Save My Vape Or Save Your Money?
Ads from a group calling itself Save My Vape have popped up on social media leaving many UK vapers more than a little concerned at its ‘message‘.
The dot co dot uk domain says UK vaping rights are ‘under threat‘ and offers a bog standard software ‘tool‘ to send an email on your behalf to your local MP.
It also has a Donate button [obviously] but is Save My Vape a genuine advocacy site and movement – or is it a scam?
As a former journalist I’m very aware of libel laws, so need to tread carefully.
On seeing the website and Facebook page, my initial reaction was who the hell are these guys, and a number of red flags got my nose wrinkling.
As a writer of all things vape I was intrigued, and if Save My Vape IS legit, I of course wanted to offer publicity…every little helps and all that.
I reached out to them via email and by Facebook Messenger a week ago.
As you can see, the email bounced back – it could be a software error, but still…and I’ve had NO reply from FB Messenger…
Things that make you go ummm…
These are the questions I sent:
- First of all – who are you and who’s in your team?
- On what info do you base the idea that UK vaping restrictions/taxes are coming?
- Who funds you?
- What will the donations be spent on?
- Are you aware that vaping will only be mentioned at COP9 – any decisions will not be taken until COP10 in 2 years time?
- How can you be the ‘OFFICIAL’ campaign?
Simple enough questions to answer if they are looking for support and donations I think you’d agree..?
Is Save My Vape the ‘Official’ UK Vaping Advocacy Group?
One of the red flags was the claim Save My Vape was the ‘official‘ UK advocacy group ‘fighting‘ the WHO’s plans for a global ban on vaping.
For the record there’s NO such organization.
What there is is the UK Government’s All-Party Parliamentary Group On Vaping, and it’s that collection of MPs along with respected and established vape advocacy groups that will be tackling the WHO’s ban plan.
The WHO has backtracked a little on it’s grand ban plan and has announced it will no longer be holding a discussion on the issue at the next COP9 meeting in November, instead it will simply add it to the next meeting in 2 years time.
Incidentally, the claim it was the ‘official‘ group has now been removed from its Facebook page at least.
However it is now linking to 2 more websites!
They are, Take Action Global Britain and Say No To WHO.
Both of those websites carry the dire warning that UK vaping is under threat and urges vapers to take action.
And of course, both have a handy Donation button…
Again, things that make you go ummm…and certainly gets this old reporters nose wrinkling.
I’m used to not getting replies when trying to hunt down a story, but you’d think they’d at least reach out, particularly if they want more vapers to follow the cause.
All publicity is good publicity as the saying goes.
I have done a domain check but the co.uk domain is hidden under privacy – however the dot com is registered in Canada.
I’m NOT saying the dot com is part of the same group BTW…if you own that website domain please let me know…
Now I’m no internet expert but it all seems a little off to me.
Save My Vape Red Flags?
I have given Save My Vape the benefit of the doubt, but the longer it/they remain in the shadows, the bigger the red flags.
So…if you are the owner or work for the website, please reply either by email, FB or in the comments below, and if it’s legit, I’ll be the first to offer support via this website.
Until then, there are too many questions as to if Save My Vape is a scam, as in a money grab from hoodwinked vapers desperate to help the cause.
And I’m not alone in thinking the worse.
Check out the groups FB page and ads to see how many people are asking the same questions, and Vaping With Vic has a YouTube video on the subject.
I can’t say for sure if Save My Vape is a scam – or a genuine group with albeit good but misguided intentions, but what I will say is I personally wouldn’t donate.
If you DO want to support a legitimate UK based vape advocacy group, please consider making a donation to:
Once more and just to be absolutely clear…
I am NOT saying Save My Vape is a scam.
What I am saying is there are far too many unanswered questions right now.
And again, if you are a representative of Save My Vape – please respond to my email and message, as I said I’d be more than happy to put the record straight.
Please let me know you thoughts on this in the comments below.
More Calls To Ban JUUL From the US
As the deadline for the PMTA approval process gets ever nearer there are fresh calls for the FDA to refuse the application from JUUL.
