There’s a virus going around, and we seem to be powerless to stop it.
No, not that one. We’re talking about Fake News. And there’s no vaccination available to halt its proliferation.
Fake news about vaping seems to be everywhere we look these days and it frustrates us no end. The viral spread of false information about our industry has serious implications on the behaviours, attitudes and beliefs of the general public, and ultimately – in the case of vaping’s acknowledged role in helping smokers quit – could seriously endanger the nation’s health.
Without a doubt the omnipresence of online media outlets has revolutionised the distribution of information. But that doesn’t mean that we’re all wiser or more knowledgeable as a result. Our permanently online world unfortunately also facilitates the faster and wider spread of disinformation and downright falsehoods.
As the saying goes: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes”.
IS VAPING ABOUT TO BE BANNED IN THE UK?
Earlier this year we saw a couple of UK tabloid headlines screaming about a WHO (World Health Organisation) report recommending that vaping be banned in the UK – and that the Government were going to take them up on it.
This was problematic for two main reasons:
- As far as we know (and we’ve done our research) there is no such report. Neither the WHO nor any UK government agency has made any such suggestion about banning vaping in the UK. The WHO’s formal position on vaping is that e-cigs should be regulated in any country that chooses to allow them and that any countries that are unable or unwilling to regulate vaping should ban it.
- The latest report from ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) shows that – according to a survey conducted by NICE (the National Institute for Health & Care Excellence) – the myth that e-cigarettes are equally or more harmful than smoking has grown from 7% in 2012 to 32% in 2021. Only 12% of smokers surveyed know that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking.
So the vast majority of smokers currently believe that vaping is actually as bad as or worse than smoking. In the same NICE study, when asked why they have not used an e-cigarette, 10% of smokers cited concerns about safety and a further 22% said they were concerned about substituting one addiction for another.
And this is in the context of the UK having the most stringent regulations for the safety, quality, sale and supply of e-cigarettes in the world.
Both concerns indicate a serious misunderstanding of the positive role e-cigarettes can play in helping smokers quit, possibly as a result of the current trend towards an “anti-vaping” culture – but we don’t like to speculate.
You shouldn’t just take our word for it. We’re in the vaping business so obviously we’re fans. If you’re considering taking up vaping as a means to help you quit smoking then please do your own independent research first./p>
Be informed – not deceived.
