Vaping Headlines: Aussie Vaping Latest – Cutting Red Tape Helps the Vape – Another Call for Flavour Ban – E-Cig Summit London – Hospital Bans Vaping in Time for Stoptober!

The Aussie Fight for the Right To Vape Continues

Health care professionals from across Australia are calling for a review of the benefits of e-cigarettes as an effective Smoking cessation aid.

At the moment Vaping on e-liquid containing nicotine is outlawed down under with vapers having to ‘smuggle’ it in.

70 high profile doctors and scientists have signed a submission to the country’s top health body the National Health and Medical Research Council, [NHMRC].

Meanwhile another Aussie doctor is going a step further and calling for the complete ban of cigarettes in the country to be replaced by e-cigs!

Yeah you read that right lol – a little bit barmy if you ask me however Dr Marita Hefler a researcher from the Menzies School of Health who’s behind the idea said:

Any other consumer product that kills up to two-thirds of its long-term users remaining legal is unimaginable. Even if the political will had existed for a sales ban, until recently, no products could match the nicotine delivery efficiency of combustible tobacco with substantially less harm, rendering a sales ban a non-viable option due to the risk of a black market.

Whilst I accept some of what she says and as much as I’m against smoking – completely banning tobacco products is not something I can support – but good luck to her lol.

However I can and I’m sure vapers and smokers in Australia will support the letter the health professionals have sent out this week.

They are calling for a fresh look at the new evidence that pretty much proves vaping is considerably safer than first thought when the NHMRC first looked at the e-cigs.

Pro vaping academic Associate Professor Colin Mendelsohn said:

E-cigarettes are being used by smokers and ex-smokers as a less harmful alternative to an existing consumer product – combustible tobacco – that prematurely kills up to two thirds of its long-term users. The science on e-cigarettes has evolved substantially since the NHMRC did its previous review so it is time to look at what the latest research tells us about their potential for reducing tobacco-related death and disease in Australia.

Pointing to the release this week of the US Tobacco Control study showing how that up to 6million lives could be saved over a decade by a switch from smoking to vaping Prof Mendelsohn said:

In Australia, this represents preventing about half a million premature smoking-related deaths in long-term smokers.These calculations support the role of e-cigarettes in Australia as a valuable strategy to kick start the decline in smoking again. The potential benefits to public health are huge.

You can read the full letter HERE.

Source

Trump Cutting Red Tape Could Help Vaping in the US

Trump promised to cut through the red tape that he believes is strangling America and on Monday the White House showed what they had achieved so far.

Vaping in America could be a big winner in the President’s campaign and the US Vapor Technology Association [VTA] has welcomed the the purge but called for the FDA to completely rid the US of the current regulations surrounding vaping.

Executive director Tony Abboud said:

VTA thanks the Trump Administration and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb for the significant steps they have taken to address the promise of e-cigarettes and vapor products by delaying the one enforcement deadline that would have eliminated virtually all of these products from the market.This decision, and the broader policy outlined by Commissioner Gottlieb on July 28, 2017, recognizes the harm reduction and life-saving potential of vapor products for the first time in the United States.

However, now the FDA must move quickly to eliminate those parts of the prior administration’s one-size-fits-all regulation of e-cigarettes as tobacco products, and replace them with a rational regulatory scheme which acknowledges the fact that these rapidly evolving and innovative technologies, if given the chance, will make the combustible cigarette obsolete.

A study out this week showed that if the US Government adopted a more pro-vaping stance up to 6 million lives + could be saved from tobacco and smoking related diseases.

Call for Ban of Flavoured E-Liquids in New York

It seems the calling for the ban of flavoured e-liquids in New York is so good they’ve done it twice.

OK forgive the pun it’s probably more than twice but another week and another US politician is screaming ‘what about the poor kiddies’ and wants to stop adults from vaping on sweet e-liquids.

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal [D] said:

That kind of product is meant to appeal to kids I don’t know many adults who would like to inhale bubble gum or strawberry vapor.

*Sighs* OK a sigh and a bang head on the desk moment.

Rosenthal’s move has been welcomed by Julie Hart of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network who said:

Sweet products have fueled the popularity of e-cigarettes to kids. Chocolate, gummy bear, cotton candy, cookies and cream — these are all things that are enticing to kids.

The last time a similar piece of legislation was entered in NY it didn’t get past the first hurdle.

Let’s hope the same can be said for this ill informed claptrap that does in fact also threaten the livelihoods of man New Yorkers as Gregory Conley from the American Vaping Association pointed out:

This is yet another attempt by Assemblywoman Rosenthal to shut down and leave unemployed the owners and employees of hundreds of vapor product retail small businesses throughout New York.

We’ll keep you informed.

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The E-Cigarette Summit 2017

The next The E-Cigarette Summit will be held in London on Friday 17th November at The Royal Society.

Speakers will include among others:

• Deborah Arnott Chief Executive Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
• Professor Linda Bauld University of Stirling, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKTAS) and Cancer Research UK
• Martin Dockrell Publich Health England
• Sarah Jakes New Nicotine Alliance
• Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos M.D Onassis Cardiac Surgery Greece

Topics up for discussion include:

• The Continuum of Harm Reduction and different policy/regulatory approaches
• E-Cigarette safety and research
• Nicotine health impacts including addiction
• Dual use – how concerned should we be
• Heat not Burn and E-cigarettes – similarities and differences
• Advertising restrictions – how to reach smokers and protect youth

Anyone interested in attending can find further details on the Registration page.

And Finally…Hospital Bans Vaping Just in Time For Stoptober

I think we might need a ‘Doofus of the Year Award’ in the next EcigClick Awards – and these NHS managers are definitely in line for a prize!

OK in the week that sees the start of Stoptober – the UK’s annual month long drive to quit smoking – a UK hospital has threatened to remove all but emergency treatment from anyone found smoking or vaping on the premises.

As the NHS – Public Health England and other health organizations throw their collective weight and knowledge behind promoting e-cigs as a great smoking cessation aid – a hospital in Kent has decided to wage a war on vapers who are simply following the UK Government’s advice by using them as an aid to quitting!

Managers at Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford Kent obviously didn’t get the memo from health chiefs that ‘vaping IS 95% safer than smoking‘ – and I’m guessing they buried their heads in the sand [or mountains of fag ash] and ignored the NHS backed Stoptober campaign highlighting e-cigs as a great way to quit the cancer sticks.

The hospital has employed two ‘wardens’ who patrol the hospital grounds handing out yellow cards to those caught smoking or vaping on the hospital premises.

Unbelievably repeat offenders will be BANNED for getting ‘non urgent treatment’!

The hospital management seems to think it knows best and refuses to accept the 95% safer evidence with a spokesman saying:

We are committed to creating a healthier place for patients, visitors and staff and need support from everyone to keep the hospital and grounds smoke free.

I’d just like to point out the obvious flaw in that statement – vaping isn’t smoking.

Let’s hope the management see sense and let patients – staff and visitors vape.

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*Shuffles Papers*