Letters for June 9, 2016

Bad drugs

Re “FDA out of control” (Let Freedom Ring, May 12):

Brendon Trainor’s recent lament over FDA regulation of vaping was misguided. The devastating health effects and public costs of smoking combustible cigarettes is well documented and vaping holds the promise of reducing both dramatically.

But, what about our kids? A leading vaping researcher, Adam M. Lippert, Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Denver, says, “Nicotine is a known antagonist to adolescent brain development. It’s unclear how e-cigarettes bear on the neurological development of teenagers, but the new FDA regulations will pave the way for more research on this.” Teen e-cigarette use has quadrupled in five years and has been associated with higher use of conventional cigarettes. Many teenagers use e-cigarettes—not to quit their tobacco use habits—but to augment them by allowing them to use nicotine where conventional cigarettes are not options like on school property or in their parents’ homes. Multiple states have allowed sales and marketing to children. Teenage exposure to e-cigarette ads increased by 256 percent between 2011 and 2013. New FDA regulations curtail adolescent exposures to such advertisements.

Mr. Trainor’s enthusiasm for unbridled entrepreneurial innovation in our age of unintended consequences is indefensible. Consider the “miracles” of hormone replacement theory, Vioxx, DDT, neonicotinoids, and Agent Orange.

Chip Evans

Reno

Bad habit

Re “Good habits” (Arts & Culture, May 26):

I read with interest your article on Reno’s Biggest Little Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, The House of Charity in Northern Nevada. The article covered what the Sisters do through outreach, fund raising and bringing awareness on various issues to the community (and not just the GLBT community but the entire community).

However, the Sisters are not a “Drag queen” group. While some members may be drag queens at times, the group dresses as they do with whiteface and painted faces as a street performer would. It relaxes those they meet and makes them feel at ease. The Sisters define themselves as to what they do as a charity, protest and street performance organization that uses drag and religious imagery to call attention to sexual intolerance and satirizes issues of gender and morality. It is simply imagery to get a message across.

Paco Poli

Reno

Bad drivers

Before going too far, let me preface this with the statement that what I am about to say does not apply to everyone. Why do people feel the need to speed, refuse to use their directional signals and tailgate other drivers? Is there a desire to kill you and others on our streets and highways?

I just came back from a trip to California and was exposed to drivers who need their licenses permanently revoked, on both sides of the border (Nevada/California). Speed limits are posted for everyone’s safety. Law enforcement and our judicial system need to stop allowing people to speed and break the law. What are we telling our kids and future drivers? It’s okay to break the law to maintain the flow of traffic? Doesn’t seem to make sense.

Adam De Merit

Sparks

Bad housing policies

Re “Where do we go from here?” (cover story, Sept. 2, 2004):

I live in Northern California and am 78. My relatives live in the suburbs of Reno. The [2004] article I just read about the next big building venture would probably be housing or senior community housing for seniors. … What is the current status of that projection? In skimming over the availability of that kind of community e.g co-housing, residential etc., it appears that Nevada is behind in this effort. That’s odd, in that it is recommended as one of the better states to move to post-retirement, due to a generally lower cost of living. Could someone—either this paper, a reader, builder or Chamber of Commerce—help me to obtain current information? I am someone who is no longer physically or financially able to maintain the upkeep of a 1,700+sf house, hobby shed and garage on three acres, which I keep in excellent condition.

Julie Reaney

Grass Valley, Calif.

Bad path

I like to ride my bike along the river path from downtown Reno to Vista. Beginning in late 2015, numerous homeless campsites began to appear in the vicinity of the GSR. You probably remember the City of Sparks passed an ordinance to eliminate this issue. Well, that certainly didn’t work. It’s gotten worse. It might be a really great source of a story— say, by Dennis Myers—on the issues and individuals involved, with both tent city residents and the community at large.

I was told a local fisherman shot one of the homeless people after being assaulted three times by a knife-wielding assailant. I didn’t see that in the news.

Tim King

Reno