Issue 35

FURY AS THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RELEASES YET ANOTHER ‘BIASED’ AND ‘ERROR STREWN’ ANTI VAPING REPORT

Disposable Vaping Innovation

EDITORIAL

Editor - Patrick Griffin

Journalist - Jordan Millar

Journalist - Oliver Smith

DESIGN

Head of Design - Hayley Parker

Lead Designer - Aaron Rana

Graphic Designer - Ayaz Arshad

Graphic Designer - Amy Harrison

Design Support - Lucy Booth

MARKETING

Head of SEO - Marcus Langmaid

Web Developer - Kain Alden

Junior Web Developer - Rafael Cardoso

Marketing Executive

Alicia Snow-Simpson Rheanna Cadey

Videography and Photography

Rob Rutley

SALES

Head of Sales - Tom Slack

+44 7969 170 828

Client Partnerships Manager Steve Culf

+44 7795 200 167

Sales Executive - Peter Masters +44 7305 960 345

Sales Executive - Baz Bassra +44 7823 887 753

China Sales Executive - Arlen Luo +86 137 012 666 84

ACCOUNTS

Finance Director - Kris Worton

Finance Executive - Rochelle Warsop

EVENTS DIRECTOR

Abida Razaque

MANAGING DIRECTOR

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

When it comes to defending the rights of vapers around the world, all eyes are on the UK government right now. Decisions taken over the next few months have the potential to undo so much of the good that vaping and the wider tobacco harm reduction industry has done in recent years. The influential COP9 tobacco conference takes place in November. This generally takes a very negative view on vaping and has the potential to guide harm reduction policy across the globe.

The UK is sending a delegation to this virtual summit and must make the most of this golden opportunity to tell the conference just how crucial vaping is for helping smokers quit. We should be explaining how smoking rates have fallen, how our doctors and health care professionals are increasingly recommending vaping to patients and why tobacco harm reduction is a sensible approach to take.

The UK must not squander this opportunity to make a difference at this crucial forum.

Countries around the world are only too happy to follow WHO guidelines on vaping and currently their message is: “Don’t do it.”

Even if the UK could encourage the WHO to soften its anti-vape position just a little bit, this would be a start.

The world is looking to us for leadership and we must not fail to speak out loudly, strongly and unambiguously to let COP9 know that

vaping saves lives.

As we were going to press it looks like the WHO want to postpone the vaping debate until COP10 in 2023.

This simply is not good enough. The UK must bang the drum for vaping and encourage other countries to examine the growing body of evidence that says it helps smokers quit.

The time to speak up for vaping is now.

Just imagine how many countless lives will be lost if we wait for two years to do so. We simply cannot and must not allow that to happen.

Thank you for your continued support.

BEST VAPE MAG FOUR YEARS RUNNING

Patrick Griffin | Editor

David Turner

CEO

Paul Caplin

CONTENTS

Shortfills

We don’t want this ‘quit or die’ nonsense

Fed-up with Ex-treme shipping bans Why the EU must back vaping now Will the UK ban flavoured e-liquids to under 21s?

Why the lack of urgency? We won’t be ignored anymore NICE-LY DONE! How many lives could be saved? Stop lying Banned from birth

Is Canada about to squander ‘the greatest harm reduction opportunity of a lifetime? No to counterfeiters and underage sales

Diary of a Vaper

The Doctor is in! ‘WHO’ do you think you are? The ‘Enemy of Vaping’ Why we should ignore the WHO’s anti-vaping agenda Is it time to replace the anti-vaping WHO?

A message from a former smoker WHO told Ukraine this was a good idea?

Six degrees of celebration Vapouround the world Good Games...Good Games

All in the best possible taste

The Vapouround Cup Vapouround Awards 2021 - Meet the Sponsors

98 100 102 106 108 110

GrimmGreen: The man who helps smokers quit Finding that sweet spot It’s a g’day for Kiwi vapers A new ending for smokers

Tell your story...save the smokers

Save vaping. Save the world Are shock tactics like this spiralling out of control E-U need to start listening! Tell your story

#Backvapingtosavelives Vampire Vape in the spotlight

Ditch the junk science

Correcting the myth-stakes Fast bikes, high-end computers and loud music

SHORTFILLS

Six pages filled with short vape-related stories and research making news from around the world.

