Vaping News Headlines:
VPZ To Run Stop Smoking Services | Workplace Vaping Rules Clearer | No Change In Aussie Vape Ban | Big Tobacco Sniffs Snus Market and That Happy Birthday Vape Cake!
VPZ Steps In Over Cuts In NHS Stop Smoking Funding
With a whopping £41million slashed from the budgets of NHS Stop Smoking clinics, the UK’s largest vape retailer has stepped into the breach.
VPZ currently has 135 vape shops across the country – with plans for at least another 65 over the next few years – and will now be offering ‘stop smoking services’ in most of its stores.
The company says the cut to Government-backed stop smoking services means smokers desperate to quit are not finding the information or getting the support they need.
Doug Mutter, a director at VPZ, said:
Our customer engagement tells us that most smokers want to quit.
Sadly, the huge cuts in public health spending is currently failing smokers throughout the country and they are being denied the vital help that can truly transform their health and wellbeing.
I’ve written at length about smokers turning their backs on NHS run stop smoking services – folks are simply not using them as much given the rise in the popularity of e-cigs as cessation aids.
I also called for a similar scheme planned by VPZ in the article: A Study of UK Vape Shops Calls For Training For Staff In Smoking Cessation – an idea muted by none other than Cancer Research UK so it’s good to see things are moving in the right direction.
Doug said:
At a time when people across the country are having less access to stop smoking services, we are investing so we can help tackle this problem and demonstrate our commitment to improving the health of the nation.
Vaping is already proving to be a key weapon in the UK’s stop smoking strategy and a radical rethink is required by Government if the country is to meet its 2030 target of becoming smoke-free.
With this long-term ambition in mind we have decided to take positive action and establish our own support service throughout our growing store network with an offer that allows every smoker to try vaping.
Great news and let’s just hope the staff training and delivery lives up to the bold plan.
Rules On Vaping In the Workplace Clearer
Whilst vaping is NOT covered by any smoke-free legislation many UK workplaces operate a blanket ban, but that could all change.
Last year the Independent British Vape Trade Association [IBVTA] wrote to the Government’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service [ACAS] a body that regulates many aspects of UK employment laws.
It asked ACAS to alter it’s ‘misleading guidelines’ on vaping at work – particularly the myths around so-called ‘passive vaping‘.
12 months later and after reviewing its guidelines to employers, they’ve responded, though not as thoroughly as IBVTA might have liked – still progress nonetheless.
A spokesman for the IBVTA said:
Last year, we wrote to the Chief Executive of ACAS to ask them if, in light of the errors within their guidance, they would be willing to review it.
This was on the basis that their advice included the conflation of smoking and heated tobacco products with vaping, and was misleading in terms of the harm to bystanders.
Our letter recommended that ACAS refer to the Public Health England (PHE) framework advice for businesses and employers, the five key principles of which, are that organisations give consideration.
We are pleased to see that ACAS has acted on some of our recommendations, and updated their advice.
IBVTA says whilst the new guidelines are not perfect they are much clearer and include:
- E-cigarettes fall outside the scope of smoke-free legislation as the act of smoking requires a substance to be burnt. Therefore whether to allow employees to use them at work or not is up to their employer
- Some employees use E-cigarettes as part of a plan to stop smoking, so employers may want to support their use if this is the case.
- Preventing the use of E-cigarettes at work could make it harder for those who use them to stop smoking, particularly if they are required to smoke them in designated smoking areas together with cigarette smokers. Employers may want to consider organising a separate vaping areas in or near the workplace.
- An employer could allow staff to vape in the workplace, but should consider the needs of the business and the wider workforce. Where restrictions are placed on vaping, an employer should create a vaping area.
It’s a start for sure and great to see vape advocacy at work.
You might want to point this out to your employer and hope they implement all or at the very least, some of the guidelines.
Also read my article: Vaping At Work in the UK Should Be Allowed And Bans Lifted From Public Spaces Says MP’s and Research
Australian Government Holds Firm On Vaping Ban
Based on the spurious claim that vaping has caused the death of one person in the USA and created a so called youth vape epidemic, the Aussie Government says it has no plans to ‘legalize’ vaping.
