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Friday 20 October 2017

Updated Vaping in the UK - leading the way....

I have updated this post today 1st November 2017

Vaping is not included in the Smokefree legislation in the UK.

That means, vapers may vape where smoking is prohibited.

This is a very important concept.

It means a no smoking sign does NOT mean no vaping. And a no vaping sign affixed near to a no smoking sign means the placement of it is in ignorance of the advisement of Public Authorities.

England has led the way in many things, historically. It has influenced attitudes of other countries, politically and morally and introduced new ideas. (Top ten Inventions)

I am hoping it will do it again. As far as getting a grip on the "problem" of vaping and vapers, it MUST be leading the way. Australia seems to be in the dark ages, and the USA, might soon be if they cannot realise how amazing vaping is and how it can be used to improve the lives of many.

But dark forces are still out to misinform the public about vaping. Link I am hoping that the acceptance in our UK parliament of vaping and vapers, will eventually muzzle the fear mongers. And spread the idea that vaping is a good thing to the rest of the world.

Here are some highlights (below) of the debate in Parliament that took place yesterday here in the UK.

It pleased the vaping half of me - and also the smoker part of me. In fact recently, I have decided that modern smokers are very lucky to have vaping as a tool when smoking is forbidden. That was not available to me when I was persecuted all those years for smoking.

And the new advice that vaping not be included in smoking bans, is VERY good.

It gives, even the most hardened smoker, a way out and leaves them with some dignity.

It would have made me, the smoker, far less bitter!

May the United Kingdom lead the way again.

Here's a good debate (highlights of) that occurred in Parliament, in the Commons, in October 2017


The video below is the debate in Parliament on 1st November 2017


We ARE EVOLVING!

Friday 6 October 2017

Tobacco Company e cigarettes - to vape or not to vape?

I have recently reviewed an e cigarette made by Fontem, a subsidiary of Imperial tobacco. I have no problem with Tobacco Companies entering the e cigarette market for these reasons.

  1. As a business, it would be foolish not to. We should expect it, not howl in opposition to the very same Group that we happily bought our cigarettes from during all our years of smoking.
  2. In my experience vaping is a substitute for smoking - it's the 'new' smoking - it's the way to take smoking into the future. Big Tobacco already have the cigarette market, so offering e cigarettes at point of cigarette sales is logical.
  3. Those who have been introduced to vaping by buying a Big Tobacco point of sale vaping device at a cigarette counter, might investigate other products on sale elsewhere once the vaping ice is broken. In fact I'd expect it. Big Tobacco products 'break the ice' into vaping.
  4.  Big Tobacco has been very slow to get on top of vaping - to offer anything truly pleasing to smokers. As large lumberous companies, they cannot possibly offer the products that come and go at mercurial speed that Vape Shops and specialist places do. 
  5. I see hobbyist vapers that cloud, sub ohm, build coils etc, as a subset of the group called 'vapers' in the world. I see the more humble devices to be the real backbone of vaping. Those are the ones we use at work, out shopping and travelling with. THAT'S vaping.
So I get to the place where I have to admit that most people switching from smoking to vaping, need to be steered away from using high wattage, low nic, 'specialist' devices. To my mind they are expensive. They are expensive in extra e liquid, battery power and possibly health wise. I say this because I don't know how injurious it is to my lungs to inhale such huge amounts of vapour, especially flavour in vast quantities. 

So I prefer to talk about the humble, the 'out of date' beginners stuff because I have the gut feeling the future of vaping is the solid, safe stuff. I include in that box mods and variable wattage devices, improved tanks and methods of inhalation.

I would consider 1st generation devices - the little pokey cigalike - obsolete! But even they have their place.Big Tobacco seemed to offer smokers those first, or devices with pods or pre-filled cartridges in an attempt to keep vapers in a buying loop. That was an error! Smokers aren't stupid. But BAT now offer quite decent box mods and respectable utilitarian devices and tanks. 

Big Tobacco is waking up. What do we do about that?

They could use their power to wipe out the small businesses as seems to be occuring in the USA , but my guess is that as they stumble forward into the vaping market, lots will be happening under their wings in small business versatility.

I think Big Tobacco will provide the solid, utilitarian vaping products for smokers well into the future.

A smaller company than BAT (British American Tobacco) that I supported for 50 years by smoking Rothmans and rolling my own, is Imperial Tobacco. Their subsidiary is Fontem, the makers of the Blu Pro.

I liked the Blu Pro when I reviewed it two or three years ago. It has improved. I still like it. It is what I would call a good, solid, no fuss, inexpensive utilitarian device that will provide smokers with a pleasing experience.

I reviewed six new flavours. But there are many Here 

I believe Blu are coming out with something new - a new device. Maybe it's a box mod? Who knows?

If they ask me, I'll review that too.

Big Tobacco is hated by so many vapers, and I don't know why. Tobacco Control is our real enemy.

I do not hate Big Tobacco and blame them for making me smoke, nor blame Big Alcohol for turning me into an alcoholic, or Big Food for making me fat. I think the dishonesty about smoking from Big Tobacco has just about been equalled by Tobacco Control about the harms of of SHS and now, of vaping.