OUR LIVES…YOUR RESPONSIBLILITY

Over 15,000 Canadians hit back at draft federal regulations to ban flavoured vaping products. Consumers and experts responded to the Rights4Vapers petition, condemning Health Canada’s anti-vaping proposal and highlighting that flavours help smokers quit and stay off cigarettes. Rights4Vaper’s Maria Papaioannoy said: “Health Canada and the government have a responsibility to protect the health of all Canadians…but these new regulations will only drive vapers back to smoking.” To learn more, check out our story ‘Is Canada about to squander ‘the greatest harm reduction opportunity of a lifetime?’ later in this issue.

REVERSE THIS ‘MISGUIDED’ BAN

New Zealand’s ‘misguided’ flavour ban will cost lives and hinder the country’s ambitious smoke-free target, warn experts. While specialist shops can still sell flavoured products, supermarkets, convenience stores and other general retailers are now limited to mint, menthol and tobacco. Harm reduction advocate Nancy Loucas said access to reduced risk alternatives should be ‘easier, not harder.’ She said: “If this slows down our national goal to be smokefree…the Government needs to be prepared to do the right thing and reverse it.”

‘SHOCKINGLY IGNORANT’

American doctors remain ‘shockingly ignorant’ about nicotine, with 75 percent believing it causes heart disease and cancer. New research from the Rutgers School of Public Health revealed: “The proportion of surveyed physicians who believe that nicotine directly contributes to these health outcomes is alarmingly high.” Lead author Dr Michelle Manderski said: “It is very important for physicians to understand the relative harm between nicotine and the other 7,000 toxins in tobacco smoke.”

OUT OF FLAVOUR

All flavoured tobacco and vaping products have been banned in Washington DC, despite intense opposition. Harm reduction advocates, alongside drug reform activists, published an open letter highlighting the dangers of the ban. Queen Adesuyi of the Drugs Policy Alliance said: “Banning flavoured tobacco products will not make these products, or the desire for them, disappear. Substance bans simply make using and acquiring them more dangerous and risky.”

WE’RE GOING GLOBAL!

That’s right, Vapouround Magazine is gearing up to release in seven new countries around the world. Our mission has always been to promote the lifesaving technology of vaping and launching in the United States, Germany, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East, will help us further that goal. To learn more, check out our story ‘Vapouround the world’ later in this issue.

ARE THESE JUST ‘EMPTY PROMISES’?

Marlboro cigarettes could disappear from the UK market in the next decade, says tobacco giant Philip Morris. The company - which accounts for one-in-ten cigarettes sold globally – said it wants to ‘leave smoking behind’. However, critics say that ‘fine words’ aren’t enough to end the smoking epidemic. Cancer Research UK’s Michelle Mitchell said: “We’ve heard these empty promises before. We’re concerned this move is part of an attempt by Big Tobacco to position itself as part of the solution to a smoke-free UK, while continuing to promote and sell lethal cigarettes.”

TELL EURO-WN VAPING STORY

The World Vapers’ Alliance is taking its electric pink ‘vape bus’ on a two-month tour across Europe. It will visit Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland and the UK as part of the ‘Back Vaping, Beat Smoking’ campaign – gathering vapers’ stories along the way. WVA Director Michael Landl said: “We can only make real change if we are united as vapers, to spread the message to Back Vaping, Beat Smoking and save 19 million European lives.”

FIRST ON THE PITCH

French sporting giant Paris Saint-Germain has teamed up with Geekvape in a first of its kind partnership. The year-long deal runs through the 2020/21 season and will include TV campaigns and co-branded merchandise. Geekvape CEO Allen Yang said: “This partnership is an essential step in our strategic upgrade and will attract more users to feel the positive energy brought by football.” Marc Armstrong, PSG’s chief partnerships officer, added: “Geekvape is an innovative Chinese brand…we are looking forward to working together to develop creative campaigns.”

