Forest – voice and friend of the smoker (and vaper)
Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 8:12 A new report came out on Monday.
The Guardian (E-cigarettes do not normalise smoking for young people – study) gave it the most prominence, online at least.
Forest was invited to comment and the paper surprisingly used the full quote:
Simon Clark, the director of the smokers’ group Forest, said: “The study shows there is nothing to fear from the growth of vaping.
“The results support our view that government should ease restrictions on e-cigarette advertising. It’s time too for local authorities to lead by example and lift restrictions on the use of e-cigarettes in the workplace and other public areas.
“Young people’s negative views on smoking also suggest the health risks are very well understood. Now they need to be taught about choice and personal responsibility so when they are adults they can make informed decisions without unnecessary state intervention.”
The Press Association also ran the quote, albeit an edited version:
“The study shows there is nothing to fear from the growth of vaping.
“The results support our view that Government should ease restrictions on e-cigarette advertising.”
In what appears to be a direct reaction to my comment about advertising, the PA included this response from ASH:
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said the charity did not support lifting restrictions on e-cigarette advertising.
She added: “The current regulations are working, regular vaping by young people remains low, and that’s the way it needs to stay.”
In the UK the number of smokers switching to vaping has slowed dramatically in recent years. The current figure is 3.2 million, almost half of them dual users, up from 2.9 million three years ago when 1.5 million were dual users.
We are now told that 20,000 smokers are switching annually to vaping in the UK, which doesn't seem very many to me.
Leaving aside the elephant in the room (the fact that many smokers enjoy smoking and don't want to switch or quit), is it any surprise that vaping rates are no longer rising as fast as they were when the marketing and advertising of e-cigarettes is so heavily regulated?
Having come late to the party ASH wants to be seen as an active advocate of vaping. They say they want more smokers to switch (en route to quitting nicotine altogether, a qualification they are less vocal about) but they don't support lifting some of the current regulations which they say "are working".
Arguably this is true in terms of youth vaping rates but it clearly isn't true in relation to the number of smokers who are currently switching to e-cigarettes.
Ironically, Deborah Arnott will be a speaker at the E-Cigarette Summit in Washington on Monday April 29 and I expect her to address the E-Cigarette Summit in London in November where she seems to be a permanent fixture.
Forest, meanwhile, is repeatedly ignored by the organisers of these and other pro-vaping events, presumably because of our refusal to abandon the rights and interests of adults who choose to smoke.
In contrast the media appreciates we have something to contribute – as the consumers' champion – and we will continue to speak out and conduct research on behalf of both smokers and vapers.
Update: Someone long associated with the vaping industry sent me a text on Tuesday:
Much enjoyed your contribution to Guardian piece re youth smoking. Vaping industry owes you a big thank you.
My pleasure!
Reader Comments (1)
I must tell the school kids I see hanging around our local park competing to blow bigger vaping clouds about this new propaganda study. Vaping is certainly the new youth fad in these parts.
I have no problem with promoting ecigs to smokers except they won't be "promoted" to smokers - smokers will be forced to quit or switch. Ecigs are already being weaponised against smokers hence the smokerphobic public services are encouraged to allow vaping but ban smoking.
It is a shame that Forest still remains the only organisation that really values informed choice for all consumers without ifs or buts.