Leading academics would love you to keep smoking

It is very rare for me to post something whilst I’m still incredibly angry after reading an article. But in this case, I’m going to make a bloody big exception.

For a while now the anti-vapor organisations have been setting a pretty dismal standard in their attempts to either discredit vapers or the vapor market. It seems that there is nothing they won’t do, no low they won’t stoop to.

Quit Victoria proudly supported by VicHealth, the Heart Foundation, the Australian Cancer Council and of course the State Government for Victoria are calling for all electronic cigarettes to be outlawed.  We know that Australia is a bit backwards when it comes to harm reduction strategies and more than a little draconian in terms of tobacco control, but this is a move that is decidedly stupid. Even by their own dumb actions.

“A new generation becoming hooked on smoking”. There it is again, the bloody gateway theory which has been debunked so many times and so hard by so many actual experts that it is a wonder that it can still be bandied about. But there it is. In black and white.  But, what did you expect when the leading expert in tobacco control is pulling the strings?

“Scant evidence”. It’s only evidence if it coincides with his twisted sense of evidence. Remember, this comes from the person that believes quitting smoking by ‘cold turkey’ is the only method that should be available. He has no time for NRT, or any other alternative which of course includes vapor products.

I would dearly love to see inside this persons head, just for a moment to try to figure out which planet he is actually from. No evidence exists that those who successfully switch to a vapor product have ever relapsed back to smoking. Nor is there any evidence anywhere that suggests those that pick up a vapor product move on to smoking.  Thanks to a follower on Twitter, I’ve been able to read Simone’s letter, and it truly is disgraceful.

You’ll remember of course that the Greens in NSW also called for complete _prohibition _along with ‘tougher laws’ and more prosecution. Seems Chimpan fully endorses this, either that or he planted the idea in the first place. Can never really tell with that person moron, but I suspect the latter.

The trouble here is, that whilst the tobacco industry do seek to have more customers (what business wouldn’t?), by adding draconian restrictions, bans and other control efforts has probably made it easier for the younger generations to take up smoking. See, the smoking rate whilst falling hasn’t dropped as much as those in _tobacco control _would like yet sales are dropping. Wonder where these youngsters are getting their smokes from then?

So 15.4% of current smokers (back in 2013) had tried a vapor product. Note the word tried there. There isn’t any evidence to say that they dual use or have switched completely, instead they focus on the fact that the younglings have tried a vapor product. You know, gotta skew those results to get big scary headlines.

If Chimpman actually bothered to read the surveys and raw data, he would actually see that there is no gateway effect, not in the US or the UK and certainly not down under either. It is a myth, always has been and always will be.

I don’t suppose that he’s bothered to look at Sweden has he? Where tobacco harm reduction products, like snus are available and endorsed, yet they have the lowest smoking and cancer rates. Odd that, I suppose that Sweden is an outlier.

To be honest, if it was a choice between a youth taking up smoking or vaping I would prefer they vaped if they had to choose. To my mind, it isn’t much of a concern considering that vapor products have been identified as being less addictive at least that is what surveys and studies from the UK are suggesting.

Oh so it isn’t a marketing issue now, it’s one of enforcing existing rules. Make up your mind Chimpman, you’re confusing people.

Like many other places, they want vapor products bundled up with tobacco products and regulated as such. Doesn’t really seem fair, especially considering there is no tobacco in a vapor product.

Well, we know exactly which ‘experts’ they are consulting with don’t we, and there is only one thing they are ‘experts’ in, and it isn’t vaping or health.

Interesting that this Dr White specifically mentions nicotine free vapor products here. It’s almost as if she knows that those that contain nicotine do actually help and doesn’t want to, you know shoot herself in the foot with a misleading statement. Oh wait.

This I find particularly interesting. Let’s be honest, what kind of “trials” did cigarettes go through hmm? We as vapers do not want our devices “approved” as a cessation aid. Why? Well, for one they aren’t intended for that purpose. They are an alternative to traditional cigarettes. The fact that almost all users have ceased using tobacco products is a beneficial side effect, for us anyway. The other thing that bugs me about this statement, how can they conduct the ‘proper trials and testing processes’ if they ban them?

I guess it would only be clinical trials, which are pretty much useless in the real world.

No, this ‘call’ from Quit Victoria is just another attempt, and a poorly disguised one at that to discredit a successful product that has done something that they have been unable to do. Help smokers.

And there’s more:

Once again, the vapor industry as small as it is, is being bundled up along with the tobacco industry.  As far as I know, many vapers and advocates don’t want youth vaping, but if it is a choice between them taking up cigarettes or vaping, then choose the less harmful of the two. I do find it odd that they continue to attack vaping using the “nicotine addiction” theory, but isn’t the replacement therapy made from the same stuff?

Oh that’s right, I forgot. It’s magical unicorn farts and fairy dust.