End of an Era

Well. This is it. Today is the last day of the transition period. Tomorrow, May 20th, is the day when any non-notified vaping product can no longer be legally sold. Tomorrow is when the new legislation will really start to bite.

What will happen? There isn’t a straightforward answer to that.

Let’s look at what we, as a community of consumers have been able to enjoy.

Over the years, we have been able to enjoy tank sizes of up to a whopping 7-8ml. I once complained about the drive towards a particular subset. Was I right to do so? Maybe, maybe not. Let’s face it, the number of tanks on the market that are in excess of the ridiculous 2ml limit imposed aren’t generally going to be for new users, and rarely for the average Joe in the street that just wants an alternative to smoking.

I’ve been enjoying the Smok TFV8 recently. A lot. I regularly trigger the smoke alarms in my home. Mostly because I’m an idiot and don’t notice just how much vapour has escaped the room I’m in to where the damn thing is located. But here’s the thing. I enjoy it. The TFV8 that is, not the shrill smoke alarm.

From tomorrow, anyone who wants a TFV8, won’t be able to get one. Not legally at any rate. Here’s the thing about that, many of the small 2ml tanks just aren’t enjoyable to use. There are many of those small tanks that simply will not serve.

Oh, and any kit you are able to get is plastered with a fuck off, totally pointless warning:

Vapers 0, TPD 1.

We’ve had the luxury of various bottle sizes. 5ml testers, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50, 100, and I’ve even heard of (though never seen) a 300ml.

Tomorrow? All we’ll be able to get is 10ml. No longer can I, nor any other vaper, legally buy a 100ml bottle of our favourite liquid. Instead, we’ll have to buy 10 bottles of the same liquid.

What is worse is that, prior to today, you could (if you could find it) buy e-liquid in various strengths up to 54mg/ml. 3mg, 6mg, 12mg, 18mg, 24mg, 36mg and 54mg were all available. True, the 24mg and above were hard to find, or you could make it yourself, but they were there. Admittedly, the last 18 months or so has seen a drive towards low nic e-liquid, with 0, 3 & 6 becoming the most popular. The last show I went to (Vape Jam last year), no vendor had anything above 6.

From tomorrow, there’ll not be anything above 18mg/ml. But that’s OK according to our frenemies at ASH. Y’see, they firmly believe the needs of 9% of vapers that use above 19mg/ml don’t matter. The same 9% of vapers that are at greatest risk of relapsing to smoking. There’s zero consideration for any potential new users that might require the strong stuff. After all, an NRT course is designed to reduce nicotine intake by a carefully calculated step-down set of patches. Stop Smoking Services don’t (usually) start a two pack-a-day smoker on the course with a 6mg patch.

What is even more stunning is a recent admission from the Director of Policy at ASH:

Aside from the fact that BBC Radio Kent classed ASH as a “public health charity” when they are anything but, let’s remind Ms Cheeseman of the phrase that everyone should be aware of from the late Dr Michael Russell:

There’s also the inconvenient fact that many smokers, not the ones that ASH like to survey but the real smokers, actually enjoy smoking.

Vapers 0, TPD 3

At last count (by ASH, natch), numbers of current vapers affected by the nicotine strength limit is down to 6%, and I think we all know exactly why that is don’t we? Y’see, ASH, CRUK, RSPH and all the other alphabet organisations have been beating the “cessation, cessation, cessation” drum. They don’t support vaping in the way that I, Dave Dorn, Dick Puddlecote, Fergus Mason, Christopher Snowdon, and several others do. These alphabet organisations insist that vaping is a cessation tool, when it is anything but. Y’see, this mindset has seeped into the minds of the average vaper:

There is no fundamental need, or requirement to lower your nicotine strength. If you decide you want to use a dripper you will probably need to lower the nicotine concentration. But there is absolutely no need to for the average vaper. I use 6mg/ml in the TFV8 and 12mg/ml in the Cleito. I started at 18mg/ml, almost three years ago.

Y’see, we’re all about choice. The choice to do what you like without the minimum of interference from the State, and that includes sockpuppet alphabet organisations where the control freak whose life is so empty, dull and formulaic that they get their kicks out making other people’s business their own without asking, and of thrusting themselves into the lives of others of whom they disapprove.

Let’s go further shall we?

(H/T Spiritus Vapes):

Cross border bans have limited what Tristan can get to supply vapers in the UK. It’s also cut him off from customers on the continent.

The EU Tobacco Products Directive was drafted with the aim of “improving market harmonisation”, as I wrote in Vapelyfe Magazine in February:

I doubt Brexit will serve much short term purpose, so vendors who were early converts to vaping, that started businesses to share the wonder they had found. The small businesses that form the beating heart of the vaping industry won’t be served at all by the TPD. Big businesses will, especially the Tobacco Industry (they can’t say we didn’t warn them).

The days of the entrepreneur in the vaping industry are dead.

Vapers 0, TPD 5

If the TPD, and it’s UK implementation the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016) are meant to harmonise the market, it has failed miserably. If it was about health, it has failed miserably. If it was about maximising choice, it’s failed miserably.

It’s shite, get shot. While you’re at it, get shot of the navel gazing fuckwits that lobbied for, and fully welcome it and the ridiculous bans that come with it.

This regulation isn’t about health, never was and never will be. It was never about maximising choice, and never will be. It is, in short, in place due to corporate & sockpuppet lobbying, secret meetings, ignorance and snobbery. This is just the first step – lingchi – taken by these fuck knuckles, the next logical step (natch) will be to generate a revenue stream from the highly regulated industry.

May they burn in hell. Don’t let the bastards win.

(image credit Diego Schtutman/shutterstock)