It’s World Vape Day 2021 in a few days time and it’s become a major event since its inception back in 2012.
May 30th is now set in stone as the day the world celebrates vaping, and falls a day before the none event that is the World Health Organization’s World No Tobacco Day.
OK, so the World Vape Day is of course a celebration of all things vape and this year the world really has got behind it.
This year’s theme is ‘Go the Extra Mile‘ – more on that in a moment.
There’s major events planned across the continents with everything joining up across all social media platforms.
You can find out what’s happening in your area by visiting the World Vape Day 2021 website, but here’s just a few:
Thailand: live casts and more
India: All day events and the main focus on Twitter and social campaigns
Latin America: Vape Fest held on YouTube
Philippines: Vapers Philippines is asking vapers to share their transition stories in 60 second videos
The whole event will be coordinated on the World Vapers Alliance Facebook page and a live event will be across social media and its YouTube channel.
It looks like a cracking live show, with a truly extraordinary cast of speakers lined up including, GrimmGreen, Michelle Minton and Clive Bates to name just three.
A spokesman for World Vape Day said:
World Vape Day 2021 is a day celebrating vaping.
It will highlight the benefits of tobacco harm reduction in general and of vaping in particular.
We want to deliver a positive message about vaping and focus on the good it brings to society.
We’re meeting to talk about everything vaping and focus on the good it brings to society and we’ll catch up with top figures in the vaping world to see what they’ve been up to in the last year.
Join our live streams starting at 4 PM CET on 30 May 2021
I mentioned recently how the improvement in my lung health has meant I can now tackle some extremely steep hills on my hikes, without feeling like my chest is about to burst.
I might do one myself…hashtag: fat sweaty old bloke knackered on a hill 😉
…OK, a quick round-up of the midweek Vape News:
Vape Ban Leads To More Teen Smokers…
San Francisco was the first city to bring in a total ban on all things vape, and 3 years on the consequences are dire to say the least.
I’ve covered this issue since it first reared its ugly head over 3 years ago, and like many forecast a rise in smokers.
Unfortunately the facts have emerged that it is TEENS that are taking up the deadly habit in their droves.
As we keep saying, remove the safer alternative, and the gap WILL be filled by lit tobacco and all the health concerns and death that brings….
Shame on them…
A new study shows that teens in San Francisco are TWICE as like to become smokers than in any other city in the US – in real terms that’s 6.2% of all high schoolers compared to 2.8% elsewhere.
Shocking statistics to say the least.
Lead researcher Abigail Friedman from the lofty Yale University told the media:
States and localities are increasingly restricting sales of flavored tobacco products, often motivated by a desire to reduce youth tobacco use.
Evidence that this policy was associated with increases in smoking among minors enrolled in high school suggests a need for caution.
In promoting regulations to reduce youth vaping, policymakers need to be careful not to create incentives that increase conventional cigarette use.
A case or you reap what you sow, and sadly in this case it’s the health of a city’s young people at risk through the blinkered if not criminal actions of its politicians.
As I said, shame on them…
Netherlands Impending Flavour Ban
Despite the largest ever response from a public consultation, the proposed Netherlands flavour ban looks set to go ahead.
Last May I wrote the proposed ban was a ‘shock’ to the country’s vapers to say the least.
At the time leading vape advocacy group Acvoda responded by suggesting the move was down to governmental:
…crooked reasoning and factual inaccuracies.
Sounds about right…
The fallout from all those political shenanigans means the country’s government is in a kind of limbo, and whilst some kind of coalition is worked out, the acting health minister that wants the ban is still in post.
His name is Paul Blokhuis, and he’s about as ignorant on the true facts about vaping as most mouthy politicians are.
Writing for Filter Magazine, Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, says the ban could force 250,000 + vapers back to smoking, adding:
This should be of great concern to all vapers around the world.
The Netherlands has previously been regarded as a liberal society that has approached lifestyle regulation with healthy pragmatism.
If such a country bans flavors, it is almost certain that there will be knock-on effects for other EU member states, as well as at a WHO level, with the FCTC COP9 conference coming up later this year.
There is a paradox in the making in the Netherlands: While running huge stop-smoking campaigns like STOPtober, the Dutch government simultaneously wants to make it harder to quit by banning one of the most effective means of doing so.
Michael Landl
On May 21, they announced that the flavor ban is moving forward.
In light of citizens’ strong opposition in the public consultation, as well as the lack of legitimacy of this cabinet, it is completely unethical.
This is a huge blow for tobacco harm reduction and all the vapers who raised their voices, and it is likely to tarnish the reputation of the Netherlands.
