Matchless E-cigarette blog

Have you heard of VApril yet? No, that’s not a misprint or a typo – it’s the name given to a month-long campaign to make smokers more aware of vaping. And yes, it takes place in April, hence the name.

This event aims to bring vaping to the attention of smokers. The hope is that smokers will realise that vaping is far safer for their health and wellbeing than smoking. This has been proven, with thousands of smokers already quitting with the help of electronic cigarettes. According to the official VApril website, around 1.5 million smokers in the UK have already quit by switching to vaping. It’s hoped many more will join them following this campaign.

Who is involved?

The campaign has been set up by the UK Vaping Industry Association. Yes, they have a vested interest in helping more smokers take up vaping. However, there is ample evidence to support the fact vaping is far safer than smoking. Therefore, it makes sense to promote it to the masses of smokers who have already tried and failed to quit in other ways.

Dr Christian Jessen is fronting the month-long event. He is perhaps best-known for presenting Embarrassing Bodies and Supersize vs Superskinny. He is a familiar and trusted face, so is perhaps the best choice for supporting the campaign.

Taking the three-step challenge

The backbone of the VApril event is the three-step challenge. Firstly, there will be a series of Vaping Masterclass events taking place across the UK. These began on 3rd April and will continue through until the last day of the month. The classes will be made available at vaping stores throughout the UK, concentrating on city-based locations. (Of course, you can pop into any vaping store near you for more advice and support on quitting smoking by switching to vaping instead.)

The second part of the challenge is to claim your six-page VApril guide. This is free and has been put together by the UK Vaping Industry Association. It contains lots of useful advice and support, as well as information about choosing vaping supplies to help you on the journey to quitting smoking.

Finally, those taking part are encouraged to be social. There is an official Facebook page for VApril, as well as a Twitter account at @Vaping_Industry. They are encouraging people to use the hashtags #Vapril and #Vaprilchallenge to start talking about the event and their experiences of switching to vaping.

Will it work?

Dr Jessen says around 40% of those who smoke in this country have never tried vaping. That’s around 2.8 million people of the seven million who smoke. Even if VApril only reaches a small proportion of those, it could help many more people successfully stop smoking. Support is crucial in helping people quit, and while some have successfully switched to vaping without too much hassle, others have found it more difficult or have never considered it at all.

Could VApril become an annual event?

Very possibly. It’s hard to imagine this year’s inaugural event being a failure. Those who attend the Vaping Masterclasses organised at major cities across the UK also stand a chance of winning a smoker2vaper starter kit. If you are interested, you must visit the VApril website and register for a Masterclass at a location that suits you.

What are your thoughts on VApril? Are you intending to try and quit smoking this month, and if so, are you going to get some advice and information from the VApril website and the associated free guide? Let us know what you think about this campaign in the comments below.

Russia looks to be taking a positive approach to vaping, if comments by the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade are anything to go by. Denis Manturov has indicated the country could separate vaping products from cigarettes, as far as the law and regulations are concerned.

He stated electronic cigarettes and similar systems were “safer” to use. He even suggested smokers should switch to vaping, confirming such products would be regulated differently to cigarettes in Russia. This suggests the country is wholly supportive of vaping. As Mr Manturov said, the idea is to “encourage smokers to switch from conventional tobacco to the new devices.”

A refreshing approach, and one vapers will welcome

Some countries have done their utmost to make vapers feel like criminals. Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, some countries have outlawed vaping and continue to insist it is just as bad for health as smoking.

The Russian Minister also suggested vaping products might be taxed less heavily than tobacco products. This would make them cheaper and provide an incentive for smokers to make the switch to electronic cigarettes. Smoking is very common in Russia. According to The Moscow Times, over 60% of men in the country smoke, along with nearly 22% of women. It is regularly cited as a country with one of the highest incidences of smokers in the world.

When will the changes occur?

No one is sure yet when these plans will come to fruition. However, if those in charge are serious about reducing the high rate of smoking in Russia, chances are it won’t be too long. Smokers may soon find it easier and cheaper than ever to make the switch to vaping.

What are your thoughts on this? Are you surprised by Russia’s positive stance towards vaping? Let us know in the comments below.

Vaping is easier to do in some areas than in others. Occasionally, vapers are permitted to puff on their e-cigs in areas where smokers are banned. That was the case until recently in the Quadrant shopping centre in Swansea, Wales, but times have changed.

From the last Monday in February this year, vaping inside the shopping centre has been banned. According to the official website for the Quadrant, the decision has been described as “the landlord’s policy.”

The centre manager, Lisa Hartley, has also spoken about the decision. She said the policy was introduced “for the comfort of our shoppers.” She also believes most will realise the policy was brought in to appeal to the majority of those using the centre, people “who prefer a smoke- or vape-free environment.”

