Vapers Digest 14th Feb
Tuesday’s News at a glance:
Video Resource for THR Advocates & Policy Makers – What Is ‘The Best Nicotine Delivery Device in the World’? – We Used Terrible Science to Justify Smoking Bans – Children favour e-cigarettes over tobacco – Operation Overwatch – The elephant in the room
Video Resource for THR Advocates & Policy Makers
CASAA
Millions of long-term smokers have developed diseases that have caused them to die early. It is well understood that these diseases are caused almost exclusively by inhaling smoke. Vapor products, commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, do not burn tobacco or any other material, and so do not produce the smoke that causes smoking related diseases.
What Is ‘The Best Nicotine Delivery Device in the World’?
Dick Puddlecote
Now there’s a question, huh?
If you weren’t already aware, there is an event at the IEA on Wednesday 22nd February which will attempt to answer that question via the medium of an entertaining balloon debate. The evening will also feature a short presentation on ‘The Pleasure of Smoking: The Views of Confirmed Smokers’ by Dr Neil McKeganey, director of the Centre for Substance Use Research, which I wrote about over the Christmas period.
We Used Terrible Science to Justify Smoking Bans
Jacob Grier, Slate
Helena, Montana, does not often make global headlines, but in 2003 the small capital city became known for briefly achieving one of the most astounding public health triumphs ever recorded. In June of the previous year, Helena had implemented a comprehensive smoking ban in its workplaces, bars, restaurants, and casinos. In the first six months of the ban, the rate of heart attacks in the city plummeted by nearly 60 percent. Just as remarkably, when a judge struck down the smoking ban in November of that year, the rate of heart attacks shot right back up to its previous level.
Children favour e-cigarettes over tobacco
BBC News
Children are nearly twice as likely to try e-cigarettes rather than tobacco, Cardiff University research has said.
A paper published in the British Medical Journal questioned 32,479 11-16 year olds about their preferences.
While 18.5% said they might try e-cigarettes, only 10.5% said they might ever smoke tobacco.
The Switch
Powerful personal stories of switching from tobacco to vaping
Who likes punitive taxation? Those too big to fail, and those too blind to see https://t.co/nqQOsuVCRI
— Tom Pruen (@crossbow2112) February 14, 2017
Operation Overwatch
Vaping Milita
It has been a crazy four years since the Vaping Militia was founded. Originally the brainchild of Fred Dauksza, we came together with the singular purpose to to spur people into action and to fill the gaps left by the other advocacy groups.
Fred enlisted two friends, Artemus Barker and Armando Mendez to found the organization. Quickly they recruited Jim Ranes and Joe Barnett to complete the original board of directors. With the help of Danny Baker the group started.
The elephant in the room
Simon Clark, Taking Liberties
On balance last week was a good one for advocates of vaping.
If we leave aside the report that suggested, on very little evidence, that ‘E-cigarettes act as [a] gateway to smoking for teens’ (Daily Telegraph), there was general agreement, following the publication of yet another study, that ‘Vaping is “far safer” than smoking cigarettes’ (ITV News).
Campaigners – including public health advocates of vaping – naturally embraced the latter report and we were subjected to the usual sanctimonious drivel about e-cigarettes having the ability to secure world peace and make death history.
Call to Action
Act now to scupper EU Taxation plans
New Nicotine Alliance
The EU consultation on excise duties applied to manufactured tobacco ends on 16th February and includes proposals to tax reduced risk nicotine products. It’s vital that nicotine consumers respond to make their feelings known. If the EU permits taxation on reduced risk products the prices will go up and many people will be discouraged from switching. It’s simple and quick to respond to the consultation – it only takes around 15 minutes. Vapers in Power has done a useful guide to it, here. The Clive Bates/NNA briefing is here.
Visit Nicotine Science & Policy for more News from around the World
