Contradictions, confusion and cop-outs: Why E-cigarette laws need reviewing

Surprise, surprise… Once again, the e-cigarette industry is being targeted with more contradictory legislation. Counting to ten and biting one’s lip does not seem to be enough anymore. Soon there will be more smoke pouring out of our ears than there will be vapour clouds pluming from our vape pens. So, here’s the deal… (And let’s make it as simple as possible for all of those who are still scaremongering or who have not read up on medical findings)

As noted on Cityam.com:

Recently ‘a landmark report by doctors body the Royal College of Physicians concluded e-cigarettes should be “encouraged” and the public should be reassured that e-cigarettes are much safer than smoking. The report also found e-cigarettes are not a gateway to traditional smoking and are widely used by traditional tobacco consumers to transition away from smoking.’

Brilliant! So what’s the problem?

Well, as outlined in the article, ‘Under new legislation, advertising e-cigarettes will be banned in print, on television and radio, while other rules on the strength of nicotine liquids and flavours will also be introduced.’

While this may seem fair to some, it is being imposed for ludicrous reasons. E-cigarettes are being categorised as a form of smoking and therefore will be subject to advertising restrictions. The NHS and other medical professionals however, are promoting vaping as an effective quitting aid for smokers.

Some would argue that the physical shape and design of an e-cigarette (the fact that vapour could be mistaken for smoke) could be a gateway for some to start smoking. However, this has been analysed, scrutinised and researched to death and the findings? Well, they’ve concluded that this is simply not the case.

Others would claim that any product with traces of nicotine should be banned however, Nicorette patches or ‘quickmist’ are still seen to be acceptable and are often advertised over the radio, television and other forms of media outlets. So why are these quitting aids acceptable whilst an e-cigarette is not? They perform the same function. Another consideration to ponder over; potatoes also contain nicotine. Are we to ban those too? The harmful nature of cigarettes comes from the tar, which is not present in e-cigarettes.

Commenting on the issue, another member of our industry informed Cityam.com:

“We believe that e-cigarette legislation should ensure product quality and customer safety while not hampering the innovation, marketing or distribution freedoms that are vital to ensure this important category continues to grow. Ensuring smokers are able to be made aware of the lower risk, alternative nicotine products available to them seems logical for any government interested in encouraging smokers to switch.”

“It’s a bad thing because you’ve got a product which is changing very rapidly and there’s a huge amount of competition and innovation occurring, so it’s a bad time to be restricting advertising. It’s not going to be a complete black out, but I think it will be a major constraint on commercial free speech,” he added.

As a rival competitor, it would be easy to put our own slant and opinion forward however, this company has hit the nail on the head. Our product is designed to improve the health of those attempting to quit smoking, and is safer for those who live in close proximity to smokers who may be subject to passive smoking. So whilst we quietly bang our heads against the wall, we will once again jump through the ridiculous hoops put before us to allow the nation a better, safer and healthier way of living. We applaud and support research into the health benefits of our products – put pure and simply; we have nothing to hide. However, what we do have, as an industry is medical backing, papers and stats, which rule in our favour.

So, a polite request: If our product is seen to be beneficial to the health of former smokers and is in fact aiding them to quit altogether; please allow our industry and the businesses in the breathing space establish itself like you would for any other reputable and responsible business.