The POTV Guide to the Politics of Vaping
This guide looks at the laws that control what, how and where we vape as well as introducing the groups, charities and organisations that work to influence government policy
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by Dave Cross
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What laws cover electronic cigarettes?
- Smoke-free generation: tobacco control plan for England
- Tobacco control plan: delivery plan 2017 to 2022
- E-cigarettes: an evidence update
- E-cigarettes: regulations for consumer products
- Tobacco products and e-cigarette cross-border sales: registration
- UK law on the advertising of e-cigarettes
Who campaigns in the UK against vaping and vapers?
Michael Bloomberg
- Not directly, but Bloomberg’s organisations fund an active and consistent opposition to vaping and tobacco harm reduction (a number of which are listed here)
Martin McKee:
- Admitted he knew nothing about vaping when he began attacking it
- Lied to children about tobacco harm reduction
- Says vaping causes popcorn lung
- Says vaping causes tumours and denies it’s 95% safer
- Says vaping can lead to cocaine use
- Regularly invited to provide “balancing opinions” in interviews, where his arguments are destroyed
- Says the tobacco industry is funding vape “internet trolls”
- Accused the House of Commons (HoC) committee of being led by the nose by Big Tobacco
- Belittled Norman Lamb for appearing in a “glossy tobacco-industry funded UKVIA publication”
- Accused committee chair Norman Lamb of tobacco “industry collaboration”
- Accused ATHRA of “quackery” and accepting tobacco funding
- Said “The 95% safer statement is fake news”
- Claimed dropping smoking rates are down to “proven measures, not e-cigarettes”
- Partners Simon Chapman and McKee in making negative submissions to governments
Professor John Ashton:
- Abused vapers online, for which he lost his job
- Frequently comments negatively about tobacco harm reduction products and nicotine users
Simon Capewell:
- Tweets anti-vape nonsense with a proliferation of hashtags
- Provides nonsense to the media when McKee isn’t available
- Accuses advocates and experts of being “stooges” and “useful idiots” for the tobacco industry
The Daily Telegraph:
- Following a run-in between the then senior science journalist and expert Clive Bates, The Daily Telegraph continually runs smear stories attacking vaping and tobacco harm reduction.
The Lancet
- Frequently carries negative stories and smears
Ruth Malone
- Editor of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and friend of Martin McKee, believes there is no need for vaping, just banning all nicotine products. Influences BMJ coverage.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism:
- Paid for PR arm of the Bloomberg anti-vape campaign, produces awful articles
University of Bath/Tobacco Control Research Group:
- Bloomberg funds the TCRG and this influences the output from the University, this includes smears and
Who promotes vaping as a tobacco harm reduction tool?
- Public Health England
- The Royal College of Physicians
- The Royal College of GPs
- The Royal College of Nursing
- The Royal Society for Public Health
Health charities
- Cancer Research UK
- Action on Smoking and Health
- The British Heart Foundation
- The British Asthma Society
- The British Lung Foundation
Consumer groups
Trade organisations
Parliamentary groups
- The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping
- The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Smoking and Health
Who are the leading researchers influencing vape policy in the UK?
Pioneering work is being conducted by:
- Professor Linda Bauld – pregnancy, nicotine
- Professor John Britton, Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies - research
- Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at Kings - research
- Professor Peter Hajek - research
- Academics at the University College London Tobacco & Alcohol Research Group - research
- Dr Sharon Cox – the vulnerable
- Lynne Dawkins - evidence
Where do researchers share information with consumers, advocates, and politicians?
The two leading events are:
There are many other events where consumers and advocates are not involved. The people and organisations in the section about who is opposed to vaping have been invited to the two events above in the past but either declined or failed to respond to their invitations. None of them have attended GFN or the E-cig Summit.
Dave Cross
Writer at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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