Big Vape

Watched "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul" on Netflix. Interesting documentary on the product that was created with good intentions but fell victim to greed by marketing it to kids. It is a shame that they failed because vaping does help adult smokers kick the habit since most of the carcinogens come from the burning process - not the nicotine. And Juul was unfairly blamed for the abuse of the product when kids used the product to vape THC which wrecked their lungs. So, in summary this documentary mini-series is worth watching both from a business and human-interest perspective. Check it out. 7/10, as it could be edited better as many scenes are repetitive.

So the US government basically got rid of the only reputable vape system in the US and now the most popular disposable vape comes from China. How does this make any sense? As long as vape exists, kids are going to use it, so doesn't it make more sense that it should be made in the US? Some of these reviews that I have read are about the legitimacy of vaping. It should be about this documentary, which is very well-made. Vaping is a viable alternative to smoking cigarettes and the US government has ignorantly eliminated the best possible alternative. This just goes to show how politicians are so out of touch with the common man.

As Episode 1 of "Big Vape" (2023 release; 4 episodes ranging from 43 to 51 min) opens, we are introduced to Stanford students and smokers James Monsees and Adam Bowen. On a smoke break, they fantasize of coming up with a better product that is less harmful to a person's health. Upon graduating from Stanford, they pursue their crazy idea... At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from longtime writer-producer-director R. J. Cutler. Here he reassesses the legacy of the maker of "the iPhone of e-cigarettes". I was vaguely aware of the rise and fall of Juul, but to see it laid out like this gives a entirely new perspective. And as it turns out, Monsees and Bowen say one thing (to rid the world of cigarette smoking), only to end up doing a great deal of harm themselves, and for what. (Money, of course!) Check out Episode 3, focusing on the teen vaping crisis that overwhelmed this country (and still does a lot of damage today). And what of Big Tobacco in all this? Just watch! These 4 episodes flew by in no time. Last but not least: this is listed on IMDb and several other platforms as "Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul". There is not a single reference to that in the 4 part documentary, which is simply tltled "Big Vape".

"Big Vape" premiered on Netflix earlier this week. I binge-watched all 4 episodes in a single setting. If you have any interest in how one company decided to take on Big Tobacco by creating a supposed less harmful alternative, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

So we have to label nicotine products with a warning: "Nicotine is addictive" but not sugar products? Or caffeinated coffee or green tea (which also contains nicotine)? Nicotine is used to treat Parkinsons. Nicotine is basically the same as vitamin B3 found in every multivitamin. It is basically harmless when inhaled. Check out Discover magazine's article about this "wonder drug" and draw your own conclusions.

The business aspect of the story on the other hand is pretty cool but they chose a questionable demographic in young people who don't typically have the wherewithal or wisdom to practice constraint.

The hypocrisy runs deep when it comes to protecting kids from unhealthy practices and the likelihood is that the tobacco lobby is behind the anti vape movement.

The documentary is very good, but the problem is because JUUL was on top of the mountain during the whole vape epidemic, they took all the bad press. Kids were buying pods off market with a bunch of crap in it but because JUUL was the name brand that they took all the bad press. It wasn't totally all their fault. The documentary is pretty good and I know for sure what was going on because I was in the middle of it as I was working in talent acquisition as a JUUL Partner during this time. I have talked to some of the people in the interviews and while they did grow substantially and they did come and market too younger kids at the end they are responsible for the choices not JUUL.