You see, ASH produced a press release which declared that not only are there now over 2 million vapers in the UK, but also that it seems e-cigs are not much of a big deal to anyone at all, really. The 'gateway theory' was trashed; the 'renormalisation of smoking' theory was not supported; and the public - despite acres of media coverage designed to scare them - are generally of the opinion that e-cigs are a good thing (as I've mentioned before is inevitable).
This prompted the BBC to pick up the story and run with it on their website and also on TV.
But where were the usual scaremongers? The pharma-enthralled cavalry rushing in to stuff the toothpaste back in the tube by mounting a desperate defence of outdated ideology?
The BMA were mentioned but Vivienne 'proven liar' Nathanson was not featured, nor was born-again 'expert' Martin McKee, nor the astonishingly gullible Chief Medical Officer Sally Davies. The best the BBC could muster in rebuttal was some geezer no-one has ever heard of from the Christie Foundation ... but even he was a bit limp and very easily rubbished by the BBC Breakfast presenter.
It's not like this was a get-someone-quick-as-it's-short-notice kinda thing. ASH's press release was embargoed until yesterday so the media had a few days to get their line-up organised.
So were the usual propagandists all on holiday? Off sick? Or just starting to realise that their campaign against vaping is making them look like pathetic stick-in-the-muds and actively harming their integrity? Maybe, just maybe, they've finally recognised that there is a date of guilty knowledge which has long since passed, and they'd prefer not to leave themselves open to being sued into abject poverty.
Who knows? But it was nice to see the public being properly informed for a change, without a bunch of ignorant dinosaurs butting in to inject their childish anti-industry prejudice into a debate that is, you know, quite important.
Let's hope this is not just an isolated outbreak of sanity, eh?
18 comments:
I fear it's because they feel the job's a good 'un and don't need to do more. After all the TPD and deeming regs will spur the prohibitionists into full ban mode without further encouragement.
This is a watershed moment for Tobacco Control. The internet has revolutionized everything. Their junk science and outright lying can be instantly refuted.
It would have been a different story if the figures had come from any other source than the media's trusted darlings, ASH.
Yeah, like lets ban smoking because we have e-cigs.
No really. That's plan B.
When ASH first 'supported' the e-cig, many thought this was great until they read the small print, they support medicalisation. So being a bit wary, in the same way as Dragonmum, was producing something supportive and also showing public support done to get people on their side? Time passes and then they 'suggest' these benefits would only be maintained if they were 'properly' regulated? The MHRA might even have ideas on how that could be done. On the other hand they could be genuine, really they could.
Relax - they've done all they can to the smokers, apart from invading your home to protect the kiddy-winkies from your post-coital drag (that wouldn't surprise me BTW). Tobacco benefits from the Grandfather Clause.
I simply do not trust any of these people - not a single one: not one word that they say. Everything that they say is in support of an agenda.
At the moment, there are two potential laws going through parliament - the cars ban and PP. ASH ET AL are known to keep mum during the interim period. I am surprised that they have had anything to say about ecigs at all. To me, it looks as if they are doing the minimum possible while keeping their options open. Note that they are still trying to claim 'ownership' of ecigs by describing them as 'cessation devices' and vaguely questioning their 'effectiveness'. Don't expect any 'mercy' from these ruthless scoundrels. Did you notice what West said? "At least there is none of this really dangerous shs" (I paraphrase). He is still a liar and a cheat.
I suspect that ASH UK will continue with its ambivalence while the experimental ban in Wales is being evaluated.
I don't think the Grandfather Clause helped old ladies being evicted from their retirement homes in the US. Pretty sure one dear ended up dead over it. I'll have to check the smokers graveyard and come back to you.
Besides they'd try and get round Grandfather by accusing him of kiddie fiddling.
It could just be a case of ASH trying to reclaim some credibility, but as Dragonmum and Westcoast2 point out, these are devious buggers and are always up to something.
It could well be that they plan to get the vapers onside first, use those vapers to wipe out the smokers and then decide that well, the vapour is nicotine after all and must be regulated for the cheeeeldren. Oh and it must be taxed too, it's a tobacco product...
But not yet. They've been playing a long game so far. No reason to think they are in a hurry now.
To answer your perfectly cogent question.... They are here... The Director of fantasy himself, Frieden of the CDC .... goes beyond the here and now with (IF's and THEYS) http://bit.ly/PPRMZR Dr. Carl Phillips explains it very well.