GO BIG OR GO OHM

We’ve just wrapped up our biggest and boldest Vape Live event to date, which took place from August 11 to 13. And as our fourth virtual expo, we had to take things further than ever before, even inviting consumers to join us in some wacky on-screen gameshows. We also launched our inaugural inter-departmental Vapouround Cup, pitting staff members against each other in a series of extreme challenges. Check out our features section in this issue to read about all this and more.

STOP YOUTH VAPING – BAN FRIENDS

According to the Centers for Disease Control the number one source of e-cigarettes among US high school students is… their friends (57 percent). This is followed by gas stations and convenience stores (22 percent) and vape shops (17.5 percent). Neurobiologist and reduced risk advocate Dr Charles A. Gardner asked: “Just three percent of teens get e-cigarettes through online sales, so why did the Federal government just ban mail shipment? This just hurts adults.”

STREET BAN TO CURB SMOKING

Policymakers have banned smoking on one of Mexico City’s most iconic pedestrian corridors. Madero Street, which sees up to 220,000 daily visitors, has been declared smokefree in an effort to create a ‘safe’ and ‘healthy’ environment. Anyone caught lighting-up in the historic centre after mid-September will face fines of more than 2,500 pesos (£90) or community service.

‘NEVER QUIT QUITTING’

A new stop-smoking campaign sweeping its way across Greater Manchester endorses vaping as an effective quitting tool. The ‘Never Quit Quitting’ movement centres on the ‘real-life experiences of former smokers’, inspiring people to kick the habit through radio and TV adverts. It links back to the ‘Make Smoking History’ website, which lists vaping as a popular and successful reduced risk product for people looking to move away from cigarettes.

FIRST STOP…BARCELONA

The World Vapers’ Alliance kicked off its ‘Back Vaping. Beat Smoking’ bus tour in Barcelona. This is the first of many stops across Europe – including Milan, Berlin and London – where it will spread the message that vaping can save millions of lives. The WVA said: “We want to make this year the year that the world embraces one of the greatest public health inventions of the century…vaping. And we chose Barcelona as our starting point because smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death in Spain.”

LABOUR GAINS

Pregnant women could get £400 in vouchers in a new proposal to crackdown on smoking. Under the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence scheme, mums-to-be could earn up to £10-a-week, but only if they pass regular breath tests. Action on Smoking and Health’s Deborah Arnott said: “Vouchers reinforce the idea that quitting is a positive step forward. “You need to be given advice, help and support as well, but there’s research to show it works.”

YOU-AE DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS!

Brands around the world are stretching their post-COVID legs and gearing up for the UAE’s first ever international vape expo. And with 200 plus exhibitors, a roster of expert speakers and a host of live entertainment, the World Vape Show is set to impress. Not to mention that it coincides with this year’s Vapouround Awards, giving you all the more reason to book your tickets today. For more information on the World Vape Show, as well as the Vapouround Awards, check out our blog.

WE’LL SEE YOU IN COURT!

The Canadian Vaping Association is raising Can$1,500,000 to hold policymakers responsible for ‘wilfully violating’ the rights of its citizens. This comes after proposed federal flavour bans threatened to undo the country’s smoke-free progress and ‘decimate the industry’. Already receiving more than $650,000 of its ambitious goal, the CVA is preparing to legally challenge the ban. It said: “While vape advocates have launched campaigns to save flavours, we must prepare for the worst-case scenario. We need your support to hold the government accountable for the harm they intend to inflict.”

SMOKING WOULD SKYROCKET

Flavour bans could create a ‘mass switch to smoking’ amongst teens and adult vapers, warn advocates. A new study revealed that, if flavours were limited to tobacco, ‘one-third of US vapers aged 18 to 34’ could move to cigarettes. Neurobiologist and harm reduction advocate Dr. Charles Gardner claimed that anti-vaping groups have ‘staked their reputations’ on the ‘public health benefits’ of flavour bans. He stressed that ‘the FDA must know flavour bans will increase teen, young adult and older adult smoking’.

WAKE UP!

The UK is ‘sleepwalking into another public health crisis’ as new figures reveal that smoking has surged amongst young people during the COVID lockdown. Cancer Research UK says the number of 18-34-year-olds smoking increased by a quarter to 27 percent, during the first lockdown. VPZ director Doug Mutter said: “These figures are alarming and show a worrying trend. “We are sleepwalking into another public health crisis with a new generation of smokers being consigned to an early death or serious disease.”

