Hancock Out – Javid In
The old Health Secretary has now resigned and is replaced by Sajid Javid – what does this mean for vaping in the United Kingdom?
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by Dave Cross
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Only those without internet access or watching the news can have failed to miss the deluge of attacks on the former Health Secretary Matt Hancock. From criticism of his fake tears on GMTV to the reports that Boris Johnson called him “f****** useless”, he finally resigned following the recent outcry over his “hypocrisy” of conducting an affair having “essentially banned casual relationships for a year” (BBC News).
Will the appointment of Sajid Javid make a difference in the government’s approach to vaping and tobacco harm reduction?
The Bromsgrove MP opened up E-Lites new business HQ in 2012, saying: “I am delighted that E-Lites has chosen to open its new headquarters here in Bromsgrove. It will be a tremendous boost for the local economy and confirms that Bromsgrove is a great place to do business.
“E-Lites has experienced rapid growth over the past three years, which is the best testament to the hard work and dedication of its founders and staff, and I wish it every success for the future.” (1)
In 2015, following Warrington Wolves taking on sponsorship from Truvape (2), Javid commented: “The important thing is that you need to be driven by the evidence. E-cigs, they’ve really taken off in the last two or three years and the important thing is to keep monitoring it and look at the evidence.” (3)
When he was Business Secretary, Sajid Javid was on the end of calls from the electronic cigarette industry to lift the ban on vape advertising, in 2016, which was implemented as part of the EU Tobacco Products Directive. The call was supported by the Advertising Association (4).
In 2018, Javid visited the Bromsgrove Cobbler Vape Shop. He wrote: “Great to open the new Bromsgrove Cobbler shop. [The owner] and his team contribute so much to Bromsgrove town centre - I'm proud to support this local business.”
As Home Secretary, Sajid Javid legalised the sale of CBD vape products (5).
It would be reasonable to conclude that the new man is certainly open to the concept of harm reduction, supportive of the independent business sector and believes in the value of evidence over emotional hysteria.
References:
- Bromsgrove MP opens electronic cigarettes company's new HQ - https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/business_daily/9784742.bromsgrove-mp-opens-electronic-cigarettes-companys-new-hq/
- Wolves lift ban on e-cigs at Halliwell Jones after signing new sponsorship deal - https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/1171514wolves-lift-ban-on-e-cigs-at-halliwell-jones-after-signing-new-sponsorship-deal/
- Reporter Aran Dhillon interviews MP Sajid Javid - https://audioboom.com/posts/2830740-reporter-aran-dhillon-interviews-mp-sajid-javid-david-mowat
- AA urges reverse of e-cigarette ad ban - https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/aa-urges-reverse-e-cigarette-ad-ban-brexit/1400344
- What are the rules about cannabis oil in the UK? - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-44534861
Photo Credit:
Shop image from Sajid Javid’s Twitter feed
Dave Cross
Journalist 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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