Vaping and television advertising
Monday, November 10, 2014 at 15:28 
I was interviewed last night by Sky News about e-cigarettes and advertising.
A reporter rang me shortly after eight and arrived (with a cameraman) at my house at 12.50am. Seriously.
Everyone else, including the dog, was asleep and the 20 second soundbite took 15 minutes, including set up time.
I've been filmed outside my house and in my office but this was the first time a cameraman has come into my home.
Naturally I've fantasised about this moment. I'd be sitting in a large leather armchair, in front of an enormous mahogany desk in a beautiful study full of books and precious ornaments.
Of course I don't possess any of those things so I was filmed against a plain wall with a single table lamp behind one shoulder.
Anyway the purpose of the piece was to talk about e-cigs and advertising because tonight sees the first ever TV ad featuring someone actually vaping.
Judging by their public utterances the tobacco control lobby, led by ASH, has adopted the 'precautionary principle' – its default position – and is arguing that the VIP e-cig ad is far too "sexy" (ie attractive) and could entice non-smokers including children to vape or, worse, smoke.
I gave Sky my response and the report (and video) can be found under the monumentally misleading headline 'Smoking to be seen on British TV for the first time in 49 years'.
It includes my soundbite (and table lamp). This is the full response:
"There's no reason for e-cigarettes to be over-regulated because there's no evidence they are harmful and little evidence non-smokers are using them.
"Overwhelmingly e-cigs are used by smokers who want to cut down or quit or by smokers who want to use an alternative source of nicotine in places where smoking is banned.
"The idea that advertising e-cigarettes re-normalises smoking or encourages non-smokers to smoke tobacco is another example of anti-smoking paranoia.
"E-cigs are a nicotine delivery product. Nicotine is no more harmful than caffeine. E-cigarettes have the potential to wean millions of smokers off cigarettes but for that to happen they have to be marketed in a way that makes them attractive to smokers.
"Instead some public health campaigners want to suffocate the product with unnecessary rules and regulations. Thankfully, with regard to advertising, the government has adopted a more sensible attitude which we applaud."
I was also on BBC Radio Scotland this morning with Sheila Duffy, CEO of ASH Scotland. You can listen here at 2hrs 41mins in.
I might add that the consumers featured in the Sky News report do themselves no favours with the industrial amount of vapour they emit through nose, mouth and goodness knows where else.
Today's a good day for vaping but images like that don't help.
Update: The BBC has quite an informative report here – First e-cigarette 'vaping' advert to be shown on TV.
See also: Sex and the e-cigarette (BBC News Magazine)
Last but not least, listen to ASH CEO Deborah Arnott on the Today programme with Lorien Jollye of the New Nicotine Alliance.
I can only guess what Deborah will be thinking about the verdict of her predecessor, Clive Bates, posted on Twitter:
@CaeruleanSea well done! Clear points victory... Loved the toothpaste rejoinder.
— Clive Bates (@Clive_Bates) November 10, 2014Click here – you'll find the discussion at 01:22:00.
Reader Comments (4)
I totally agree with your criticism of the "industrial amount of vapour" being seen by many 'vapers' as some sort of fashion statement. My first impression on seeing the photograph at the top of your post was that the geezer had just eaten Santa Claus!
Frankly, I find it somewhat juvenile - it's a "look at me" statement.. Much worse though, if I were sitting on a train, and someone in an adjacent seat was proudly creating his own personal cumulonimbus, then I would feel tempted to ask him to stop - even though, as a smoker of 40+ years, I have no desire to inhibit anyone else's pleasures. The reality is his vaping would be stopped by the train's guard anyway, whereas I, with my 7-year old Mark 1 e-cig, with its feeble emittances, would attract no attention at all.
So you are right, Simon. They don't do themselves - nor their vaping and smoking peers - any favours.
Yes, I'm with you and Brian on the images of impenetrable emissions of vapour. All they are achieving there is to hand Tobacco Control a large stick with which to beat them. The anti e-cig mob are going to love the fact that they've been handed an almost perfect propaganda tool on a plate. I think we're going to see those images deployed on a regular basis by the antis - particularly as a part of their rhetoric about 'second-hand vapour'. We here know that it's just steam, but the image screams 'TOXIC POLLUTION!', particularly to those who have been brainwashed into believing that SHS is dangerous.
It's a pity the vapers concerned couldn't have reined in their enthusiasm a little.
That's a scary pic - looks more like ectoplasm than steam.
Think of the poor chiiiildren!
You have to feed prejudice
If you notice boys and girls...most vaping pics are like this. Ask yourself in whose interest would this be? Easy one this...the antis of course! Remember the media have been overwhelmingly complicit in this since the smoking ban came in on the 1st July 2007.
So, if you're doing a piece on vaping...here's how it would go.
"Now look we're doing a piece on vaping and so that we can be sure of letting our readers/viewers know what it looks like...just blow a big cloud of vapour for the camera, and of course the bigger the better - Ok?"
Or this...have a model/stooge just stand there looking as if they've inhaled and are exhaling...then just simply photo-shop the cloud in...which I and many others can do with a draw programme!
I'm sure you've all noticed this little gem when the MSM do a piece on smoking. Now what image do think would be used out of these two.
1. Pic of sophisticated smoking a la Audrey Hepburn...hmm...NO!!!
2. Of course not. What better way to feed prejudice than to use...you know what's coming don't you naughty people...yes, an ashtray full of BUTTS!, this conveys filthy, dirty habit! Right?
C'mon peeps - use your imagination huh?!