Vapers Digest 31st October
Tuesday’s News at a glance:
Anti-Vape Institutions Include Media, Government and The Democratic Party – Vaping truckers may live longer – How old do you have to be to vape? – Korea To Hike Tax On E-Cigarettes – E-cigs and bans inspire ‘sea-change’ in Dundee – UK Gov. urged to launch a year round vaping campaign – Keyboard At The Ready, Vapers – NSP Daily Digest
Anti-Vape Institutions Include Media, Government and The Democratic Party
Joe Sylvester, Daily Vaper
Vaping proponents have been forced to work together to defend their industry. This is a good thing, because there is a strong organizational effort on the other side of the issue. However, oftentimes the pro-vaping community is forced into a reactionary position, responding to individual criticisms wherever and whenever they arise. Vaping advocates would be wise to assess what they are up against, and develop a strategy that confronts the powerful anti-vaping interests head-on.
Opposition to vaping comes largely from powerful institutions, from the FDA to the American Cancer Society. These organizations along with scores of others react reflexively. The conventional smoking and the cancer epidemic is fresh in their minds. The struggles of opposing studies and litigation between the cigarette industry and government groups are still acutely felt.
Vaping truckers may live longer
FleetOwner
Over-the-road driver Tanner Peavler used to smoke three packs a day, and he wasn’t alone. More than half of truck drivers (51%) smoke cigarettes compared to 19% of the general adult population, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and the habit contributes to hypertension, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The 34-year-old trucker began smoking when he was only 18 years old, and three years ago he noticed he had trouble breathing. Climbing in and out of his truck became harder. Doctors told him to stop smoking. He wanted to quit but he couldn’t.
How old do you have to be to vape?
Jim McDonald, Vaping360
Most places in the United States don’t treat underage vaping as a crime. So asking “How old do you have to be to vape?” isn’t really the right question. Think more along the lines of, “Do you have to be 18 to buy a vape?” or “What’s the legal age to buy a vape?”
The laws typically make sales to minors illegal, but not the act of vaping itself. When vaping or possession of vapes by minors is illegal, it’s not usually treated very seriously — often as a civil infraction, like a traffic ticket. In most states (and around the world too), the legal vaping age is the same as the smoking age. But the consequences for a minor vaping are mostly borne by the person who sold them the products they’re using — not the kids using them. Vaping under 18 may be a no-no, but vapers rarely get locked up or heavily fined for it.
Korea To Hike Tax On E-Cigarettes
Tax-News.com
Korea is set to increase the tax on e-cigarettes from 50 to 90 percent following approval from the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee.
The hike would be effective as early as December 2017.
The legislation, in the form of a revision bill to the current tobacco tax code, now awaits approval from Parliament in the next plenary.
The move follows the introduction of a significantly higher minimum price for traditional tobacco products in Korea and the introduction of smoking bans in public places.
“Blaming, shaming and scaring smokers is disgusting, the stigma for mental health is unhelpful”, Dr Helen Redmond at #GFNDialogue17 pic.twitter.com/Ce1xuuSr8R
— Dick Puddlecote (@Dick_Puddlecote) October 31, 2017
E-cigs and bans inspire ‘sea-change’ in Dundee
Evening Telegraph
Figures from NHS Scotland show that 19.3% of Dundee smokers trying to quit were able to do so within 12 weeks of their designated quit date in 2016/17 — up from 17.6% the year before.
It’s the city’s best long-term success rate since 2010.
Those who have successfully quit in the short term – four weeks, by NHS definition — was also at its highest level, 34.8%, since 2011.
Signing up to the NHS smoking cessation service sees patients agree to have a follow-up meeting four weeks after their designated quit date.
An individual is judged to have successfully given up if they have smoked fewer than five cigarettes in the eight weeks after their first follow-up.
UK Gov. urged to launch a year round vaping campaign
Diane Caruana, VapingPost
As today marked the last day of Stoptober, and initial figures indicate that the campaign was a success, a number of MPs and other parliamentary members are urging the UK government to keep the campaign active throughout the year.
Stoptober, is organized by National Health Service (NHS) UK and is a campaign that encourages smokers to quit cigarettes for the month of October, with the hope that this will encourage them to stop smoking for good. The campaign offers a number of suggestions to smokers wishing to quit, and highly recommends the combination of behavioral support and the use of Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs).
Preliminary figures seem to suggest that this year’s campaign was a success in encouraging many smokers to transition to vaping. A number of studies have indicated that besides being significantly safer than regular cigarettes, e-cigarettes are smokers’ preferred smoking cessation tools. This is due to the fact that the hand to mouth motion required to vape, closely imitates the action of smoking, making the transition from smoking to not-smoking a smoother one for addicts.
Keyboard At The Ready, Vapers
Dick Puddlecote
Wouldn’t it be good if your representative was tempted to take part in that debate? It may be that it was one that had eluded their attention, so a reminder can’t hurt, can it?
Yes, I know it’s tight for time but you never know. If nothing else, a message from a constituent (i.e. you) may result in a researcher being sent along to take some notes.
See also New Nicotine Alliance
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