British Army Backs Vaping – FDA Moves PMTA Goalposts – Vape Tax Hike In California – Scientists Say Use FEAR On Kids That Vape! + More Vape News

Lit Tobacco Banned On All British Army Bases

As part of the war against smoking the British Army backs vaping and all bases will go smoke free from next year.

All UK army bases will ban smoking from December 31st 2022, with the only exception being single living accommodation – on base family homes will be governed by existing tenancy contracts.

It’s not the first time the British Army has banned smoking.

Back in 2018 lit tobacco was banned at the Army Foundation College (AFC) in Harrogate – where teen recruits are trained.

Back then it was found young soldiers that didn’t smoke at the start of their training ended up as smokers when they passed out.

This new initiative is part of the Defence Smoke-Free Working Environment directive and has been specifically launched to coincide with the UK Government back Stoptober campaign.

The Ministry Of Defence says:

Smoking has been part of Army culture since smoking cigarettes first became popular in the 1950s.

The unhealthy addiction is one of the leading causes of premature death with 200 people dying each day from smoking in England.

However, the culture is changing and today’s soldiers are more conscious about the affects smoking has on their health.

Launched to coincide with Stoptober (it’s the tenth year Stoptober has run during the month of October), Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has directed the policy to help smokers give up and to prevent non-smokers from taking up the habit.

Vaping will still be allowed in designated areas.

The definition of the smoke-free policy is: Prohibition of the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) within the perimeter of a Defence site and/or near to site entrances.

The policy is Whole Force and includes anyone on site (including contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel) all hours and all days.

Excellent news Sir.

Back in the day I can remember the agony of burning lungs during and after a 20miler – we always had a smoke afterwards despite coughing our guts up lol.

As a long time smoker [40 years plus give or take] my lung health has never been better since I quit smoking thanks to the vape.

Great to see the British Army backs vaping.

FDA Shifts PMTA Goalposts

The FDA has shifted the goalposts on PMTA’s by re-introducing two so called Final Rules.

These rules were withdrawn back in January last year, but have suddenly reappeared.

It’s a bit rich given it has already banned 96% of the 6 million plus Pre Market Tobacco Product Applications.

PMTAs are needed on any vape product sold legally in the USA – none, apart from a lit cigar I think, have been granted so far.

The FDA has already stated it needs more time to study the applications from JUUL, Vuse and three other Big Tobacco linked vape products.

Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D said:

These final rules are important components of the FDA’s comprehensive approach to tobacco product regulation, which includes premarket application review, science-based use of the product standard authority and prioritized compliance and enforcement actions.

The FDA is committed to protecting Americans from tobacco-related disease and death by ensuring that new tobacco products undergo appropriate regulatory review to determine if they meet the public health standards set by law.

If new tobacco products do not meet the standards for these pathways, they cannot be marketed or sold in the United States.

It goes without saying vaping products have nothing to do with tobacco and certainly don’t create ‘tobacco related diseases…’

Mitch Zeller, J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said:

Conducting review of new tobacco products before they can be legally marketed is a critical responsibility of the FDA.

These final rules will provide greater clarity and efficiency in review of new tobacco products by describing information that any company must provide if they seek to market a new tobacco product in this country.

This whole process has been an expensive minefield of red tape and judging from the millions of products banned – despite having a wealth of scientific documentation – suggests this to me the whole thing was set up to fail the vast majority of applicants.

Government robbery in other words.

As you can image, this moving of the goalposts has incensed advocates over the pond.

Amanda Wheeler, the President, American Vapor Manufacturers Association said:

It is an insult to the American public that FDA thinks it can just make up compliance tests long after the process is over and countless companies and consumers have already been turned into criminals.

The real-world harm is bankruptcies of innumerable small businesses, the destruction of the single most effective smoking cessation method ever devised, and millions of Americans returning to smoking.

Indeed…

Gregory Conley, the president of the American Vaping Association tweeted:

Sad times for vaping in America.

