Todays round up of news, articles and blogs from the world wide web

Could electronic cigarettes help to end the smoking epidemic?

Louise Ross demonstrating why she is one of our Women of 2014

Electronic cigarettes are neither electronic nor cigarettes, but they have opened up a whole new world of debate, some of it bitter and contentious, some of it heartening and filled with promise. This debate has been among public health workers, academics, industry observers, and the general public—and has involved both smokers and non-smokers. Vapers (the term used for people who use these devices to enjoy nicotine) have been caught in the crossfire: they have been celebrated because they have switched to a safer form of nicotine (people smoke cigarettes for the nicotine but die from the carbon monoxide and tar) but also demonised as ‘astroturf’ (false grass-roots) for only wanting to promote a new way of getting young people dependent on nicotine….

 The Year of Vaping Advocacy

Excellent idea from the NNA

NNA calls on vapers to designate 2015 as ‘the Year of Vaping Advocacy’ using the hash-tag #vaping2015

Vapers have shown over the past couple of years that giving voice to their views can have an impact on policy-makers. The activism that was generated over the drafting of the new EU Tobacco Products’ Directive, and how this influenced both the politicians and public opinion, is testament to this….

MEMO: PUBLIC HEALTH CAN WE TALK?

Paddy Costall – Open for bridge building

Over the festive period public health soured the mood somewhat with yet another scare campaign about the dangers of smoking (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30591236) and it made me compelled to pen this short memo.

In it I would like to start by looking beyond the content, intention or potential impact of this particular campaign – or any others for that matter – and concentrate on some fundamental principles that go towards understanding the human condition and behaviour.

Helping smokers quit or a public health menace?

The radio programme that Alain Depauw was trying to get a Belgian volunteer.

Should the promotion of electronic cigarettes be more tightly regulated? In this special edition of World Business Report, we ask whether the marketing of e-cigarettes risks glamourising smoking once again. Marie Keyworth hears from a divided public health community and has an exclusive interview with e-cigarette manufacturer Imperial Tobacco. She also pays a visit to northern France to hear from young users of e-cigarettes – some of whom travel over the border from Belgium, where their sale is heavily restricted – and hears from an adviser to the French government who argues e-cigarettes could bring an end to conventional cigarettes as we know them…

Clueless Nonsense That DOES Receive Attention In Public Consultations

More from Puddlecote Towers-

Vaping is not smoking – the public know this very well, as does the Oxford English Dictionary. It is only the highly-paid – Lord knows why! – professional miseries in public health who seem too stupid to notice the difference.

Additionally, do you remember when ‘public health’ used to pretend their moral panic against tobacco was something about harming bystanders and that they had junk science studies to prove it? That’s so last decade. Now mere “concern” is enough.

Bandaids “lure kids into NRT” say experts.

Important warning  from The Red Head Full of Steam!

Up to three times as many children have tried bandaids as have used NRT patches, according to figures released by experts today.

It has reinforced concerns that using the seemingly innocuous adhesive strips could be a gateway into children becoming hooked on nicotine patches which they are cunningly designed to resemble.

A particular worry voiced by experts is the increasingly child friendly marketing being used by the adhesive dressing manufacturers, with the rise of attractively patterned bandaids being especially worrying.