SADDENED BUT NOT SURPRISED

The UKVIA has blamed the Government’s refusal to allow vape stores to remain open during lockdown for a ‘significant proportion’ of a new rise in smoking rates. It had campaigned intensely to keep vape shops open, warning the UK government and the devolved administrations that smoking rates would rise with enforced closures. UKVIA Director General John Dunne said: “Sadly this new research comes as no surprise. With far fewer places to buy vaping products it was inevitable that many would return to smoking.” See previous story: ‘WAKE UP!’

WE NEED TO ACT NOW!

The World Vapers’ Alliance is launching its Vaping Products Directive (VPD) and wants to hear from you. The consumer-driven report comes ahead of the EU’s Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) update and aims to educate policymakers about the benefits of vaping. A WVA spokesperson said: “If we want to secure accessibility and affordability of vaping products, we need to act now. This is your chance to let them know what YOU think about vaping and how it should be regulated.”

STREETS AHEAD FOR COMPLAINTS

Coronation Street has been named the most complained about UK TV show for frequently depicting drugs, smoking and alcohol. The iconic ITV soap racked up 310 viewer complaints over the last five years – nearly four times more than Love Island’s 73. Viewers were angry that cigarettes were openly on display at the local shop and that characters were seen smoking next to a baby in a pram. Vape Club compiled the figures to highlight how much pre-watershed TV exposes children to “bad” habits.

NO TO TASTELESS FLAVOUR BANS

Acclaimed director Aaron Biebert’s latest short film delves into the debate around flavoured vaping products. In ‘The Flavors of Life’ mini doc, experts and advocates highlighted the importance of variety when quitting smoking. Psychologist Dr. Chris Lalonde said: “Adults, like every other human being, like flavours…and that’s the beauty of vaping.” Biebert added: “Nobody should be forced to use cigarette-flavoured products to stay away from cigarettes…that’s twisted.”

THE BILLION POUND DEBATE

Philip Morris International’s controversial £1.1bn bid for inhaler maker Vectura has divided health officials, experts and harm reduction advocates. While supporters say that the tobacco giant should be allowed to ‘reinvent’ itself, critics have called the move ‘unacceptable’. Financial Times Chief Business Commentator Brooke Masters said: “Tobacco companies have a horrible history, but we should cheer rather than shun PMI’s efforts to move away from cigarettes.” However, Cancer Research UK’s Malcolm Clark argued: “It’s unethical for big tobacco to profit from treating diseases made far more prevalent because of its products.”

FOCUS SHIFT NEEDED

The current focus on preventing youth vaping in the US, could be hindering efforts to stop adults smoking, it is claimed. Public health expert Kevin Warner said: “In my 45 years in the field of tobacco control research, I’ve never seen an issue as divisive as this one. The potential benefits of vaping for adult smokers…are not being fully realised in today’s environment of misinformation and a singular focus on the welfare of kids.” He and 14 other public health specialists have recently called for a more balanced debate on vaping.

4.5 MILLION TIMES ‘NO’

The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected twothirds of all PMTA applications and ordered 4.5 million products off the market. The applications from Texasbased JD Nova Group, the parent company of Vapolocity, were turned down for lacking adequate environmental assessments. The FDA said the products could no longer be sold or marketed but said the company could file again with the correct paperwork. It said a number of other JD Nova products, which met the paperwork requirements, were still being processed.

BACK VAPING. BEAT SMOKING.

Politicians have the power to save millions of European lives simply by adopting pro-vaping regulations, say advocates. Speaking at the launch of the ‘Back Vaping. Beat Smoking’ campaign, World Vapers’ Alliance Director Michael Landl said: “We are here to highlight to MEPs the importance of vaping to fight smoking. We also want to ensure that every policymaker understands that 19 million lives are on the line.” See our story “How many lives could be saved…?” for more details.W

TOO SLOW

The UK government has been accused of failing to take the ‘bold action’ it promised to get its ‘smoke-free 2030’ ambitions back on track. In an open letter to the Prime Minister and Health Secretary, health charities and professional bodies warned that smoking numbers are too high to meet the deadline. Writing in the British Medical Journal, they said that since the target was announced two years ago, ‘over 200,000 Brits under 16 have started smoking…two thirds of whom will go on to be daily smokers.’

