Big Government Tramples On Civil Liberties, Bans Flavored Juul Pods and Shuts Down Their Social Media Accounts

(CNN) – The CEO of e-cigarette maker Juul announced plans Tuesday to eliminate some of its social media accounts and halt most retail sales of flavor products as part of a plan to restrict access to minors. The plan came in response to the US Food and Drug Administration’s September announcement that it would investigate major e-cigarette makers and review their sales and marketing practices.

Burns said the company will be “eliminating our own social media accounts and continuing to monitor and remove inappropriate material from third-party accounts.”

In a move to reduce teen e-cigarette use, FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb is expected to announce a ban on the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes in convenience stores and gas stations as early as this week.

This reminds me of the famous poem by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did speak out a little bit actually-
Because I am a Jew.

Then they came for my Juul—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Just remember that, all you too-cool-for-school non-vapers.  Maybe you don’t care about blowing sick clouds of mango vapor, maybe you don’t care about ripping crème brûlée out of a USB stick in the bathroom stall.  But just you wait.  They’ll come for you next.  Everything you hold near and dear to you, the things that make you happy, the things that give you comfort and relief – they’re always there, watching, waiting.

Always eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, indoors or out of doors, in the bath or bed—no escape. Nothing is your own except the few cubic centimeters in your skull and the Juul between your fingers. (-George Orwell, 1984)

The persecution of the Juul smoker continues to go underreported and under supported by civil rights watchdogs.  Funny how the ACLU is too busy to look into this but they’re not too busy to step in front of my path every time I walk outside my door asking me to sign their clipboard.

Then we’ve got this nerd “research scientist” chiming in from the cheap seats.

…For example, he said, “all Juul products have nicotine; many adolescents are unaware of that. Many young adults — about 40% of college-aged students, 18 to 24 — were unaware that all Juul products have nicotine in them. This is part of the landscape that influences product uptake.”

They should say it somewhere.

It’s sad.  Just sad.  Scary and sad.

Bloomberg came for our big sodas.  The FDA came for our fruit medley Juul pods.  Won’t be long before they come for our bank accounts, our homes, maybe even our guns.