthful,
and it's right.

- But things are
not looking good.

- the numbers now
show that e-cigarette sales

Are down.

- Europe just passed
all kinds of rules.

They're gonna take beneficial
products off the shelves

And out of the lives
of thousands of people

Who are trying to quit smoking.

- It will close down the market

For the independents.

It will hand a majority
control to the tobacco industry

Who are producing devices.

And I think it will
be a damaging thing

To the whole of the
vaping industry.

I'm very disappointed in
the way things are going.

- Here in poland we have

Over one million vapers.

And we estimate that

After that

Heavy legislation

It will be 500,000,

Not more

Or even, even less.

We are trying to find a way

To

Fight.

It's not easy
because ppds already

A law in the european union.

- In the us the same thing.

The fda just passed
all kinds of new rules

That will keep millions
of people smoking.

- The fda has estimated that 90,

More than 98.5%

Of all e-cigarette
products on the market

Will be banned by
their regulation.

All e-liquid will be banned.

This is not a proposed
regulation to protect children

As the fda has presented it
falsely to the news media.

It's prohibition plan b.

- You know what
the fda's gonna do,

You know what eu's gonna do,

You know what
germany's gonna do,

You know what
malaysia's gonna do,

You know what brazil's gonna do,

You know what
argentina's gonna do.

We all know, the die is cast,

The cast is formed,
the stage is set

And the script is written.

End of story.

Why?

Because nobody cares.

- A billion lives.

A billion lives, a
billion people with names.

They each have a name.

And if you and I were
in discussion with them,

Would it not be fair and
responsible to provide

Them with the right information?

The question is, how much
evidence is sufficient

For that one person
sitting in front of you?

So if you the nurse, or the
pharmacist, or the dentist,

And it's your patient,
and they ask you,

"I'd like to use an
e-cigarette, what's your view?"

Then you can't say, "well,

"we need to do more research."

That's just not helpful.

It's irresponsible.

- The public needs to know the
truth about these products.

- And they need public health
people telling the truth

About the risks.

At least 95% less
risky than smoking.

- If we look at the
history of public health,

The biggest breakthroughs
are associated historically

With two really
really simple things.

One, you give people enough
information that they

Can make an informed
decision about

What they're gonna do.

And two, you give them
the ability to act

On that information.

- It's a crime

Not to tell the billion people

Who will lose their life

Because they smoke,

Of the alternative.

- we are losing.

We are losing fast
and furious and big

And who's gonna lose?

The smokers, again.

Who are now trying
to transition over

When they've been asked
and begged and cried for

For years and years and
now we have something

That's viable, and we're
not giving it to them.

It's just shameful.

It's embarrassing.

This is not how people
should treat other people.

Especially under the
guise of public health

And compassion and
love and liberty

And freedom and all
that.

You know, I'm sick of it.

- What we have here is
that the best kept secret

In tobacco cessation,
tobacco reduction

Is the use of safer
alternative nicotine products.

And that consumers
are denied that right.

- We have this huge glaring
opportunity to do something

That would sort of rival
eradication of small pox,

Or dealing with
cholera, sanitation

Is one of the biggest
public health breakthroughs

We've ever had.

And it's staring us in the face.

And it's not
conceptually difficult.

And we've got examples
of where it's worked

And we look at things
like swedish snus.

We have proof of concept
that people can get

Their nicotine in far
less hazardous ways

And be just fine with it.

Uh, and it hasn't happened yet.

- And I guess really
what prompted me

To want to quit

Was seeing my uncle

Dying of lung cancer.

And without a shadow of a doubt

He was the most genuine

And kind-hearted person

I've ever known in my life.

- People are gonna die.

People are gonna get sick.

There are people who should
have had the opportunity

To grow old.

To be part of their
grandchildren's lives.

I knew firsthand the
experience that I had had

And how dramatic the
change in my life

And my health had been.

I'd seen dozens of
friends and family members,

Actually hundreds, really,
in the end of lives

That have been directly changed

By using these devices.

And the health department,
like that's their name

The health department
were banning them.

You can still buy cigarettes.

You know, buy and use any
tobacco product you like

But you can't buy
the alternative

That we know is
significantly, I mean like

Over 95% safer.

- And really I
just, I didn't want

My children to have
to see me that way.

I wanted to be

Able to be there

For them more in the future

And extend my life

For them.

And, essentially that

Is what vaping has done.

Vaping has helped me to
quit smoking cigarettes.

And for that, I am thankful.

- a billion
lives are at stake.

The status quo is winning.

Smoking is strong.

The battle rages on
even as you watch this.

Big business and government
are working together

All over the world
to serve the few

At the expense of the many.

We see so many examples.

In our food system.

Our medicine.

And now we see it in
the push to preserve

Smoking and its cash flow.

To condemn a billion
people to death.

Billions of mourning kids.

Billions of broken hearts.

We can choose a better approach.

We can end fear-mongering.

We can help our
neighbors live better.

We can help our
neighbors live longer.

And we must.

♪ I've heard a lot of
funny stories and opinions

♪ now to get the
whole thing straight

♪ you can't keep a
bunch of hypocrites

♪ and myers all from
showing their face

♪ but the damage has been done

♪ our battle's not quite won

♪ so let's take
it to the streets

♪ and sing for the sun

♪ what happened to
uniting young and old

♪ we're all equally sick
of doing what we're told

♪ grab ahold

♪ and when it comes to
controlling the masses

♪ they've got us
full of fake routines

♪ with tv classes

♪ 3d glasses

♪ the damage has been done

♪ our battle's not quite won

♪ so let's take
it to the streets

♪ let's take it to the streets

♪ and sing for the sun

♪ the sun the sun

♪ the sun the sun

♪ the sun the sun

♪ the sun the sun

♪ so what are we gonna do

♪ to take back our lives

♪ for the first time

♪ but not the last time

♪ because your battle
is not quite won

♪ oh, let your wisdom
ring loud like guns

♪ you better run

♪ you better run yeah