Read the full FDA release.

Huge Vape Tax Hike In California

The attack on vaping in America continues with the state of California bringing in a huge tax hike on all things vape.

Earlier this week Governor Gavin Newsom rubber stamped a whopping 12.5% excise tax, with the cash apparently going towards public health and education programs.

The tax hike is also meant to deter ‘kids’ from buying e-cigarettes… *sighs*

Author of the bill, Sen. Anna Caballero, said:

Vaping has become increasingly popular despite the risks.

This is especially evident among our youth, and made worse by the availability of youth-appealing flavors such as gummy bears and cotton candy.

It’s almost as if these sound bite virtue signaling politicians preach from the same hymn sheet…

Tony Abboud, executive director of the Vapor Technology Association slammed the tax hike:

By signing SB 395 into law, Gov. Newsom will be the first governor to impose a double tax on California consumers who use less harmful vapor products, thereby driving more Californians to smoke deadly cigarettes.

America’s vape scene is imploding before our very eyes…

Big Tobacco and Pharma must be laughing all the way to the bank.

Wirral Stop Smoking Service UK’s Best

Congratulations to the Wirral Stop Smoking Service coming out on top of all the others.

A staggering 9,800 smokers per 100,000 have set quit dates, whilst 6,039 people per 100,000 have successfully quit.

Many of those have quit using e-cigarettes and Councillor Yvonne Nolan, chair of Wirral’s adult social care and public health committee, said:

This news couldn’t come at a better time, as we have recommissioned our Stop Smoking service this year to continue supporting Wirral people to kick the habit.

The service, run by ABL Health, works in communities across the borough, so this support is being offered right on our doorsteps.

I’d encourage anyone thinking about quitting get in touch with them.

And as we enter ‘Stoptober’, I hope we can build on this momentum, with the great work of our Stop Smoking service, to encourage more and more people in Wirral to ditch smoking, for good.

If you’re in the area checkout the website: Wirral Stop Smoking Service

Vaping Tweet Of the Week!

More great work from the UK’s stop smoking services and this time it’s from Northamptonshire:

Are you watching America?

and finally…Scare Tactics To Stop Kids Vaping?

Scientists reckon the best way to stop kids taking up vaping is to…wait for it…

Scare them shitless by injecting a good old dose of F E A R…

Yes…really…

A new study: How Can E-Cigarette Fear Appeals Improve the Perceived Threat, Fear, Anger, and Protection Motivation of Young People says:

The lack of awareness regarding the risks of e-cigarettes and the misleading business propaganda caused an increase in the popularity of e-cigarettes among young people.

The effective communication of the risks associated with e-cigarettes is an important part of current work to control their usage, and the use of fear appeals is an effective method to achieve good control.

WTF???

I just had to find out what ‘fear appeals’ were…

WIKI tells me:

Fear appeal is a term used in psychology, sociology and marketing.

It generally describes a strategy for motivating people to take a particular action, endorse a particular policy, or buy a particular product, by arousing fear.

As if the kids aren’t scared enough with all this COVID nonsense.

The psycho scientists say after the tests three key factors emerged showing that the fear factor:

• (1) significantly increases young people’s perception of the e-cigarette-associated threats,
• (2) triggers fear and anger amongst young people, and
• (3) stimulates their self-protection motivation.

I dunno, instead of all this science scare tactics malarkey, why don’t the parents, you know, do a bit of parenting?

Anyway, our good friend James Dunworth from the Ashtray Blog found this little nugget and tweeted:

As James says:

…what a terrible aim it is to sow anger and fear among young people.

Wouldn’t it be great to encourage analysis and weighing evidence instead!

Absolutely mate…

Just when you think the anti-vaping brigade can’t sink any lower…though saying that, Depression Stick! is another example of ‘fear appeals’…

Shocking stuff…

——————————

More vape news on Sunday…