E-Cig Vaping News

Have you noticed there seems to have been a drop in the general support for vaping in recent months? You can still find plenty of articles and blog posts coming out in support of vaping, especially when it comes to individuals who have been able to quit smoking since taking up vaping as an alternative. But it’s also pretty easy to find reports and articles that focus on the supposed negatives surrounding vaping.

Vaping is being banned here, there and everywhere

It was probably only a matter of time anyway, but there have been various bans imposed on using electronic cigarettes in public places in recent times. Some pubs still let you vape, while others have banned it. Some cafes, restaurants and other eateries have also banned vaping, while others are still happy for you to vape while you’re there.

Transport has also seen changes with regard to how welcome e-cigs are on journeys. Train company C2C has a complete ban, as does First Capital Connect and London Underground. They’re not the only ones, either. Most airlines have also banned e-cig vaping.

This gradual narrowing of the places where vapers can use their devices is no big surprise, but we think it has led to an increase in negativity towards vaping as a whole.

The new EU regulations

Yes, we have to include these as well. According to the Daily Mail report published just before last Christmas, one in four electronic cigarettes will be banned from 2016 onwards in Britain because they’ll be too strong. There is an idea stubbornly hanging around that vaping could encourage young people to switch to smoking. This can’t have been taken positively either by some, even though we’ve never heard of anyone starting as a vaper and switching to smoking later on. Have you? The statistics don’t support this idea either.

Are they being lumped in with cigarettes?

We don’t argue against the idea that better regulation is needed – to some extent – in the vaping industry. If anyone and everyone is capable of producing vaping supplies without needing to conform to any regulations at all, you could be using anything. It’s helpful to know what is in your e-liquid, for example.

However, a lot of the rules coming out of the EU – and the decisions taken by governments in response to the use of e-cigarettes in public – seem to be of the knee-jerk variety. We don’t think all the changes are necessary. Some will harm small businesses, possibly sending them out of business altogether. If casual observers look at what is happening, would you blame them for viewing electronic cigarettes in a negative way?

It’s become clear that tobacco companies have wanted to get in on the act with regard to e-cigs, too. They’re known for selling cigarettes and tobacco – both of which kill people. The facts and statistics back this up, and we all know it. So while the statistics show that e-cigs help people quit, and help people towards a healthier lifestyle, some people are starting to associate cigarettes and e-cigarettes with each other. This can’t be a good thing, since many people switch to e-cigs to help them quit smoking in the first place.

Suddenly, it becomes much easier to see why some people end up with a poor view of vapers and vaping. It’s also understandable why many vapers start feeling persecuted. Here they are, trying to quit smoking with a little help, and they are rapidly running out of places to do it when they’re out and about.

It does make you wonder whether some people have given up and gone back to smoking, doesn’t it?

It feels like vapers have had a raw deal lately – contending with being banned from vaping in more and more public places, thanks to new rules and regulations being introduced here, there and everywhere.

So it might come as a refreshing change to find that Bristol Council has come out in favour of vaping. As vapers everywhere will no doubt know, many myths have sprung up recently that have given vaping a bad name. Despite the fact there are all kinds of statistics available that say vaping is better for you than smoking, you wouldn’t think this given some of the scare stories out there today.

But Bristol Council has got ahead of the curve. Earlier in March, the city council actually went out and about to try and convert smokers to vapers. It sounds unlikely, but it happened. Fi Hance, a local councillor who has special responsibility for public health matters, is a former smoker, and so was the ideal person to support the campaign. Fi pointed out that people trying to quit smoking will still get a hit of nicotine from vaping, but the nasties normally associated with cigarettes aren’t present. The campaign focused primarily on the lack of carbon monoxide in e-cigs as opposed to cigarettes, but Fi also mentioned tar and other toxic substances.

Carbon monoxide tests offered on National No Smoking Day

The annual event took place on 9th March this year, and members of Bristol Council took up temporary residence in four e-cigarette shops across the city that day. They were providing free carbon monoxide tests to those who were willing to have them, in order to determine what the levels would be in people who smoked, compared to those who had switched to vaping instead.

