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F
F E AT U R E S
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VOICES OF
REASON
UK industry and advocates stand fi rm as
US industry takes a battering
Words: Gordon Stribling
American vape advocates have had a rough time of it
since the hotly-disputed teen vaping ‘epidemic’ began to
take hold. Barely a day goes by without a public offi cial
announcing their intent to crack down on flavours or
irresponsible marketing practices.
Despite the latest vaping scare fi nally being acknowledged
to be more of a THC oil issue than an e-cigarette issue,
panic has now crossed the Atlantic and the US vape
industry is in peril. Public health groups and vape advocates
fear that the hysteria and misinformation imported from
the US may undo the success of vaping in the UK and
lead countless vapers to return to combustible cigarettes.
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Former ASH chief executive Clive Bates said that the THC
scare should be a warning of the dangers of unregulated
products, not an excuse to stoke unfounded fears about
vaping as a whole.
Bates said: “You’re terrifying people who are benefi ting
from vaping by not smoking.”
UK businesses, public health advocates and vapers
have come together to speak out against the tide of
misinformation that threatens the nation’s thriving
industry. The last thing anyone wants to see is smokers
being forced to go back to cigarettes but if we are not
careful it could happen. Here’s what they had to say.