When Facts Don’t Support You, Use A Smear Campaign…

Whether you are looking towards the UK, US or any other part of the world, many politicians have argued that electronic cigarettes are nothing but a gateway to their tobacco counterparts. This is an argument which has infuriated the electronic cigarette industry, vaping community and indeed many health professionals. They have argued for some time that electronic cigarettes are most certainly not a gateway to the tobacco industry and indeed there is anecdotal evidence to suggest the exact opposite. So what has happened to blow this smear campaign out of the water?

The UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) has issued a very interesting report into the electronic cigarette industry using data gathered up to the end of 2013. While some will argue that the situation has changed dramatically over the last 12 months, there is no doubting that the trends highlighted in this report are most likely to continue.

How many people start with electronic cigarettes?

While electronic cigarette companies are not able to advertise their products as “quit smoking” aids this is a factor which has been mentioned time and time again. The opportunity to enjoy “smoking” with electronic cigarettes while avoiding the alleged 4000+ toxins in a modern day tobacco cigarette is certainly gaining more credence with the general public. In many ways politicians played a very shrewd game suggesting that electronic cigarettes were indeed a gateway to tobacco cigarettes knowing that ecig companies were not able promote them as quit smoking aids. However, this report by the ONS casts a very different light on this matter.

The report found that less than one in 300 electronic cigarette users have no history of tobacco cigarette use. So this is clear evidence that the majority of electronic cigarette users are switching from tobacco cigarettes to their ecig counterparts.

Will this change the shape of the industry?

It is a little unfortunate that this information, from a renowned source, has come to light after the majority of regulatory issues have been addressed even if they have not yet been placed on the statute books. If any of these proposed regulations were arrived at as a consequence of the gateway claim then potentially there is an argument for revisiting the situation again. However, it is unlikely that politicians and regulators will change direction or tack at this very late stage.

Those who support the vaping industry will be well aware of concerns about the information placed in the public domain by influential politicians and those with an axe to grind against the electronic cigarette industry. The fact that they have been “found out” after this report from the ONS is neither here nor there because in many ways the damage has already been done. A number of local authorities across the US have already flagged notice of their intention to bring electronic cigarettes under the same regulations and laws as their tobacco counterparts. So, has the industry been sold short?

Conclusion

The fact that less than one in 300 electronic cigarette users have no experience of tobacco cigarettes perfectly illustrates the fact that they are not a gateway to their tobacco counterparts, indeed in many cases the exact opposite. Politicians have been using this particular argument for some time now and while it has been well and truly blown out of the water, in many ways it has already served its purpose. Should we now see a movement to amend the proposed electronic cigarette regulations under consideration by the FDA and European regulators?

Mark Benson

For more information about SoShiSha E Liquids and the various products available please visit the SoShisha website.