Trouble in paradise?
Monday, July 8, 2019 at 12:29 Does anyone remember A Billion Lives? It was a film about smoking and vaping.
E-cigarettes, it seemed to suggest, have the potential to save a billion lives if only those pesky and corrupt politicians stopped obstructing their adoption by smokers worldwide.
I wrote about the film several times and reviewed it here - Thoughts on A Billion Lives (October 2016).
I was critical of several things - not least the title which was based on a contentious WHO estimate of the number of lives that may be shortened by smoking in the 21st century.
I admired the energy and the commitment director Aaron Biebert brought to the project but the film itself was rather dull and was undermined by what appeared to be an absurd conspiracy theory.
Inevitably I was criticised by vapers who took umbrage at what they perceived to be criticism of a project in which they had invested so much hope.
(Some vapers agreed with me but only in private, which is usually the way. God forbid they should ever support me in public!)
Anyway, fast forward to 2019 and director Aaron Biebert is currently filming a new documentary with the catchy title, You Don’t Know Nicotine.
Intriguingly, some vapers (and vaping advocates) are so appalled by the initial trailer (or teaser), released last week, that they’ve taken to social media (where else?) to make their views known.
Not happy with this teaser.
— The Vapor Ninja (@TheVaporNinja) July 2, 2019
It's about, and labelled as, the "teen vaping 'epidemic'".
I'd rather my teen vape than smoke and get disease.
This is not why I donated. This 'teen epidemic' is their excuse to ban vaping.
"Save The Children!" they cry. When it's really about taxes.
Wow. Not seeing this clip as super helpful. How many anti-vape activists/legislators will see this, take it as gospel & run with it? Or use it in their own campaigns? Not feeling very good about the donation right now.
— saddlehorseblues (@saddlehorseblue) July 2, 2019
Wow. That's very slick anti-nicotine propaganda!
— Charles A. Gardner, PhD (@ChaunceyGardner) July 6, 2019
Watch the trailer below and draw your own conclusions.
Bear in mind this is only the first trailer so the actual movie may adopt a different tone, but given the stick I got from vapers when I criticised A Billion Lives (after seeing the trailers for that film) it’s hard to be too sympathetic.
More important, I wonder what the organisers of the Global Forum on Nicotine think of it. After all, A Billion Lives had its European premiere at GFN in 2016 and director Aaron Biebert won the event’s Dorn Award.
In 2018 Biebert was appointed chairman of the GFN Film Festival and this year he chaired the film jury and presented the winner with her award.
#GFN19 Film Festival - Aaron Biebert will be a chair of the festival. Director & Executive Producer of "A Billion Lives", won top honors for his documentary, including the Supreme Jury Prize https://t.co/t8wgBLqOTy; register now! https://t.co/UrZaKCgn8v
— Global Forum on Nicotine (@GFNicotine) April 12, 2019
Perfect way to start the morning -- the great David Sweanor introducing the GFN Film Festival and @Biebert of @KnowNicotine. #GFN19 pic.twitter.com/c1F7iWhagU
— Gregory Conley (@GregTHR) June 14, 2019
Meanwhile here are some tweets that were 'liked' or retweeted by the You Don’t Know Nicotine account in the past week:
Parents' lawsuit claims their teen became addicted to JUUL e-cigarettes, and suffered vaping seizures, due to JUUL marketing its products to teens.
— Top Class Actions (@TopClassActions) July 5, 2019
Read more: https://t.co/GZQNM8HO6z#vapingseizures #ecigarettes pic.twitter.com/hsYRmeDgiT
ATHRA, Let’s be honest and clear...Perceptions about nicotine are widespread and 💯 real. Nicotine has been proven to cause cancer, heart attacks, lung disease, adolescent addiction & related ailments like throat cancer. PLEASE stop schilling for the Tobacco/Addiction Industry. https://t.co/tXIAoDeTqJ
— Erin Mills (@NYSMom4Kiddos) July 3, 2019
Teenage vaping is dramatically on the rise. Though chemically different, e-cigarettes contain a high level of nicotine, comparable to cigarettes.https://t.co/RuAO3sNMM1
— AMA (@AmerMedicalAssn) July 2, 2019
Returning to the film, I can't be alone in noticing a difference in the way You Don't Know Nicotine was launched and the trailer.
According to the movie's Kickstarter page:
With all the media hype surrounding nicotine, it's time to end the harmful misinformation and educate the public on what nicotine is, isn't, and what should be done with it.
We will answer three big questions during this 75-minute eye-opening journey:
How does nicotine actually affect developing brains?
Are there any benefits to adults who use nicotine without smoking?
Who's covering up the truth about nicotine, and why?
Contrast that with the one-line description of the film that accompanies the 'official documentary teaser':
An unbelievable documentary about nicotine and the teen vaping epidemic. Coming to theaters spring 2020.
Personally I'm looking forward to seeing the film (the production values look great!) but that’s just me. If nothing else it will be interesting to see who attends the world and European premieres and who hosts them.
I hope the film is more balanced than the trailer, though. If it isn't vapers and vaping advocates who previously eulogised him may be entitled to ask, 'With friends like Biebert who needs enemies?'!
Reader Comments (2)
Nicotine - the stuff, according to Deborah Arnott, that kills in tobacco but is not the same stuff pushed on kids in school in gum and patches. Yes, she did say this when I challenged her during a live debate and asked if nicotine is so harmful, why is public health dishing it out to kids as young as 12.
I wonder what line she takes on nicotine in vaping? I guess as she knows ecigs are now a weapon that can help her beat smokers more, the nicotine they contain will be entirely safe until the day an ASH funded new study shows it's not - and the bullying template that vile organisation designed against some of the poorest and most vulnerable in our society moves to target vapers.
I bet that once smokerphobic beibert's new film comes out it will probably carry the same kind of junk as his billion lies film and take Arnott's line that ncotine is safe in anything but deadly in tobacco.
The hypocrisy shown by the likes of Arnott and Beibert is one of the most revolting aspects surrounding this issue.
"Think of the chiiiiildren” under-18's must stick to regular cigarettes. No doubt this is the usual wining of the quit smoking brigade. “Switch or die” but do not start a harmless habit “heroine we can deal with, but we do not want them kids hooked on nicoteeeen”
So here’s the dilemma how to spread the news to smokers vaping is rather harmless and at the same time frighten the living daylights out of kids not to try it. This monster split must be hurting Aaron Biebert's crotch.
The billion-dollar question is how can to aim for a nicotine (and vape) free world by 2050 without losing the support (they so desperately need) of vapers to help them build a smoke free world by 2030?
You simply can’t.