JUUL’S $40M SETTLEMENT

JUUL has agreed to pay US$40 million to North Carolina to settle charges that it started the US teen vaping epidemic. Attorney General Josh Stein said: “North Carolina is the first state in the nation to hold JUUL accountable for its instrumental role in sparking the epidemic of youth vaping and its resulting nicotine addiction.” JUUL said: “This settlement is consistent with our ongoing effort to reset our company…as we continue to combat underage usage and advance the opportunity for harm reduction for adult smokers.”

HOW MUCH?

Australian vape shop owners face eye-watering fines of up to A$11 million (£5.8m) for supplying nicotine-containing products from October. By comparison the maximum fine for indecent assault is A$218,000 (£116,000). Additionally, individuals caught with illegal e-cigarettes could face fines of A$1.1 million (£580,000). The new law means nicotine-containing e-cigarettes are only available with a prescription from pharmacists. Harm reduction advocate Nancy Loucas said: “It makes no sense, especially when smokers can buy a pack of cigarettes from any service station or supermarket on a whim.”

THIS JUST WON’T WORK

New York Attorney General Letitia James is spearheading calls from 31 US states and territories for a federal vape flavour ban to combat the ‘youth vaping epidemic.’ The coalition also wants new limits on nicotine levels and tougher marketing restrictions. James said: “The health and wellbeing of our kids is our top priority and the federal government must act now.” The move comes despite studies showing that vape flavour bans both increase youth smoking rates and encourage adult vapers to revert to cigarettes.

WE DON’T WANT THIS ‘QUIT OR DIE’ NONSENSE

Words: Patrick Griffin

The World Health Organization is moving ever closer to ‘reputational ruin’ after publishing yet another ‘biased and nonsensical’ anti-vaping report.

The WHO said that e-cigarettes were ‘often marketed to children and adolescents’ using ‘thousands of appealing flavours’ to help them do so.

It claimed that children who tried vaping were ‘up to three times more likely to use tobacco products in the future’ and called for stricter regulations on a global scale.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Electronic nicotine delivery systems are harmful and must be better regulated.

“Where they are not banned, governments should adopt appropriate policies to protect their populations from the harms of electronic nicotine delivery systems, and to prevent their uptake by children, adolescents and other vulnerable groups.”

Consulting and vape policy expert Clive Bates responded: “This new, error-strewn, anti-vaping report edges the WHO closer to reputational ruin.

“Now a rented mouthpiece for activist rhetoric, the WHO is perversely protecting the cigarette trade from much safer alternatives.”

World Vapers’ Alliance Director Michael Landl said the WHO report ‘on the global tobacco epidemic 2021: addressing new and emerging products’ promoted the discredited theory that vaping acted as a gateway to smoking.

Landl said: “Besides being riddled with biased anti-vaping scaremongering and false claims, the entire direction of

travel set out in this report is nonsensical.

“Rather than focus on the all-important goal of beating smoking, the WHO is turning its guns on vaping, the most powerful smoking cessation tool on the planet.

“They clearly find it more important to fall into line with the narrow-minded ‘quit or die’ approach trumpeted by the WHO’s billionaire sponsors, like Mike Bloomberg.”

Landl added: “The WHO systematically ignores the wealth of scientific evidence pointing to the benefits of vaping, not to mention the first-hand experience of millions of vapers.

“Restricting or banning access to vaping will do nothing but cost lives.”

The UKVIA said the WHO report ‘flies in the face of scientific evidence, common sense and harm reduction’ and blasted its ‘long-standing anti-vaping stance.’

UKVIA Director General John Dunne said: “The fundamental difference between the UK and the WHO is that the UK has taken a science and evidence-led approach towards vaping.

“The WHO is effectively calling for a ‘ban on everything’ except combustible tobacco products.

“It seems hell-bent on preventing smokers’ access to the one method proven to not only help smokers quit cigarettes, but to do so long term.”

John Britton, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham was also highly critical of the document.

