World News Roundup
Summary of some of the main news stories in the world of vape
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by Dave Cross
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The Luas is a tram system in Dublin, shifting over 34 million people per year, and it is also the focus of complaints about anti-social vaping. In particular, Anne McCoy is deeply upset about having had to breathe in “disgusting fumes”.
Worse, it’s not the first time she has suffered such indignation: “It’s the second time it’s happened. The first time the lady was being quite furtive about it but this morning the gentlemen had no problem using his device. He was beside me so I got the full force of his fumes. There are no signs on the Luas that I can see prohibiting it.”
Along with vaping, the Luas operators also ban queuing in a disorderly fashion, singing, bicycles, the holding of meetings and demonstrations, loud noises and selling.
Vapers are also being blamed for a spate of naked harassment in Missouri. Four people are reported to have gone on a rampage in the small town of Sullivan. They were reported to have stripped naked, barked and were yelling as they broke into buildings, before showering in soda water. More observant commentators have pointed out that the problem wasn’t so much them vaping as the synthetic drug “flakka” that they chose to vape.
More positive American news comes in the form of British company Totally Wicked announcing that it has risen again. With the FDA’s original plans, it stated: “It is impossible for our company to continue doing business in the USA after August 7th, 2018.”
With the new appointment of Scott Gottlieb as head of the FDA, Totally Wicked has announced: “Totally Wicked will now no longer be closing in 2018. We will continue to sell vaping products to adult smokers who wish to make an educated, well-informed decision to use an electronic cigarette as an alternative to a traditional, combustible tobacco cigarette.”
Not such great news for Big Tobacco, as health campaigners are looking at pushing for them to face murder trials. Deborah Arnott, Action on Smoking and Health, said: “We are assessing the feasibility of pressing the DPP to prosecute British American Tobacco, Philip Morris, Imperial Brands and JTI, or to win permission for a private prosecution. The lesson from the Netherlands is that the prospect of criminal charges has had a sensational impact. Smokers have been angry to find out low tar cigarettes are no healthier, because smokers inhale more tar and nicotine from low tar cigarettes than the tests show. Sick smokers have come forward in their thousands to take action against the industry.”
Despite being fervently opposed to smoking, ASH UK has recognized the benefits and potential of vaping. Shame the same can not be said elsewhere, as Dr. Ning Fan is busy lying to Hong Kong: “While evidence on the long-term effects of e-cigarettes is inconclusive, particularly on the question of whether they are carcinogenic, there is sufficient evidence of their short-term adverse effects, particularly on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.”
Lastly, staying in the Far East, Ra Guk-san, who plays with Kim Ban-jang and Windy City, South Korea's biggest roots reggae band, has been fined around £700 for vaping on a Korean Air Lines flight. The Korean Herald reports that the law has now been changed, and anyone doing the same now faces a fine of up to £7,000.
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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