Vape News: Washington DC Vape Rally | Deadly THC Dilutant For Sale On Ebay + More

Vaping News Headlines

Vapers Descend On Washington DC For Pro Vape Process | Trump Suggests Age Restriction For Vape Products | Deadly THC Dilutant For Sale On Ebay | China Getting Tough On Vaping | Northern Ireland Council Plans Vape Ban | Vape Adverts On the London Tube and Why the #WeVoteWeVape Campaign MUST Win

DC Vape Rally and Trump’s Latest Comment On the Flavour Ban

Thousands of vapers attended yesterday’s vape rally held in Washington DC and President Trump got a birds eye view!

The rally had been pushed back by an hour on the orders of the Secret Service as Air Force One, with the president onboard, was due to fly out of DC right over the protestors.

As you can see from the tweet – ‘the Donald’ certainly got a good look at the protest – let’s hope it helps convince him that the, #WeVapeWeVote campaign is serious – gathering momentum, and could end his run for another term in office.

I reported last week Trump was considering exempting vape shops from the total US vape ban and earlier in the day he told reporters an age restriction was also part of the grand plan:

We’re going the be coming out with a very important position on vaping.

We have to take care of our kids, most importantly. So we’re going to have an age limit of 21 or so, but we’ll be coming out with something next week, very important on vaping.

We have a lot of people to look at, including jobs, frankly, because it’s become a pretty big industry. but we’re going to take care of that.

You really can’t argue with that – it would keep very many of the smaller vape shops open saving many jobs in both retail and manufacturing.

Trump says an announcement will be made this coming week.

DC Vape Rally

Reports on social media estimate over 4,000 vapers made the trip to Washington DC and organizers were thrilled by the turn out.

In a statement before the event, Gregory Connely, spokesman for the rally organizers – The United Vapers Alliance [UVA] said:

We are fed up of being demonized.

We are fed up with misinformation guiding public policy.

We are fed up with our elected officials refusing to listen to us.

We are fed up with having to fight for our right to a healthier life, but we will not give up.

The UVA will continue to educate the 13 million plus consumers and their families on which politicians refuse to acknowledge TRUTH and FACTS about vapor products.

2020 will be the year that politicians on both sides of the aisle will realize that We Vape We Vote.

Stirring stuff.

The rally was attended by numerous big names from US vape review scene including Mike Vapes, Mat from SMM and Brian from the Vapor Chronicles – checkout the live stream video above.

Deadly THC Cutting Agent Still For Sale On Ebay

It’s called Honey Cut and is thought to be one of the main contaminants that has caused the deaths and severe illnesses across the US known as EVALI.

However, and despite the CDC, albeit far too late, announcing diluents with Vitamin E acetate are the probable cause of the outbreak, vape advocate Lorien aka @CaeruleanSea has found it for sale on Ebay!

The Twitter thread has caused anger and concern especially as at least one sale of the deadly ingredient has been made.

A number of people including Sarah Jakes, former chair of the New Nicotine Alliance [NNA] has either contacted Ebay or the seller directly.

At the time of writing there’s no reply from the seller nor has Ebay removed the cutting agent from sale.

Truly shocking, especially as this week the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] has announced a “breakthrough” in what has caused the deadly disease.

They say up to 85% of patients and those who have sadly died, reported using THC products.

It’s fair to say the rest have probably lied for whatever reason.

Anne Schuchat, the CDC’s principal deputy director said:

We have a potential toxin of concern from biological samples in patients.

We are in a better place than we were a few weeks ago in terms of finding a culprit.

Many products and substances are still being investigated.

She said worried consumers shouldn’t worry about Vitamin E products in general as almost all were safe to ingest or use as a skin cream.

However she warned about using any vape product containing it:

There is a big difference between putting vitamin E acetate on one’s skin or swallowing a vitamin E pill and inhaling vitamin E acetate in an e-liquid.

EVALI stands for e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury – is, thankfully, on the decline, however the CDC said most if not all the cases could be traced back to street drug dealers.

Pro-vaping doctor and researcher Konstantinos Farsalinos M.D said reports that some victims had used nicotine based products was possibly false:

“Breakthrough” finding from the CDC that we support for 2 months now.

Testing 29 lung tissue samples from patients with “Vaping-related” disease, they found vitamin E acetate in 100% of cases.

But 11% of cases reported use of nicotine only (false reports).