He said: “The WHO still doesn’t understand the fundamental difference between addiction to tobacco smoking, which kills millions of people every year, and addiction to nicotine, which doesn’t.”

WHO comes under fire for new anti-vaping report and is warned that its approach to tobacco harm reduction will cost lives.

This new, error-strewn anti-vaping report edges the WHO closer to reputational ruin.

“ “

APPLICATIONS DENIED

Words: Patrick Griffin

US regulators have effectively banned 55,000 flavoured vaping products on the grounds that the risks posed to young people outweigh the benefits to adult smokers.

The Food and Drug Administration issued its first ‘marketing denial orders’ under the controversial PMTA approvals process.

The denials apply to three companies - JD Nova Group, Great American Vapes, and Vapor Salon - and include flavours such as Apple Crumble, Dr. Cola and Cinnamon Toast Cereal.

Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said: “Flavoured tobacco products are very appealing to young people, therefore assessing the impact of potential or actual youth use is a critical factor in our decision-making about which products may be marketed.”

The FDA said the companies had failed to show that the benefits to adult smokers were “sufficient to overcome the public health threat posed by the well-documented, alarming levels of youth use of such products.”

Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said flavoured e-liquids were ‘extremely popular’ among youth.

He added: “Companies who want to continue to market their

flavoured ENDS products must have robust and reliable evidence showing that their products’ potential benefit for adult smokers outweighs the significant known risk to youth.

“The burden is on the applicant to provide evidence to demonstrate that the marketing of their product meets the statutory standard of ‘appropriate for the protection of the public health’.

“If this evidence is lacking or not sufficient, the FDA intends to issue a marketing denial order, which requires the product to be taken off or not introduced to market.”

The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected applications for 55,000 flavoured vaping products, citing the ‘public health threat’ to young people for doing so

Assessing the impact of potential or actual youth use is a critical factor in our decision-making about which products may be marketed.

““

WHY THE EU MUST BACK VAPING NOW

Words: Jordan Millar

Advocates hit back at Europe’s latest ‘beating cancer’ strategy, accusing it of ‘missing the mark’ and failing to embrace the life-saving potential of vaping.

While the draft report is a step in the right direction from EU policymakers, critics stressed that there’s still plenty of ‘room for improvement.’

Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, condemned the Beating Cancer (BECA) report for ‘failing to unequivocally back vaping’ and ‘leaving the door open’ to bad regulations.

He said: “The number of cancer cases in Europe is alarming, which is why it needs to get its Beating Cancer plan right.

“The EU must act based on science and it’s clear that vaping and other harm reduction measures are key to reducing the number of smokers.

“Instead of fighting vaping, they must embrace it because, if the right policies are put in place, it could save an additional 19 million lives.”

Experts have since urged the EU Parliament to look at the harm reduction successes of the UK and learn from its more progressive approach.

They said that policymakers should be guided by ‘cold, hard evidence’, stressing that the reduced risk alternative has already helped millions of smokers successfully quit.

Landl is now calling on people to ‘raise their

voices’ and speak out in support of the lifesaving technology.

He said: “Members of the European Parliament have taken the time to listen to vapers, as well as the wealth of evidence that has been presented by experts…but it has yet to fully back vaping.

“It is vital that we continue to tell our stories and ensure our representatives understand how vaping has changed our lives for the better.”

Instead of fighting vaping, they must embrace it because, if the right policies are put in place, it could save an additional 19 million lives.

EU policymakers need to follow in the UK’s footsteps and adopt vaping as a tool in the fight against cancer.

WILL THE UK BAN FLAVOURED E-LIQUIDS TO UNDER 21s?

Words: Patrick Griffin

Under 21s could be banned from buying cigarettes and flavoured e-liquids under UK government plans to meet its smokefree targets, it has been claimed.

It is believed the government could overshoot its smoke-free deadline by seven years if it does nothing, because smoking rates are not falling quickly enough. The Daily Mirror claimed that unnamed sources in the Department of Health said the measures would play a central part in getting the targets back on track. The newspaper said that while Health Secretary Sajid Javid was “deeply sceptical” about increasing the age limit, he had not actually ruled it out. However the UKVIA said that, if true, the move

would have the opposite effect and make it even harder for the country to become smoke-free by 2030.

