Have you noticed there seems to have been a drop in the general support for vaping in recent months? You can still find plenty of articles and blog posts coming out in support of vaping, especially when it comes to individuals who have been able to quit smoking since taking up vaping as an alternative. But it’s also pretty easy to find reports and articles that focus on the supposed negatives surrounding vaping.
Vaping is being banned here, there and everywhere
It was probably only a matter of time anyway, but there have been various bans imposed on using electronic cigarettes in public places in recent times. Some pubs still let you vape, while others have banned it. Some cafes, restaurants and other eateries have also banned vaping, while others are still happy for you to vape while you’re there.
Transport has also seen changes with regard to how welcome e-cigs are on journeys. Train company C2C has a complete ban, as does First Capital Connect and London Underground. They’re not the only ones, either. Most airlines have also banned e-cig vaping.
This gradual narrowing of the places where vapers can use their devices is no big surprise, but we think it has led to an increase in negativity towards vaping as a whole.
The new EU regulations
Yes, we have to include these as well. According to the Daily Mail report published just before last Christmas, one in four electronic cigarettes will be banned from 2016 onwards in Britain because they’ll be too strong. There is an idea stubbornly hanging around that vaping could encourage young people to switch to smoking. This can’t have been taken positively either by some, even though we’ve never heard of anyone starting as a vaper and switching to smoking later on. Have you? The statistics don’t support this idea either.
Are they being lumped in with cigarettes?
We don’t argue against the idea that better regulation is needed – to some extent – in the vaping industry. If anyone and everyone is capable of producing vaping supplies without needing to conform to any regulations at all, you could be using anything. It’s helpful to know what is in your e-liquid, for example.
However, a lot of the rules coming out of the EU – and the decisions taken by governments in response to the use of e-cigarettes in public – seem to be of the knee-jerk variety. We don’t think all the changes are necessary. Some will harm small businesses, possibly sending them out of business altogether. If casual observers look at what is happening, would you blame them for viewing electronic cigarettes in a negative way?
It’s become clear that tobacco companies have wanted to get in on the act with regard to e-cigs, too. They’re known for selling cigarettes and tobacco – both of which kill people. The facts and statistics back this up, and we all know it. So while the statistics show that e-cigs help people quit, and help people towards a healthier lifestyle, some people are starting to associate cigarettes and e-cigarettes with each other. This can’t be a good thing, since many people switch to e-cigs to help them quit smoking in the first place.
Suddenly, it becomes much easier to see why some people end up with a poor view of vapers and vaping. It’s also understandable why many vapers start feeling persecuted. Here they are, trying to quit smoking with a little help, and they are rapidly running out of places to do it when they’re out and about.
It does make you wonder whether some people have given up and gone back to smoking, doesn’t it?
