Ever since I tried an early heat-not-burn device when I attended the Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN) I have tried to keep an eye on the developing technology. At the end of the day, it’s really a simplistic concept. Instead of setting fire to loose-leaf tobacco wrapped in a slow-burning Continue Reading
Opinion
Conference on Tobacco (or Health) Doesn’t Embrace Harm Reduction
It is that time of year where all roads lead to a large, taxpayer-funded shindig of tobacco control troughers, hangers-on, activists and prodnoses. This time, the World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) heads to Cape Town to discuss the latest “science”, policies, ideas and general authoritarian principles associated with tobacco Continue Reading
PHE Misses the Mark
Following on from the “Evidence Update” in September 2015, Public Health England has done it again. In fact, they have gone as far as repeating the same mistakes as last time, by mentioning the word “prescription”, and/or “NHS” in the press release.
Public Health’s Useful Idiot
“Big Vape is copying Big Tobacco’s playbook” says Liza Gross in her recent article on The Verge. This isn’t the first time, nor I suspect will it be the last time, that a media outlet tries to conjure up images of a faceless, and evil industry by conflating the tobacco Continue Reading
Vaping as a Stick
I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, but vaping isn’t a stick to go around beating smokers with. It isn’t purely a cessation tool, though most alphabet organisations would love you to believe that. Sure, most vapers view vaping as a way off tobacco and bully for them. Some Continue Reading
Do As You Are Told!
Unsurprisingly, there’s another ‘campaign’ about second hand smoking. Campaign launched about dangers of children’s exposure to second-hand smoke I thought that this particular part of the anti-smoker arsenal had long since been over utilised, it turns out I was mistaken.
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 Continue Reading
The Principle of Pleasure
This is one of those topics that you just know. One of those that you yourself understand, but find it somewhat tricky to put into some semblance of coherent speech. We all, to varying degrees, know what pleasure is. We all know what we enjoy, and we can all express; to an extent, why Continue Reading
On the lack of research in the media
Every once in a while a media article happens to come to my attention that makes me fall over in utter disbelief. Not simply due to the complete lack of understanding of the subject matter, but the complete disingenuity that the author takes to make as many bonkers points as Continue Reading
That time of year
Every year, without fail people resolve themselves to doing something. I plan to cut down or stop drinking/smoking. To lose weight. To go to a gym. We’ve all made these resolutions and, 99 times out of 100, we never actually stick with them. Some do, and I’ve got nothing but Continue Reading