It is not unusual to encounter shopping centres and other public places with bans in place for vaping. In many situations, vapers are forced to go outside into a space designed for smokers, which is hardly ideal. Indeed, Ms Hartley pointed out the existence of places outside the Quadrant shopping centre where people smoked, saying others could vape there as well. Yet for those wanting to quit smoking and make the switch to vaping, this could prove difficult.

This seems to be the main issue for many. Some believe vaping is unfairly being included with smoking as a hazard to health, when numerous studies have proven this is not the case. Vaping is said to be around 99% safer than smoking, and yet vapers are regularly penalised in much the same way as smokers are.

What are your thoughts on vaping being banned from the Swansea shopping centre? Are there shopping centres and other venues near you where you cannot vape? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Did you know you could end up being fined if you vape while driving? That’s the message issued by senior police officers recently. You may wonder why you could be fined for using an electronic cigarette while driving. It’s not illegal, as has been pointed out.

However, it is not illegal to eat or drink while driving either. Yet you could still be fined for doing that if police officers see you and deem you were distracted or driving dangerously.

What is the major issue here?

There are several key differences between vaping and smoking, namely that vaping has been proven to be far better for your health than smoking cigarettes. However, many people will have noticed e-cigs produce far more vapour than cigarettes do. It is this vapour that appears to be the main concern here.

The excessive amount of vapour emitted by an e-cigarette could obscure a driver’s vision. Even if this only happens for a second or so, it is enough to potentially cause an accident.

Being distracted by anything could result in a fine, or worse

Sergeant John Davis of Surrey Police pointed out someone could be found guilty of an offence if they are distracted in any way while at the wheel. Vaping is just one of the ways this could happen. Sergeant Davis confirmed that eating or smoking might also be deemed distracting. He also highlighted the unfortunately regular occurrence of finding mobile phone use is a key factor in some serious and fatal accidents.

Visual disruption is a key factor behind the warning

The message from the police is clear – many people may not think vaping behind the wheel is dangerous. However, it can be just that. While it isn’t illegal to do this, you could be found guilty of an offence if you are seen vaping and the clouds of vapour are deemed to be obstructing your vision.

The outcome of this could be points on your licence (between three and nine of them), a fine of up to £2,500, and possibly even being disqualified from driving altogether. None of that equates with the possibility of causing an accident, possibly even a serious or fatal one. So, perhaps we should refrain from vaping while at the wheel, just in case it did cause a serious crash.

Do you agree with this warning? Do you vape while driving? Let us know in the comments below.

An inquiry has been launched by a group of MPs to gather more information about e-cigarettes and vaping. The group contains MPs from all parties and will look at how useful they are as an aid to help people stop smoking. They will also explore how vaping affects health.

The idea is to see whether there are gaps where there is a lack of knowledge around electronic cigarettes, their use, and other aspects of the industry. They also wish to find out more about the impact of the latest regulations on vaping. The Tobacco Products Directive came into being in May 2017, putting into practice several requirements that must now be met across the industry. These include a maximum strength for nicotine and a maximum size for refills.

Any news on the results of the inquiry?

There is no word yet about the outcome of the inquiry, although written submissions were invited to be sent to the inquiry by 8th December last year. The three main areas they are focusing on delve into the impact of electronic cigarettes on health, on regulation, and on finance. The latter looks at the way the vaping industry affects the economy and how it might impact the NHS.

Will it be a positive or negative thing?

It is impossible to guess the outcome of the inquiry. However, electronic cigarettes have already been recommended as part of Stoptober, the month-long push to help more people quit smoking. There is also a growing body of research that indicates vaping is far safer than smoking and is one of the best ways to help people quit. We have also seen proof that it does not encourage youngsters to smoke, despite what some countries might have you believe.

3 million vapers in the UK alone

The chair of the cross-party group, Norman Lamb MP, confirmed nearly three million people in the UK use electronic cigarettes. He also said there were “significant gaps in the research guiding their regulation and sale.”

He also pointed out that some people believe they are great tools for helping smokers quit, while others fear they make smoking appear normal and acceptable. We doubt the latter would be proven to be correct, but we await the results of this inquiry with interest. What are your thoughts on this? Are you eager to find out what the results are? Let us know your thoughts below.

We’ve already heard of research highlighting how much safer vaping is when compared to smoking. Now, we have yet another study that supports this. The study was produced on behalf of Fontem Ventures and looked at over 200 smokers who agreed to stop smoking and use e-cigarettes for a two-year period instead. While Fontem Ventures has a vested interest in promoting vaping (it is part of the tobacco maker Imperial Brands, and has diversified into the vaping industry), the results of the study make for interesting reading.

