‘Real Vapers’ Required
The government is making plans for vapers without consulting us or the consumer-driven industry that we created, and the UKVIA wants to do something about it
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
The government is making plans for vapers without consulting us or the consumer-driven industry that we created, and the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) wants to do something about it. The trade body has expressed its ‘disappointed’ at the lack of industry and consumer representation at Tobacco and Vapes Bill hearings and has put out a call for real vapers to share how vaping helped them cut down on or stop smoking.
The UK Vaping Industry Association says it is disappointed that no representatives for the sector, nor for the millions of adults who have quit smoking through vaping, were invited to speak at the January 7th committee hearings for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Some of the measures being considered in this bill could have consequences on the effectiveness of vaping as a quitting tool, potentially blocking smokers from making the switch or sending current adult vapers back to cigarettes or to the black market.
UKVIA says that the legitimate industry, “which is devoted to helping adult smokers kick the habit and shares the ambition of a smoke free future, as well as the consumers, whose lives have been changed by vaping”, should have had a voice in the session.
On January 8th – the day following the hearings – the UKVIA is hosting an event in parliament to put forward the industry’s views on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, including the potential for a retail licensing scheme – something we, as an association, have been advocating for years.
UKVIA says: “Consumers are also invited and encouraged to share how vaping helped them quit as part of our REAL VAPERS campaign, so we can show Government the true impact of vaping as a stop smoking tool: Real Vapers – Real Stories – UKVIA”
It added: “The goal of the REAL VAPERS campaign is to help the government better understand the true impact of vaping, and to inspire smokers – who may have been discouraged by misinformation – to make the switch to a significantly less harmful alternative.”
The following is a testimonial submitted by a REAL VAPER:
“I had been smoking 15 to 20 cigarettes per day for six years and desperately wanted to quit due to the smell it was creating on all my clothes…until I discovered vapes.
“I have now been able to completely quit smoking cigarettes and there is no smell on me or my clothes. I am now at the point that cigarettes don’t even tempt me and the smell of cigarette smoke makes me nauseous.
“If it wasn’t for vapes, I would have never been able to quit smoking. Before vapes, I had already tried lozenges and sprays, but they would burn and sting my tongue and mouth. I also tried various strengths of nicotine pouches, but I developed a skin reaction to them and could not use them.
“Vapes have been the only thing that have helped me quit.”
UKVIA believes that your story matters.
Click here to read more testimonials or to share how vaping helped you kick the deadly habit: Real Vapers – Real Stories – UKVIA
Photo Credit:
Author generated image with UKVIA logo
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.
-listing400.jpg)