We’ve all heard of carbon monoxide. You may have heard it referred to as the silent killer. You may be aware that gas appliances in your home can leak carbon monoxide if they are not serviced regularly or develop a fault. We’ve certainly all read stories that have told of people who died because they were inhaling carbon monoxide from a faulty appliance, without even realising it.

Now you won’t get anywhere near as much carbon monoxide from a cigarette as you would in a situation like that. But let’s be honest, none of us can sit here and say inhaling carbon monoxide from a cigarette is good for us. This is one of the reasons why Bristol Council is hoping to encourage people to switch from smoking to vaping.

How safe is vaping?

Most sensible people realise vaping isn’t without its risks. You’re still inhaling nicotine, after all. However, it’s more than possible to get e-liquids in various strengths, so you can reduce the amount of nicotine you inhale over time. E-cigarettes may not be a miracle cure, but if they help you stop smoking, you’re instantly getting rid of a significant amount of carbon monoxide, toxins and tar out of your system. Doesn’t that sound better than the alternative, which is to carry on smoking all that?

The council also helped bust some of the most common myths that have sprung up around e-cigarettes. For example, it was feared that some might start vaping and then switch to smoking – particularly with regard to young people and children. However, this has been shown not to be the case. Other myths include the idea that e-cigarettes can be as harmful as smoking. We’ve already mentioned above the reasons why this simply isn’t true.

So we think the efforts of Bristol City Council are admirable in helping raise awareness of vaping, especially among smokers who are looking for a way to quit but cannot do so on their own. While there are other methods of stopping smoking, vaping has proven to be very successful for some people. There will always be other forms of support available, and in some instances these methods can be used in conjunction with vaping. For example, having the support of loved ones who have already quit or simply wish to provide emotional support is great. But that isn’t always enough, as many have already found out.

The council has also created a website called Smoke Free Bristol. This has prominent links on the home page to information about e-cig retailers, both in Bristol and online, as well as guidance for those wishing to use e-cigs. They provide free support groups in the area, as well as other stop smoking services.

While the efforts of Bristol Council have been admirable in recent weeks, we wonder whether teams from other councils up and down the country will see them and decide to do something similar. Somehow we doubt whether many of them will, but we would love nothing better than to be proven wrong.

The Huffington Post came in for some serious and well-placed criticism recently, after publishing a video concerning e-cigarettes. You may not think that sounds too controversial, but it was the nature of the video that had many vapers – and others – up in arms.

The video featured Dr Margaret Cuomo, the sister of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. She claimed that e-cigarettes are “at least as harmful to your health as regular tobacco cigarettes.” Note the use of the words “at least”. She was basically saying an e-cigarette could be even worse for your health than if you smoked a cigarette.

Not surprisingly, plenty of people stepped forward to voice their disapproval. Those voices included experts in the industry, including Professor Linda Bauld of the University of Stirling in Scotland. She pointed out that various sources of research had confirmed that harmful substances in e-cigs are present at much lower levels than they are in cigarettes. Additionally, psychiatrist Sally Satel pointed out the statement was simply “ignorant.”

Cuomo stated that e-cigarettes were packed with all kinds of things, including formaldehyde, benzene, propylene glycol, tin, cadmium and nickel. However, if you actually do a little research – even for a few short minutes – you will realise only one of these can be found in e-cigarettes. It makes us wonder where she got her information, and how much research she did prior to making the video.

HuffPo backtracks and makes changes

After attention was drawn to the errors and inconsistencies in the video, the HuffPo team made changes to the video. However, the changes didn’t go far enough. There are still no sources to back up the information provided in the video. Furthermore, one wonders how and why the video made it through to publication in the first place. You have to think it wasn’t checked at all, otherwise these errors would have been seen and dealt with originally.

But it gets better. According to Daily Caller, who got in touch with the team at Huffington Post about the original error-strewn video, the edited video still has Dr Cuomo stating that in terms of harm, e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes are both as bad as one another. There is no evidence to support this, and yet HuffPo have apparently edited the video to reflect corrections that were required. So it looks as though anyone watching the video will assume it to be correct, especially as it is presented by a doctor. That’s quite scary, especially as we know it to be incorrect.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Dr Cuomo has failed to provide any response to the video and the feedback it has generated. We don’t expect that situation to change anytime soon, either.