Last week 3 vape companies had 55,000 vape products effectively banned in the USA, and now the anti-vape brigade is threatening an ‘epic storm‘ if JUUL is allowed to remain on the market.
Pre Market Tobacco Applications are needed to allow any vape product to be legally sold in the USA.
They can cost up to $460,000 per submission, can run into thousands of pages of scientific information and if rejected by the FDA, that money is lost and the product/s are removed from sale.
Read more about the background of PMTAs here.
The FDA is currently ploughing through over 2 million PMTA applications, however due to the masses of paperwork, those with the highest market share are being shoved to the front of the queue.
With JUUL holding the lions share of sales in the US, it’s expected a decision will be made very soon indeed.
Politicians and health officials have long since blamed JUUL for sparking the so called ‘teen vape epidemic‘ in the country – proven as you’ll see from the link to be BS…indeed teen vaping is plunging in the USA.
Back in 2018, and under the Trump presidency, JUUL removed all flavoured pods from sale in the US except for tobacco and menthol in a bid to curry favour with the anti-vape movement, but that doesn’t seem to be enough.
Despite what JUUL has called a ‘reset‘, Meredith Berkman, co-founder of Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes, told the Washington Post:
Reset? Give me a break
They sell addiction. If you wanted to do the right thing, you would close up shop.
Matthew L. Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said:
We won’t end the youth e-cigarette epidemic as long as flavored and high-nicotine products, including Juul’s, continue to be sold.
Desmond Jenson, a senior staff attorney at the Public Health Law Center at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law, told the Post:
There is no way they are going to make everyone happy.
They are going to make one side or the other mad.
Indeed.
I stand by my gut instinct, and still think JUUL will pass…if they don’t, then it’s NOTHING to do with the ‘science‘ or merits of the application, and more to do with politics and that stinks.
No matter what you think of JUUL, no life saving company should be ran out of town by a ragtag posse of crazy politicians and crazier moms.
Is Synthetic Nicotine The Way To Dodge PMTAs?
One of the three companies mentioned above that had its PMTA refused has switched to synthetic nicotine in a bid to avoid the need for FDA approval.
Vapor Salon, based in Texas, says it believes this is a legal loophole making its e-liquids fall outside of the PMTA dragnet.
A spokesman for the company wrote on social media – and didn’t hold back!
F*** the FDA and their over-reaching, over-burdensome regulations that small businesses were never ever going to be successful in completing.
Ha! Love it lol.
Sadly the cost to the company is said to be quadruple that of leaf nicotine.
As to if this will indeed avoid the need for a PMTA we shall have to wait and see.
Lithuania Flavour Ban
With Lithuania planning a complete ban of flavoured e-liquids except for tobacco, the country’s vapers are being urged to fight back.
The ban is planned to come into force on July 1st 2022 and the New Nicotine Alliance is calling for vapers to submit comments as testimonials to stop the ridiculous law.
The Lithuanian Government seems particularly ignorant about vaping with one politician suggesting there’s no evidence e-cigarettes help smokers quit!
The proposed law sates:
The draft law aims to prohibit the placing on the market of the Republic of Lithuania of electronic cigarettes and electronic cigarette fillers containing liquid if this liquid (both nicotine and nicotine-free) contains flavours other than tobacco smell and/or taste, thus reducing the attractiveness and demand of electronic cigarettes and electronic cigarette fillers (especially for young people who are particularly attracted to flavoured smoking products), which becomes particularly relevant due to the worrying trend towards the increase of the use of electronic cigarettes (especially among young people) in Lithuania…
Crazy and criminal.
The NNA has submitted a response:
Please do not implement a flavour ban.
This will do nothing to change youth use, which has incidentally been significantly overstated, and will deter adults from stopping smoking by switching to a far less harmful product.
Banning flavours actually protects the cigarette industry and keeps people smoking.
In the UK we have a permissive approach to vaping, and smoking rates are falling faster than ever.
Young people are protected by sound age of sale legislation.
Please consider this instead of banning flavours.
Thank you
Checkout the proposal and submit your comments: Law No I-1143 on the control of tobacco, tobacco products and related products of the Republic of Lithuania
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More vape news on Sunday…
