Jenny McCarthy Hates Vaccines, Loves Cigarettes And Needs To Stop Talking

I’m not surprised that Jenny McCarthy – the queen of the false advertising – is appearing in this E-cigarette ad that makes cigarette use seem like the most harmless, lovely thing in the world. You may remember Jenny from her “vaccines cause autism” fame, in which she inflated a false study and personal anecdote about her own son into a baseless frenzy that unfortunately marred the reputation of vaccines and changed the minds of probably thousands of parents. She’s pretty much the queen of standing up for bullshit – so I’m not surprised she’s starring in this ad:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUJ5W2pz1XI#t=24

I’m Jenny McCarthy. And I finally found a smarter alternative to cigarettes! 

I get to have a Blu without the guilt, because there’s only vapor, not tobacco smoke. That means no ash, no odor, also means I don’t get the stink eye from others. Also, it doesn’t make my hair smell, my teeth turn yellow – you get the idea.

Sure. Because that’s what most people are worried about when they consider the dangers of nicotine; smelly hair and yellow teeth. The ads have since been taken down off the company’s site, but not before McCarthy’s role in a campaign critics argue rolls back anti-tobacco efforts by years was discussed in front of the U.S. senate on Wednesday.

Here are some facts about e-cigarettes:

An analysis of e-cigarettes by the FDA in 2009 found that they ”contained detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could be exposed.”6  For example, in e-cigarette cartridges marketed as ”tobacco-free,” the FDA detected diethylene glycol (a toxic compound found in antifreeze), tobacco-specific nitrosamines which are carcinogenic to humans, and other toxic tobacco-specific impurities. The body’s reaction to many of the chemicals in conventional cigarette smoke causes chronic inflammation, which in turn leads to chronic diseases like bronchitis, emphysema, and heart disease.7 Since e-cigarettes also contain many of the same toxic chemicals, there is no reason to believe that they will significantly reduce the risks for these diseases.

There are no long term studies to back up the claim that e-cigarettes are any less harmful than conventional ones. Also, flavors like ”gummy bear,” ”cotton candy,” and ”bubble gum” are not only “encouraging teenagers to try e-cigarettes, they are resulting in accidental poisonings among children.  Over half of the 2,405 calls to poison centers between September 2010 and February 2014 concerned children 5 and under who had come into contact with e-cigarettes.”

I’m not some puritanical pillar of health that thinks adults shouldn’t be allowed their vices. But Jenny McCarthy built a name for herself by caring about children so much she had to spread the good word about how bad vaccines were for them. It’s kind of funny that she’s shifted from pillar of children’s health and safety to paid promoter of cigarettes. To be fair, it could be that I just don’t like this woman. Politico explains the reasons perfectly:

The co-host of ABC’s “The View,” McCarthy is the celebrity face of two campaigns ”” one that stops kids from getting vaccinated and another that health advocates argue tells them smoking electronic cigarettes is cool.

Together they threaten to unwind two of the most significant public health achievements of the past 50 years: the near-eradication of the most deadly childhood diseases and the drop-off in kids trying nicotine.

Boom. Stellar achievement, Jenny.

(photo: YouTube)