Spreading false rumours

We all know people can be misled from time to time. But the errors in that video really do surprise us. People will have seen that and possibly thought, “you know, I might as well just keep smoking since e-cigs are just as bad for me.” We cannot know how much potential damage might have been done, but we do know The Huffington Post has a large audience. No doubt some people will have watched the video and perhaps decided not to make the change to e-cigs after all. If you can’t trust the words of a doctor, who can you trust? You would also assume the video would have been checked before it was released to be watched.

Part of a bigger picture

We have also noticed – and written about – other stories regarding negativity towards electronic cigarettes recently. We’ve heard all kinds of myths about the potential dangers associated with vaping, and they are just that – myths. Certainly, you would be better off not vaping than vaping, if you have never smoked at all. But since most vapers have previously smoked, it makes perfect sense that they should be healthier and better-off by switching to vaping instead.

With this in mind, the comments made by Dr Cuomo have proven to be harmful in many ways. We only hope people who have seen the video have either dismissed her comments out of hand, or had the sense to check up on them before taking them as gospel. There has been a wealth of research supporting the fact that e-cigs are healthier than regular cigarettes – the exact opposite of what Dr Cuomo states in her video. It’s a wonder why she didn’t come across any of that research while finding facts to support her comments in her video…

What are your thoughts on the video and the whole saga HuffPo has found itself in the centre of? Do you know anyone who believes vaping is worse than smoking, or who refuses to switch from smoking to vaping because they think it is no better or worse? Let us know your thoughts.

Scotland passed a law on 3rd March 2016 that finally banned the sale of e-cigarettes to under 18s. The bill was originally introduced back in June last year, but it has taken until now to see it passed into law. Anyone selling e-cigs to under 18s will now be breaking the law.

The bill was introduced for consideration in June, and evidence in support of the bill was then presented in September and October. It was considered by various committees before going through a number of amendments. Finally, it became enshrined in law on 3rd March.

What does the new law mean?

It means under 18s won’t be able to buy e-cigarettes anymore. It is also now illegal for anyone else to buy e-cigarettes or any other vaping products for someone who is under 18.

But there are other changes that have now become law as well. For example, you’ll no longer see any vaping products available in vending machines throughout Scotland. They have been banned under the same law. Furthermore, advertising vaping products won’t be as easy as it has been until now. Regulations can be brought in that mean e-cigs can’t be advertised, in much the same way smoking cannot be promoted or advertised.

Is this good news?

Actually, yes. Most people would be against the idea of selling cigarettes to underage people, so the same should go for electronic cigarettes, too.

However, the bigger area of interest concerns the idea of banning advertising. There has been some concern that e-cigs could be promoted to look attractive to those who are underage. You could argue that youngsters manage to find cigarettes and start smoking, even though they are underage and cannot legally buy them. Surely the same will eventually be said for e-cigs as well?

If advertising was banned, it may mean youngsters who have started smoking and want to give up may not realise there is an alternative. It is important to make sure people know there are solutions they can rely on to help them stop smoking – even when they are younger. We may not think there are too many underage smokers who would consider quitting – but we don’t know this for sure.

Whatever the case may be, these new laws mean vapers in Scotland may not see too many ads for vaping in the coming months and years. What are your thoughts?

Vaping restrictions have led to a fair bit of drama in the Welsh Government lately. According to news reports, the Welsh Lib Dems have called the proposed restrictions by the Government a “vanity project”.

Originally, the Public Health Bill, spearheaded by health minister Mark Drakeford, was due to ban vaping completely from all enclosed spaces – whether they were at work or in public. However, the Welsh Lib Dems and the Welsh Tories fought back against the moves. This stirred up so much controversy that it looked as though the bill would not be passed at all.

A watered-down version

However, it now looks as though only a specific number of locations would be subject to the ban. Schools would be among the areas where vaping would be banned, along with train stations, public transport and pubs where food is served.