I'm concerned, too, but I can't put my finger on why yet. It just seems too good to be true. Don't get lulled into a false sense of security - they may think we'll be less active if we believe they've had a change of heart and are on our side. I was surprised that their survey came out with only a third of vapers having achieved complete substitution, whereas Dr. Farsalinos' study shows 81% - an extremely large gap! Survey of 19,000 cig users: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/4/4356.
Their first attempt at med regs was thwarted, but they would have expected that. It's a typical tactic of making you think you've got a better deal when it was the goal all along and you haven't. There's a piece here on why it's pointless to argue that ecigs are not tobacco products and that a blank sheet for regulating them separately could be more dangerous. It's an American article and they have a slightly different set up, but the premise is the same. Glimpses through the mist http://wivapers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/are-nicotine-e-cigarettes-tobacco.html
I'm sure tney have more dirty tricks up their sleeves. After all, banning cigarette flavours, such as long term menthol, removes an argument we may have made for keeping flavours if ecigs are tobacco regulated. As the article says, we have mountains of data for the success of snus and yet, still they ban it - why should their aim change tack for ecigs? They want ecigs to earn them a lot of money, be no more effective than NRTs for pharma's benefit and to protect their smoking related diseases profits, keep it in the cosy family by giving Big T the monopoly with outdated cigalikes and keep people smoking whilst looking, to the propaganda informed, as though they're doing the right thing. Smokers and vapers are just collateral damage to them. We need to counter the propaganda with the facts as widely as possible. We have the science and that's ongoing, now we need to educate to get ecigs understood and socially accepted by the public and get people riled up about everything else they're plotting to do away with.
Anyone waiting for an outbreak of sanity (re anti smoking) really should book an urgent consultation with a a top notch shrink
Can we assume this means the vast majority of Webbies ??.
We are not dealing with nice ,decent ,level headed people with an
ear for sensible debate, we are dealing with a cocktail of corrupt ,unbalanced,
self glorifying extreme fanatics ranging from neurotic nazis to barmy bolshies.
Maybe ,even David Icke's theory of "reptillian DNA"in our species could apply to the sick neurotics prancing about on the international stage of tobacco hatred Most intelligent observers will know how to deal with these Psycophants but adherence to gentlemanly conduct confines these to
a gentile surrender, allowing only the occasional splutter in the digital
prison.
I agree with LI, Junican and DM. I don't trust the Anti Tobacco Industry one bit. Remember ASH UK supports the EU TPD. If it quacks like a duck, it's a duck. They support the banning (leakage issues) of all effective current devices and support the arbitrary strength limit which affects the 25% of heavier smokers (more than 20 a day) who could most benefit. However, the idea of the date of guilty knowledge could be relevant, particularly in view of the plain speaking of Profs West and Hayek. Supporting bans and regulation is becoming increasingly difficult. A surprising and helpful piece from the BBC. 1.5 million people watch the show.
Very much so. Widespread internet use came too late for the smoking ban. That was based on outrageous lies too but a lot of people have cottoned on to their tactics now which is why you regularly hear them bleating about harassment etc (otherwise known as debate in any other policy area).
get me wrong, I don't trust anyone in tobacco control as far as I can throw them. A bigger bunch of disingenuous, manipulative liars the world has never seen.
"Supporting bans and regulation is becoming increasingly difficult."
Not for Public Health England, they've got half a billion reasons a year to support them.
http://dickpuddlecote.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/government-sock-puppet-wants-e-cigs.html
Let's not forget that ASH's Smokerphobic Sandford said smokers "Are the last people vapers should be mixing with." Perhaps this is about divide and conquer - or maybe ASH has sussed what a growing market the ecig is and recognises that there are enough abusive Ecig companies that they might be able to tap for a few extra quid of funding if UKIP ever wins an election and throws the buggers out of Govt where they have no right to be. Either way, ASH's support of ecigs has to be very bad news for smokers but that, of course, depends on whether vapers play their game or recognise who their true friends are and that isn't tobacco control. I'm still convinced that ASH is after us first then vapers. Their partners in ASH Australia have the Govt so hysterical about anything that looks like a cig that they are terrorising both smokers and vapers. Don't be fooled. It's not about health.
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