Vape News Headlines:
Wales Vape Ban – Canada Regulates Vaping – Vaping NOT Cause Of Wet Lung Death – Vapers In India Fight Vape Ban – Doc says Vaping Stops Kids Smoking – More E-liquids At Asda and Is Scrabble Anti Vaping Now?
Wales Bans Smoking and Vaping Outside Schools and Hospitals
Whilst some NHS trusts in the UK have a blanket no smoking or vaping ban in their grounds Wales has become the first Government to impose an outright banning order.
The Labour held Government has been a long time anti-vape group and this latest attack on vaping in particular really should come as no surprise.
Smokers and vapers could be fined if found doing either in hospital grounds – playgrounds and in what they’re calling ‘outside school spaces’.
Vaughan Gething the secretary of health for Wales said:
I am proud that Wales continues to be at the forefront of UK action to reduce smoking and prevent young people from taking it up in the first place.
We have seen significant changes to the attitudes to smoking since 2007. Back then we received some resistance to change, but we have seen a remarkable culture change and I am pleased our plan to extend smoke-free areas to outdoor public spaces has received overwhelming public support.
Pro smoking action group Forest were as you might expect furious at the new laws with director Simon Clark saying:
Threatening hospital patients, visitors and staff with fines when some of them may be at their most vulnerable is despicable. What’s wrong with a designated smoking area?
Smoking is a comfort to some and targeting patients for smoking in the open air discriminates against those who are infirm or less mobile.
Smoking outside poses no threat to public health, nor is there evidence that children start smoking because they witness complete strangers lighting up in public.
We don’t advocate smoking in playgrounds or school grounds but people should be allowed to use their common sense without further interference from a government that has nothing better to do than criminalize ordinary working people.
Replace the word smoking and you can see that even vapers could be penalized under the new legislation – crazy times we live in.
Canada Regulates Vaping
New laws around tobacco and vaping in Canada come into force on July 1st 2018 but there’s good news and bad news!
The bad news is the government is looking to restrict the number of what they deem e-liquid flavours that appeal to kids such as confectionery – energy drinks and curiously cannabis.
However advertisements will be allowed though none can show e-cigs as a cool lifestyle choice or indeed claim health benefits by switching to vaping from smoking.
It goes without saying the legislation prohibits the sale or ‘sending’ of any vape related products to minors.
Rob Cunningham from the Canadian Cancer Society was concerned youngsters would see the adverts – he told CBC News he was looking for tougher rules around e-cig advertising adding:
The restrictions for e-cigarette advertising will be far weaker than for tobacco or cannabis and youth will be exposed to this advertising.
Depending how advertising and promotion evolves in the marketplace, there is the potential for youth to be exposed to substantial ads.
A Government spokesman said:
Bill S-5 will also provide adults the legal access to better-regulated vaping products. These products can serve as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes and can be a much-needed option for those who have been unable to quit smoking.
Just last February the Canadian Government urged smokers to make the switch to vaping:
Anyone who has struggled to quit should try switching to an e-cigarette and get professional help.
Vaping Did NOT Cause Teenagers Death From ‘Wet Lung’
Firstly our thoughts go out to the 18-year-old American girls family and friends for her tragic death widely reported as being caused by an acute respiratory distress syndrome called ‘wet lung’ and claimed to have been triggered by vaping.
However long time vaping advocate and scientist Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos was scathing at medics linking vaping to her death:
This is the first time that I see a case report being featured in the media. This is a new low for e-cigarette opponents.
The “wet lung” is… total nonsense. The case was about an allergic reaction causing pneumonia.
Another Attempt To Stop The Vaping Ban In India
It’s a bit like the domino effect in India these days with state after state imposing a ban on all things vape.
This despite the country being home to a staggering 11% of the world’s smokers AND more worryingly deaths of around 1million people reported each year from tobacco related diseases.
Advocacy group the Association of Vapers India has called on the government to stop the bans.
Samrat Chowdhery, director of Association of Vapers India said:
Smokers’ addiction is to nicotine. As tobacco cigarettes have been the traditional way to inhale nicotine, there was no way in the past to avoid the life-threatening quality of smoke, comprising a host of deadly chemicals.
Today, the situation has changed for the better with the advent of newer technologies the world over, offering healthier ways to consume nicotine – like vaping or using e-cigarettes.
An outright ban on e-cigarettes in the country, therefore, without collecting sufficient peer reviewed indigenous research data will put public health in India at greater risk, as it will wipe out a less harmful alternative for smokers like vaping and e-cigarettes.
Let’s hope the Government listens and acts though sadly I won’t hold my breath…
Aussie Doc Says E-cigs REDUCE Smoking Levels For Kids
As New Zealand legalize vaping a leading Australian e-cigarette advocate says from from turning kids into smokers vaping does the complete opposite.
The Australian Government is steadfastly refusing to budge on criminalizing e-liquid containing tobacco and writing in one of the country’s leading medical journals Professor Colin Mendelsohn says the fear mongering about the so called ‘gateway effect’ is plain wrong.
As vaping rates have been increasing in young people, smoking rates are rapidly declining.
This is inconsistent with claims that vaping causes young people to take up smoking. If there is an effect, it is very small.
A recent analysis of five national surveys of 60,000 adolescents in the United Kingdom, where e-cigarettes are legal and widely available, found that less than 0.5 per cent of 11 -16 year olds who had never smoked were regular vapers (at least weekly).
Banning wider access to e-cigarettes on the basis of the unproven, potential risk to adolescents would prevent access to a life-saving quitting aid for millions of smokers.
A better solution would be to employ strategies to minimise youth access and make vaping available for adult smokers who are otherwise unable to quit smoking with conventional therapies.
If Australia ever lifts the ban on nicotine this guy deserves a medal.
More E-liquids On Sale At Asda!
Doozy Vapes are the latest e-liquid manufacturer to see their line in Asda supermarkets.
They follow in the footsteps of Vape Dinner Lady who after a successful trial period now supply the UK chain.
The e-liquid line will be sold in 46 stores to begin with and if popular will be rolled out across the rest of the UK stores.
CEO of Doozy Vape Co – Imran Ismail said:
It’s a proud moment in our journey, to introduce our product range to a national supermarket chain. “Our products have a loyal following and this partnership with Asda provides the perfect platform to showcase our products and reach out to many more vapers across the country.
and finally…A Pregnant Pause and Is Scrabble Now Anti-Vaping???
I was going to mention the media’s attack on some celebrity heiress Chloe Green and her sexy ex con boyfriend being photographed vaping whilst she’s pregnant…
However given I have absolutely no idea who these people are I’ll point to anyone worried about vaping during pregnancy to what the Smoking In Pregnancy Challenge Group say about the matter and remind you that ASH told UK MPs recently:
…we have to recognize that for some women using an e-cigarette is how they will be able to abstain from smoking in pregnancy, and it is much better for both mother and baby than continuing to smoke.
Hope that’s clear enough for anyone worried by yet more hysteria from the mainstream media!
OK to Scrabble and it seems apart from his wildly entertaining YouTube vape review channel – Chris from Indoor Smokers is a bit of a Scrabble buff – I guess it helps him relax though I’m pretty sure he uses another substance to achieve maximum chill mode lol.
However he was furious whilst playing with himself [ooer] online recently and took to Twitter to complain in his own inimitable style lol…
I’m pretty sure the word vape is a decent though not a high score…
*Shuffles Papers*