So why the accusations of the Government pursuing a vanity project, you may ask? Well, the NHS is in dire straits, as many will be aware. The leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams, has said that tinkering around with the e-cig ban amounts to a vanity project when there are other far more important issues to be dealt with. One health board in Wales – the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board – is in special measures, and according to Ms Williams, this should be top of the list of concerns, not a proposed ban on e-cigarettes.

Predictably, Welsh Labour have fought back against her comments. The deputy health minister, Vaughan Gething, pointed out it was important to relieve the pressure on the NHS, as well as focusing on issues relating to public health. The question of vaping was related to this latter issue, which is why the Government has been focusing on many areas.

Should vaping be banned in public?

It almost seems like an age-old problem, doesn’t it? Vapers will want to vape wherever they are able to, and yet at present it seems as though the list of permitted places is getting ever smaller. There also seems to be a head-to-head going on concerning the idea of whether vaping is safe or not. Passive smoking has long been an issue with regard to smoking, but should we really be equally concerned that the same issues apply with regard to vapers as well?

Mark Drakeford has said in the past that vaping has the power to re-normalise smoking – that is, to make it acceptable to do again. He says vaping can cause harm, although since it is used to help people quit smoking above all else, we do question his judgment on this. We’ve said before that people who vape are people who used to smoke. Giving up without any help at all is very difficult. Surely swapping from smoking to vaping is a good thing, without making it more difficult for people to do it?

Since few people will ever vape when they’ve never smoked, we wonder whether the new ban will be a good thing at all.

France already has a ban in place covering certain public places, preventing e-cig users from using their devices in those areas. Now the health authority has recommended other public places should also be included in the ban.

The ban currently covers all areas where children might be present. People are also unable to vape on public transport, or in workplaces that are enclosed. Now the recommendations from the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) suggests that restaurants, nightclubs and cafes should also be added to the list of locations included in the ban.

Their main concern seems to be that vaping could encourage some people to smoke. Additionally, they’re concerned about passive smoking, i.e. people who don’t vape or smoke might inhale vapours from people who do vape in public.

According to Le Figaro, the Interprofessional Federation of Vape (known by the quirky name of FIVAPE) has suggested that an extension of the current ban risks putting over the message that vaping is just as dangerous as smoking. Since lots of people who vape were previously smokers, it is easy to see how sending this message across could stop people switching to vaping to help them quit.

It would certainly appear that some people in HCSP are convinced that vaping leads people to smoke. However, that hasn’t been our experience. There are plenty of stories of smokers who switch to vaping to help them quit – often with great success. But how many stories have you heard of where a non-smoker has taken up vaping – much less that they’ve then gone on to start smoking?

We’ve never heard of this happening. While it’s a possibility – just like many things in life – we can’t see it happening en masse. What are your thoughts on this new proposal in France?

You may already be aware that Leonardo DiCaprio – nominee for the Best Actor award at this year’s Oscars, not to mention the eventual and worthy winner – has a thing for vaping. He also does it in public and has been spotted vaping at various events.

Now it seems his co-star in The Revenant – the film Leo won his first Oscar for just a few days ago – has got in on the act as well. Tom Hardy uploaded a great pic to his Instagram account before the Oscars began, showing him suited and booted and vaping as well. And why not? Maybe he thought it would bring him luck, as he’d received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his turn alongside Leo in The Revenant. Sadly, he didn’t win, but no doubt he and Leo celebrated together following DiCaprio’s win that night.

Vaping seems to be a big thing among celebrities and movie stars. We’ve seen plenty of them doing it of late, clearly trying to give up smoking and opting for one of the best ways to do it. While we didn’t see Tom vaping at the Oscars ceremony itself, it’s good to see some famous people using e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking. We’ve no idea what Tom had in his e-cig or whether he and Leo have swapped tips on vaping, but they’ve both clearly got a thing for it.

In today’s world of social media and instant uploads to the internet, it’s easier than ever to keep up with all the stars who have opted to quit smoking in favour of vaping. Have you come across any – either online or in real life – you didn’t previously know about? How many other Oscar winners and nominees had a vape on the big night, we wonder?