The UK Vaping Industry Association – UKVIA – said:

The UK Vaping Industry Association welcomes the latest “breakthrough” findings of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in trying to establish the most likely cause of the recent spate of vaping-related illnesses and deaths in America.

As UKVIA said in September, when reports of the outbreak first began to gain media attention – and the CDC findings now clearly suggest – it appears that the incidents in the USA are linked to people using illegal liquids, most likely black-market marijuana products (THC oils), particularly where the illicit products have been “cut” – or expanded – by the vitamin E acetate additive.

UKVIA again stresses that products such as these are illegal in the UK, which is why there have been no similar cases reported here and why there is no link to the flavoured, nicotine based vaping products smokers are using to quit.

Most of us in vaping have known the link between EVALI and illicit street bought cannabis cartridges could be linked to Vitamin E acetate for months, and it’s shocking to say the least the US Government has taken an absolute age to act.

Imagine the lives that could have been saved had they acted more quickly, and most importantly, and even with the most tenuous of links – warned the public.

China Getting Tough On Vaping and Smoking

The Chinese Government is still in the process of regulating e-cigarettes however there are now calls to ban vaping in public.

Not only that, and in order to ‘protect the children’ it’s also calling for a ban of smoking on TV and in films and as I reported recently a total ban of online vape sales.

China might be the spiritual home of all things vape, but the Government holds the tobacco monopoly through China Tobacco – which funnily enough is also the tobacco market’s regulator….nothing to see here…move along lol.

This HUGE corporation is a massive money spinner towards country’s tax revenue, in 2018 accounting for 5.45% which equates to $1.5 trillion.

That’s a lot of cash to lose if vaping takes hold and the country’s estimated 350 million smokers make the switch.

China also produces over 40% of every cigarette sold in the world…like I said, there’s a lot of money involved.

Chinese actors have recently been fined for being ‘caught’ smoking in public places – there’s little doubt vapers in China will also eventually be fined.

Given China is the spiritual home of vaping – it’s crazy times over there to say the least.

Incidentally, and as I reported last week, the apparent online vape ban in China is still just a suggestion and NOT a policy.

Any moves on that and we shall of course let you know.

Northern Ireland Council Likely To ‘Ban Vaping’

A committee of Councillors look likely to get their plan to ban vaping in council premises banned in a vote to be held next month.

Derry City and Strabane District Council say the ban will include councillors, employees and visitors to council buildings.

It says the ban is because there is still no proof of the long term effects of e-cigarettes.

Paul Gallagher, an independent, said:

There are mixed views about vaping but what we do know is that some of these e-cigarettes give off a large amount of smoke or vapour. That alone is very irritating to people.

The new policy, if voted in next month, would read:

While acknowledging that vaping is probably significantly less harmful than smoking and may be an effective aid to quitting smoking, given the lack of evidence regarding the long-term health consequences associated with their use, council considers it prudent to adopt a precautionary approach to their use within the workplace.

*Sighs*

They really could have been a little more forward thinking – instead they’re adopting a backward step.

Vape Adverts On the London Tube?

Pro vaping adverts could appear on the London Underground if the current mayor – Sadiq Khan – listens to the New Nicotine Alliance.

London buses have already carried similar adverts, with Innokin being the latest company involved during this year’s Stoptober campaign.

Last month, London Assembly Member Onkar Sahota, was told during mayoral questions, that Transport for London was currently “reviewing its policy towards vaping advertisements”.

The NNA has now got involved urging Khan to allow such adverts.

In a letter the charitable pro-vape organization writes:

While it is disappointing that a ban on advertising vaping products is in place on the tube, we are encouraged that the policy is wisely being reviewed.

In a comprehensive report, the highly respected Royal College of Physicians advised that organisations should “promote e-cigarettes widely as substitute for smoking” and that “smokers should be reassured that these products can help them quit”.

Prohibition of advertising has the opposite, damaging, effect to the RCP’s advice, so we hope you can fast-track the review to allow positive messages on the London Underground as to the benefits that vaping products could deliver to your smoking passengers.

Let’s hope he listens and acts.

Incidentally read the NNA’s October report – The Shape of Things To Come – to see what they’ve been up to.

and finally…What the #WeVapeWeVote Campaign Is Fighting For

She’s 74 a former heavy smoker and tried everything to quit.

That is until she found vaping and for the last 9 years has been smoke free.

It’s people like her the flavor ban will impact on – let’s hope Trump see’s sense.

More vape news on Wednesday…