Vape Tales
This week’s assorted stories from home about vapers and vaping.
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
“OK look, we need to talk about vaping and its dangers,” writes Burt, referencing the woeful article by Laura Donnelly about vaping being as bad for your heart as cigarette smoking. And then he’s forced to allude to exploding mods with reference to Westworld, at least the fictional reference befits the real-world hazard posed by such eventualities.
Burt is more concerned about how vapers are seen, “the dangers that make you look like a grown up doing the smoking equivalent of blowing bubbles from a toy pipe.” It seems fair; many vapers will have been unaware how Joshua’s world sees them: “a baby with a dummy as a substitute nipple.”
While it is understandable why vapers might take umbrage at such analogies, it is also possible to see where the impressions of vapers come from. Although exploding mods are very rare occurrences, they do happen – and it always seems to be with a person who isn’t the best firework on Bonfire Night.
Eric Wiberg has gone out of his way to make Burt’s point appear valid. The book-writing sailor from Connecticut was travelling back from London to the States with Norwegian Air. The vaper plugged his device in to charge and placed it into the back pocket of the seat in front.
Nodding off to sleep, he was rudely awoken by smoke – grabbed his overheating device and plunged it into a bucket of water being proffered by the frightened cabin crew (suffering burns to his hand in the process). Is this the manufacturer’s fault? Is it the result of his own incompetence? Absolutely not, as far as Wiberg is concerned.
The blame lays squarely on the shoulders of Norwegian Air for having the temerity to allow him to take the device on board the aircraft and not ban him from charging it. He has contracted a law firm and issued legal proceedings to reclaim an unspecified amount of damages. With vaping friends like this we have no need of enemies.
It’s not just the anti-ecig campaigners or journalists attacking vaping, thieves and vandals continue to target individual stores. Up In Smoke in Morecambe suffered a broken window: “They ran behind the doctor’s surgery after throwing the brick, and we saw them take their balaclavas off. We think they were trying to break in. We gave them an ultimatum to apologise and they haven’t done that.”
Premier E-Cigs in Lincoln has been similarly targeted, a representative said: “There is a £500 reward and an exclusive vapouround goody bag for information leading to an arrest. Premier E-Cigs on Brant Road was broken into last night if anyone has any information please get in touch. Mainly mods and drippers were stolen. There has been thousands of pounds worth of damage.”
“At least smokers have some oomph, some dedication to their downfall,” continues Joshua Burt. With vapers who sue airline companies and rob from stores, it appears Burt is underplaying our ability to self-destruct too.
Photo Credit:
Image - Bubble pipe
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.
Join the discussion
Parliament Fears Two
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs faced questions from a Conservative MP and, oddly, a member of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
-
by Dave Cross
Harm Reduction For The Rich
The United Kingdom risks becoming a harm reduction country only for the wealthy, according to Michael Landl of the World Vapers’ Alliance
-
by Dave Cross
Sacrificing Health For 2p Cut
Tory Government alienates vaping voters with its mission to cut tax by an unaffordable 2p to attract voters by placing a tax on vape products in the forthcoming budget
-
by Dave Cross
Scotland Announces Single-Use Vape Action
A ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland is due to come into effect on 1 April 2025, under proposed legislation published today
-
by Dave Cross
