Vaping News Headlines:
Michigan Court Case Battle | BOTs To Blame | What Is EVALI? | Indoor Vape Bans “Pointless” | UKVIA Pro Vape Ads and ‘Dame Silly Sally’ Attacks Vaping…Again!
Michigan Ban – Good News and Bad
Vapers were celebrating yesterday after the Michigan flavour ban was temporarily lifted by a judge.
However just moments later, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she would be taking the matter directly to the Supreme Court where she hoped her emergency order would be put back in place.
Not only that, she would be asking the court to make a final ruling – meaning the ban order would remain in place.
As it stands now anyone selling or distributing flavoured vape products can be fined up to $2,000 or go to jail for six months.
Judging from what Whitmer said, the lady’s not for turning:
His decision is wrong. It misreads the law and sets a dangerous precedent of a court second-guessing the expert judgment of public health officials dealing with a crisis.The explosive increase in youth vaping is a public health emergency, and we must do everything we can to protect our kids from its harmful effects.
I plan to seek an immediate stay and go directly to the Supreme Court to request a quick and final ruling.
I took bold action last month to protect public health, and several states and the White House have followed Michigan’s lead because they know how urgent this is.
Enough is enough.
Our kids deserve leaders who will fight to protect them.
That’s exactly what I’m doing today.
No date has been sate for the Supreme Court ruling and as always we’ll let you know what happens next in this unfolding saga.
Bots ‘Blamed’ For Surge In Pro Vape Social Media Posts
The US Congress is investigating whether ‘bots’ are behind pro-vaping social media posts.
Twitter in particular has exploded with vapers in their hundreds and thousands using hashtags such as #WeVapeWeVote in a bid to fight the current vape bans in America.
In light of recent news. I wanted to show the @WSJ that I am in fact an adult human Vaper and voter. Maybe we can all join in? #WeVapeWeVote #notabot pic.twitter.com/B40bdQdM0D
— GrimmGreen (@GrimmGreen) October 15, 2019
The mainstream media has suddenly jumped on a study released earlier this year, and before any of the bans, that suggest over 70% of pro-vape posts are from bots.
The study carried out by the Public Good Project stated 1.2 million tweets were ‘believed’ to originate from automatic tweets most sent from vaping companies!
Bots are actively promoting vaping as a viable strategy for quitting smoking, and suspected bots commonly referenced the importance of quitting smoking.
Back in August the The House Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to: Juul, Reynolds, Fontem, and Japan Tobacco.
All denied bots were involved.
As you can see Twitter has erupted with indignation with thousands of vapers following the example set by YouTube vape reviewer Grimm Green who urged vapers to follow his lead showing they aren’t bots!
He tweeted:
In light of recent news. I wanted to show the @WSJ that I am in fact an adult human Vaper and voter. Maybe we can all join in? #WeVapeWeVote #notabot.
You know what to do 😉
EVALI – THC Deaths and Illnesses Given A Name
There has now been 26 deaths and over 1,000 illnesses linked to the vaping of contaminated cannabis cartridges and the CDC has given the outbreak a name.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called it: EVALI: “e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury.”
The name comes as the CDC releases guidelines for medical professionals on what to look for and how to treat patients presenting with EVALI symptoms.
The guidelines conclude:
At this time, FDA and CDC have not identified the cause or causes of the lung injuries among EVALI cases, and the only commonality among all cases is that patients report the use of e-cigarette, or vaping, products.
This outbreak might have more than one cause, and many different substances and product sources are still under investigation.
To date, national and state data suggest that products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g., friends, family members, or illicit dealers), are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak (11,12).
Therefore, CDC recommends that persons should not use e-cigarette, or vaping, products that contain THC.
Persons should not buy any type of e-cigarette, or vaping, products, particularly those containing THC, off the street.
Persons should not modify or add any substances to e-cigarette, or vaping, products that are not intended by the manufacturer, including products purchased through retail establishments.
Read the full guidelines: Interim Guidance for Health Care Providers Evaluating and Caring for Patients with Suspected E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use Associated Lung Injury
Indoor UK Vape Bans “Pointless”
Pro vaping professor, John Britton, says there’s no harm for second hand vapour and believes all indoor vape bans in the UK should be lifted.
Professor Britton is a consultant in respiratory medicine at the University of Nottingham and was speaking at a Science Media briefing concerning the spate of illnesses in America linked to illicit THC cartridges.
He says many of the bans came years ago and before there was a better understanding of so called ‘passive vaping‘.
He told the panel of experts:
Vaping in an enclosed space… is a courtesy issue.
There’s no evidence of harm to other people.
Most of what comes out in the vapour is water.
It’s a courtesy issue, and if you send the vapers out to smoke or to vape with the smokers you are putting them directly into contact with the drug they are trying to quit.
You wouldn’t send the methadone user out with the heroin addicts.
Wise words.
UKVIA Pro Vape Newspaper Ad Campaign
With the hysteria over vaping leeching into the UK media, the Facts Not Fiction ad campaign is meant to reassure Britain’s vapers that it’s still safe to vape.
Organized by the UK Vaping Industry Association, [UKVIA], the full page ads ran last Friday within the Metro and I newspapers.
The Metro was a good target given it reaches close to 5 million readers across its platforms daily.
Spokesperson for the UKVIA, John Dunne, said:
It may seem like a bold move, but we believe that the stakes are high enough to justify it.
Vaping represents one of the most vital harm reduction opportunities for public health in decades.
The UKVIA is determined to protect that potential, as well as protecting the vapers who have already made the life-changing switch from cigarettes.
To do this, the British public needs facts not fiction, and this is exactly what our campaign delivers.
Great timing and a much needed counter argument to the current rubbish spouted in particularly the tabloids.
Find out more about the work of UKVIA.
and finally…Dear Silly Sally – Hurry Up and Retire Already!!!
England’s ‘top doctor’ has once again attacked vaping – going against the pro-vape stance the vast majority of her medical colleagues have taken.
I’ve mentioned Professor Dame Sally Davies before, back in June she suggested vaping in public should be banned – see above lol.
Now, and on the back of the illness and deaths in the USA, she wants flavour banned here in the UK.
She told the media:
Vaping is a lot safer than smoking tobacco and probably a good way to help people quit.
But I would prefer if if we did not have flavoured e-cigarettes because I think that is the kind of marketing that can appeal to children.
I think we don’t know what the long-term consequences are.
She retires early next year and it really can’t come soon enough.
Given she’ll be looking for a job I’m betting the anti-vaping World Health Organization might have a grand title – comfy office and HUGE expense account ready and waiting.
Me a cynic?
Naw 😉
BTW: apologies for a lack of vaping news on Sunday – blame my glass back! Hopefully it will calm down enough for me to attend Vaper Expo!
More vape news this Sunday coming.
