A few weeks ago Forest hosted a webinar on the subject 'Why Should Smokers Switch to Vaping?'.
It was a question not a statement (ie 'Why Smokers Should Switch To Vaping') and because we like to engage with a wide range of opinion (unlike most lobby groups) we invited no fewer than four leading vaping advocates to join our panel of five speakers.
One of them was Joe Dunne, former spokesman for an industry group, Vape Business Ireland, and now spokesman for Respect Vapers, a 'grassroots' campaign launched in Ireland last year.
Joe seems like a nice chap and these were his final thoughts at the end of the meeting:
"The biggest things that we have as human beings is free will. That's the greatest gift that we have and no matter what you choose in life it's down to your own decision.
"If smokers continue to smoke and that's what satisfies them – and as a lot of people said they enjoy smoking – so if you enjoy something and you choose to do it, well that is your choice.
"No-one should try and push you down a vaping alleyway or down NRT or whatever it might be."
Well, it's World No Tobacco Day on Monday (May 31) and this is how Respect Vapers has responded:
Join us in saying NO to tobacco on World No Tobacco Day ... Vapers say NO to tobacco ... Vaping is NOT smoking
Oh, and there's a hashtag – #VapersAgainstTobacco.
As someone commented on Facebook, 'Do they not realise how silly they look?'
That's pretty much my response. I don't feel anger, disappointment or even surprise because it's so predictable ... and, yes, silly.
Joe is not alone of course in trying to align his pro-vaping campaign with the anti-smoking industry but I'm not sure it's a clever strategy.
As someone else commented this morning:
'Blimey, that's full on, brothers in arms ... not. Are they trying to start a war?'
PS. Sunday (May 30) is World Vape Day, an initiative designed to piggy-back on World No Smoking Day. (Not a bad idea, as it happens.)
This is its second year and it's organised by the World Vapers' Alliance, a global campaign funded by Consumer Choice Center.
Sadly CCC is another of those supposedly liberal consumer groups that is extremely vocal when it comes to tobacco harm reduction but noticeably quiet when it comes to defending an adult's freedom to smoke tobacco.
But that's another issue for another day.
