It would take a heart of stone not to sympathise with Aaron Biebert.

Having shuttled relentlessly around the globe promoting his pro-vaping documentary A Billion Lives, the tireless director has landed in Paris for yet another premiere.

Unfortunately his suitcase - and his beloved tuxedo - failed to arrive with him. Worse, the culprits appear to be British Airways which, as a proud Brit, makes me feel personally responsible.

Biebert's army of supporters are naturally enraged that such a thing could happen and Twitter is abuzz with hints of recrimination against the bungling airline.

I jest, of course. Truth is, I have huge admiration for Biebert's tenacious efforts to promote his film to the wider world. If anyone deserved a medal for persistence it's him.

Since the world premiere in New Zealand in May, A Billion Lives has been shown in Poland (at the Global Forum on Nicotine), Australia and America.

In Biebert's home city of Milwaukee a remarkable 1400 people attended the official North American premiere.

Next stop after Paris is South Africa and there's talk of all-important screenings in Hollywood and New York.

I assume Biebert is driven by a combination of things - including a perfectly reasonable desire to make a name for himself and recoup his costs - but I don't doubt his commitment to the topic of his documentary.

That however could be a weakness because it seems to have become something of a crusade for him. Sometimes it helps to be a little more detached.

Also, much as I admire what Biebert has achieved, I can't endorse A Billion Lives because I still haven't seen it and I've yet to read what I would call a proper independent review from a genuinely impartial source.

Comments I have read - from people I expected to be rather more positive - were surprisingly lukewarm.

I've been struck, in particular, by the lack of promotion the film has received among UK vapers (and vaping advocates), many of whom saw the documentary in Warsaw in June but have hardly mentioned it.

The apathy is remarkable. Ditto the absence of a UK premiere which is incomprehensible given that the UK is probably the most pro-vaping country in the world at present.

It could perhaps be argued that because of that there's less reason to show it here but I don't buy that and I'd love to know why A Billion Lives has not yet had a UK screening.

I've written about this before and if I was Aaron Biebert I'd be less than impressed. That said, I don't know all the facts. On the face of it however it appears to be an epic fail on the part of vaping advocacy groups in Britain.

Another thing. I understand Biebert has been criticised by some vapers for not releasing A Billion Lives on YouTube so everyone can see it, free of charge.

That is extremely unfair and unreasonable. Campaign wise - as we saw in the UK with Brexit: The Movie which went straight to YouTube following a high profile West End premiere - there are genuine arguments in favour of doing just that.

However Brexit: The Movie was, to a considerable extent, crowdfunded. I don't know how A Billion Lives was funded (it would be interesting to know) but if we assume third party financial support was minimal it suggests Biebert's company has taken the principal financial hit.

The director has to earn a living - and pay his staff and other expenses - so he must be allowed to explore every commercial angle (cinema release, Netflix, DVD or whatever) before giving away his work for free (and there should be absolutely no compulsion for him to do that).

Also, given the impending referendum, Brexit: The Movie director Martin Durkin had no time to lose. For the film to have any impact it had to be seen by as many people as possible within a matter of days rather than weeks or months.

Posted on YouTube within 24 hours of its West End premiere, the film was soon viewed by over a million people. It currently has almost 2.5 million views.

Once Aaron Biebert has exhausted every other avenue YouTube is probably the way to go, but give him time.

That said, I'm not convinced that Brexit: The Movie was watched by many Remainers or changed many people's minds. What it did do very well was create a feelgood buzz and confirm the opinions of those who were already intent on voting Leave.

The premiere alone - media reports showed a long queue of people standing outside the cinema in Leicester Square - was invaluable publicity for the Leave campaign.

A Billion Lives has a different purpose, I think. Yes, it's a rallying point for vapers but its primary aim is to open people's eyes and change minds in territories where vaping is under serious threat.

(I realise this undermines my argument about a UK premiere but I nevertheless find that omission astonishing.)

In short, my reservations about A Billion Lives haven't changed since I first expressed them in November last year and they won't change until I actually see the film (when they will probably be confirmed!).

Nevertheless, as I've commented before, I do wish Aaron Biebert well. In particular I hope he gets his luggage back, including that damned tux, before the Paris premiere tonight.

Update: Good news! The tux turned up!