Monday 11 May 2015

Experiences Of Vaping - Your Views Wanted

Read any article about e-cigs and you'll have seen some tobacco control gobshite talk about how they "just don't know" anything about them. This, of course, is just wild thrashing while they come to terms with an insurgent to their cosy self-enriching world of bullying, bans, restrictions and denormalisation of smokers.

In truth, there are hundreds of studies already released on vaping and literally hundreds more studies being performed, as I write, to populate what was once a void. This is why 'public health' dinosaurs the world over - such as Chappers, Bubblegum and Mad Mechanic Stan - are getting their lies in early before they are overwhelmed by undeniable facts about the benefits of vaping.

Many of the ongoing studies are clinical trials which you might not have access to, but the Centre for Drug Misuse Research in Glasgow has embarked upon an ambitious project which you can take part in. They have produced an online survey to explore perceptions and experiences of using e-cigs and want to receive responses from anyone who has even taken a few puffs of one. The survey is global and is aiming at a target of 10,000 responses or more so do spread the word.

You can take the survey by clicking here, which also gives you the chance (if you choose) of winning one of three iPad Minis just for answering a few questions. A mirror survey is also being handled by the University of Catania's Dr Riccardo Polosa for Italian speakers, which you can access by clicking on this link.

Dr Polosa presenting to Mark Pawsey, and other MP members of the APPG on e-cigs, in March
These kind of initiatives should be supported, in my opinion, because the more information gathered means the more will be known about e-cigs and vaping ... and the less tobacco control liars can pretend that they know nothing.

I submitted my responses earlier today, which took around 10 minutes, so do go to the link and add yours before sharing widely. If you don't use e-cigs yourself, please send the survey to someone you know who does.


16 comments:

JLTrader said...

Whatever the answers, tobacco control will spin them to suit their agenda. And it's not like there's a void of 'studies' anymore that 'show' what they want: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3073502/E-cigarettes-lead-chronic-lung-conditions-Vapour-gadgets-disrupts-cells-way-tobacco-smoke.html

Dick_Puddlecote said...

In time, the truth will win out - they can spin all they like but will be overwhelmed by plain facts.

RobC(UK) said...

"I submitted my responses earlier today, which took around 10 minutes" Oh dear, it took me about an hour, I might have been a bit to wordy.

Dick_Puddlecote said...

You're obviously more assiduous than me. :)

Liam Bryan said...

I spent more time commenting on their weird questions than I did on the actual survey - the page devoted to "harms" especially!

Dave Allan said...

This is a tobacco company sponsored survey. Be very careful.

Junican said...

The mounting pile of studies is also the reason that Glantz and co in America are bombarding the FDA to get ecigs regulated as strictly as possible as soon as possible.

nisakiman said...

Ha! Same as that, Liam!

Dragonmum said...

I think I've come to the conclusion that unless a survey is conducted by those whose opinions I respect then I'll give them a miss. This is not because I fear the truth - Dr. Farsalinos has come up with many facts which are unpalatable to a lot of vapers/vendors - it's because I know that the result will be whatever those who fund it want it to be. In this case I'm not sure and I've yet to see them "overwhelmed by plain facts" - one survey even got the basic maths wrong and it had cost $millions, much like opinion polls one might say..

JonathanBagley said...

I filled it in. Got the impression I was being somehow used. Sometimes the options didn't include the answer I wished to give. Lots of questions about addiction and safety issues where answering never or none would be untruthful, but any other response misleading.

Michael J. McFadden said...

Done, and on the chance that this may indeed be a valid survey, I added some warnings about watching out for distortions introduced by Antismokers.

- MJM

Michael J. McFadden said...

Jonathan, I felt that to some extent, but not too strongly. By the time I got to the last page I figured there was at least a decent chance that the researchers were either neutral or somewhat pro-vaping.

cfrankdavis said...

I had the same experience. And also reservations about questions about my "cravings" and whether I woke up in the night to smoke/vape (I never do) which seem to be casting smokers/vapers as addicts.

JonathanBagley said...

After thinking about it, I am very suspicious. The questions seemed bias towards leak-proof (disposable) systems with a maximum strength. I'm also biased, I admit, but if I were asking a question concerning strength, I would state "at most 20mg/ml" rather than "18 to 24 mg/ml". Why group two popular strengths together, when one will soon be banned? Nicoventures funded the study. They might not write the questions, but there was surely some discussion about what aspects of vaping the survey was designed to look into.

JonathanBagley said...

Yes, I would describe myself as "dependent" or, with vaping, now probably more accurately, having a "habit"; not as an addict; but that was the only option.

Switchtoecig said...

glad that they decide to include vapers from other countries, so I submitted my responses, too. Also told them that they need to consult someone who truly understands addiction.