It found “no safety concerns” in the health of the smokers who voluntarily took part in the two-year study. The health of all those taking part was checked throughout and at the end of the study. Researchers discovered the main issues experienced by some of the participants occurred soon after quitting smoking and could therefore be related to that. Symptoms included sore throats, headaches, and coughing, although all such symptoms reduced over time.

Gaining weight is a familiar problem with many people who quit smoking. However, the study did not find this of concern in the participants. This may suggest vaping can help minimise the risk of weight gain. Many people eat instead of smoking, but vaping provides an alternative.

While smokers would expect to go through tough withdrawal symptoms when quitting, these were less pronounced among those in the study. Furthermore, there were no real health concerns for the two-year period included in the study, once the initial issues disappeared.

This seems to suggest vaping is much safer than smoking and doesn’t pose any risks to those who switch to it. Do you agree with this? Have you made the switch and feel healthier because of it? Let us know how you are getting on in the comments.

Public Health England has suggested hospitals throughout the UK should provide places where people can vape, alongside vaping supplies available for sale. The agency has also recommended e-cigarettes be made available on prescription for those wishing to quit smoking.

Thousands of people are making the switch every year

PHE recently published an independent review of the latest information and facts surrounding vaping. The report found at least 20,000 people are successfully quitting smoking by switching to e-cigarettes each year. Experts from Public Health England contributed an article to The Lancet, saying the health risks associated with vaping are “less than 5% of that from smoking tobacco.” They went on to say the risk of a vaper contracting cancer is lower than 1%, according to the latest calculations.

Could e-cigs eventually be official quitting aids?

The push to encourage e-cigarettes as an official quitting tool is clearly in contention. PHE has suggested the Government should support manufacturers in getting the proper licensing into place that would allow electronic cigarettes to be used as an official aid to quit smoking. Data has shown that just shy of three million people across the UK now use vaping supplies. However, while figures have shot up to reach that level in recent years, there are signs those figures have now flattened out.

This could be partly due to some people believing sources that claim vaping is dangerous to health and is no better than smoking. This is a concern, since all the evidence points to the contrary. Many people have successfully quit smoking by switching to vaping. Indeed, a recent study has confirmed no adverse health effects were seen in 200 volunteers who stopped smoking and switched to vaping.

“Two parts to being a smoke-free hospital”

It makes sense PHE would support every hospital in the drive to become smoke-free. The tobacco control lead for Public Health England, Martin Dockerell, pointed to the two aspects that contribute towards a hospital being truly smoke-free. The first is to ban smoking on site, while the second is to support smokers in quitting.

Mr Dockerell clearly wants to see more support for vaping, in the hope it will encourage more smokers to quit. Making it easier for people to vape, when this is by far the safer option, makes perfect sense. Whether the reality will follow through on this idea remains to be seen.

Would more people quit if electronic cigarettes were made available on prescription?

We think they would. Since some people mistakenly believe e-cigs are as dangerous as smoking, they have no incentive to make the switch. Yet if GPs were able to recommend vaping on prescription, many would no doubt take it up. If vaping was recognised more readily by the medical profession, as it seems it may be on the way to being, it could mean we see lots more people quitting smoking.

Have you made the switch yet? If not, would you be more likely to if e-cigarettes were made available on prescription? Let us know in the comments.

As time goes on, more data emerges to confirm vaping is far safer than smoking. Despite this, Singapore is soon to bring in a ban on electronic cigarettes and vaping.

It has been against the law to import and sell vaping products for several years now. Possession was then outlawed from the end of 2015. Tweaks in the law will shortly see purchase of e-cigs and associated products made illegal, along with using and possessing such items.

It is no huge surprise to learn vapers are fighting back. There is a huge black market in Singapore owing to these laws, and it is only set to get bigger once the total ban comes into effect in 2018. Sadly, an unregulated black market is far more likely to present problems, since nothing is checked or confirmed to be safe. Rather like cutting off your nose to spite your face, wouldn’t you say?

Yet the Singaporean authorities continue to say vaping leads to smoking. It would appear they are ignoring the ever-increasing amount of evidence to the contrary. We also know numerous studies have confirmed vaping is far safer than smoking. Many people have found vaping is the easiest method to use to help them quit smoking – and by far the most successful. By denying their residents the chance to use this safe tool, the authorities should not be surprised if health problems related to smoking continue at the current level – or even get worse. While we hope those in control come to their senses and backtrack on the laws, we doubt this will happen anytime soon.

What are your thoughts on this? Can you imagine living in a country where vaping was banned but cigarette smoking was still legal – and still as dangerous to health as ever?