Health Minister Greg Hunt [rhyming slang?] took the tragic death as an opportunity to promote his stance that nicotine-infused e-liquid would never be made legal “under his watch”.
To placate the growing pro-vape lobby down under, the minister ordered an independent inquiry into all things vape last year, and the first reports are due later this month.
A spokesman said:
The government’s position on e-cigarettes remains unchanged and the minister is firmly opposed to changing the current laws, particularly in light of recent statements by the US FDA about an epidemic of addiction among teen users.
Crazy – if not downright criminal.
Meanwhile, Australian smokers – already paying the most for lit cigarettes in the world, have just seen yet another tax hike.
The staggering 12.5% increase means Aussies that light up are now paying $35 for a packet of 20 – a staggering £22.44 – wow!
Now that’s a lot of tax going into the Government’s coffers, so little wonder they want to bring in a safer and cheaper alternative…me a cynic? Naw 😉
Pro vaping advocate Dr Colin Mendelsohn said:
We’ve traditionally always known increasing taxes reduces smoking once.
But once you get to this eyewatering level people who are addicted will say, “I have no choice I have to keep smoking anyway.”
You just don’t get the benefit anymore.
All you’re doing is punishing the addicted smokers who can’t quit and stimulating the black market.
Like I said, completely legalizing vaping would mean a huge hole in tax…and that’s not a conspiracy theory – it’s a bloody fact mate.
Shame on them.
To get involved in the fight to change the Government’s thinking, Legalize Vaping Australia needs your help and say:
By submitting the form [link below], you will be recording your strong voice for the legalisation of vaping in Australia with the relevant bodies. Together, we can make this life-saving technology a reality!
Vaping needs to be legalised in Australia to save lives.
Contact your local MP today!
Fill out the form Act Now and learn more about Legalize Vaping Australia.
Big Tobacco Eyes SNUS Market
As sales of lit tobacco fall, Big Tobacco companies already investing heavily in e-cigarettes are now turning to what could be an even more profitable venture – oral tobacco.
Forget the chewing baccy cowboy type users chew and spit – the new generation of oral ‘tobacco’ is cleaner and absolutely huge in Sweden, a country that has seen a significant drop in smoking rates by over 50%.
So keen were the Swedes to keep Snus – they made it a pre-requisite for joining the EU.
It’s currently banned here in the UK and through much of Europe – something the New Nicotine Alliance has been campaigning to lift even taking the EU to court – a case they sadly lost.
Now companies like British American Tobacco and its subsidiary Reynolds – Japan Tobacco Inc. and Imperial Brands are moving in especially as compared to cigarettes the profit margins are huge as there’s less tax to pay.
Swedish Match AB is a huge seller in Sweden and has been on sale in the USA for the past three years. A strange quirk when you think how anti-vaping the country is whilst here in the UK oral tobacco is banned and vaping is supported!
But with profits 2 to 3 times more than lit cigarettes, expect to see more pressure to get the UK ban at the very least lifted.
Note: Snus is moist smokeless tobacco that looks similar to snuff and according to Wikipedia is made up – in some cases – of tobacco – salt, sodium carbonate and flavourings – many scientists say it is up to 99% safer than smoking. The pouch is placed under the users top lip slowly leeching out the nicotine.
…and finally…Have Your Vape Cake and Eat It!
Vape in a cake? A cake with a vape?
“It’s the future is that” 😉 [sorry for my poor and bastardized tribute to UK comedian Peter Kay!]
We’ve all vaped on cake based e-liquid and thanks to an Aussie mum, one lucky young lady got to eat a vape cake!
Photos of Perth mum Coral Harvey’s cake for her daughter’s 21st Birthday went viral this week and little wonder – it looks awesome!
Bake Off became Vape Off with this clever use of the Woolworth’s Mud Cake with thousands loving the design that includes the Voopoo logo and extra ‘bottles’ of e-liquid lol.
No candles either – because as we know there’s no burning in vaping 😉
Happy Birthday, Abi!
More vaping news on Sunday!