It said: “The government has continued to be evidence led when it comes to the regulation of e-cigarettes and should continue to be.

“If the government were to succumb to these illogical and unnecessary actions, their ambitions for a smokefree society by 2030 would be even less attainable

than they already are.” The provape association added: “These are unsubstantiated claims, but if there is any truth to them then the Department of Health, would be suddenly ignoring the

Claims that the health secretary wants to raise age limit for buying fags and flavoured nicotine vapes to get smoking rates down.

overwhelming scientific evidence and recommendations from parliamentarians and public health bodies.”

It also highlighted that restricting access to flavoured vape products to young people made little sense because the UK did not have a youth vaping issue.

The UKVIA tweeted: “Let’s be clear: vaping is the most successful method by far of quitting in the UK.

“Flavours play an essential role to the continued success of vaping for millions. “According to a recent report by ASH the UK does not have a youth vaping problem.”

The Department of Health said it would publish a plan later this year to set out exactly how the government planned to meet its smokefree target.

An open letter to the Prime Minister and Health Secretary, recently published in the

British Medical Journal from a number of medics, warned that 200,000 under 16s had started smoking in England in the last two years.

It went on to say that two thirds of those would grow up to become daily smokers.

MP Mary Foy, who chairs Westminster's All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking, told the Mirror that raising the sale of tobacco to those aged 21 would be “very, very welcome news.”

However she urged caution when it came to vape products.

She said: “The evidence is not conclusive that vaping leads young people to start smoking and it is mostly confined to those who already smoke.

"Vaping might not be 100 percent safe but it is 95 percent less harmful than burning tobacco and very effective in helping smokers to quit.”

If the government were to succumb to these illogical and unnecessary actions, their ambitions for a smokefree society by 2030 would be even less attainable than they already are.

WHY THE LACK OF URGENCY?

The WHO wants international discussions on reduced risk alternatives to smoking delayed until 2023 due to ‘limited time available’.

Words: Patrick Griffin

November’s international debate on tobacco regulation is seen as a golden opportunity for the UK to influence international policy on vaping and harm reduction.

With smoking claiming more than eight million lives around world each year, it was due to discuss vaping and other reduced-risk alternatives to cigarettes.

The COP9 conference will take place online between November 8-13 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the World Health Organization says discussions on novel and emerging tobacco products should be delayed until 2023.

The WHO argues that because of ‘restrictions imposed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic’ only an ‘abridged agenda’ can be discussed and there is not enough time for the vaping section.

Tobacco control expert Clive Bates, from the Counterfactual, said: “Whatever the timetable, we can rely on the WHO to produce antivaping propaganda and push for vaping prohibition, casually and carelessly putting millions of lives at risk.

“The problem isn’t what goes into the meeting agenda, but the fact that the WHO actually wants to ban vaping while cigarettes are available everywhere.”

New Zealand-based tobacco harm reduction expert Dr Marewa Glover told FilterMag: “Whether by incompetence or design, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat seems intent on ensuring that eight million people per annum will continue

to die from using tobacco in harmful ways. The new nicotine and tobacco products provide the fastest route to prevention of this death toll and the FCTC is set on complete prohibition and delaying any challenge to their position.”

Meanwhile the WHO continues to deliver an anti-vaping message and talks about a ‘global tobacco epidemic’.

In July it spoke of the need to ‘tackle threats posed by new nicotine and tobacco products and critics say failing to debate the issue will just lead to more confusion about the role of reduced risk products in helping smokers quit.

The problem isn’t what goes into the meeting agenda, but the fact that the WHO actually wants to ban vaping while cigarettes are available everywhere.

WE WON’T BE IGNORED ANYMORE

Words: Patrick Griffin

The largest mobilisation of Canadian vapers is underway as they fight for the access, availability and affordability of vaping products.

The 26-stop tour aims to tell politicians that the country’s 1.5 million vapers are fed up with ongoing threats of flavour bans, nicotine limits and increased taxation.

It will visit key towns and cities across Québec and Ontario with the message that it is time to ‘save vaping to save lives.’

Rights4Vapers spokesperson Maria Papaioannoy said: “The government will have no choice but to hear our voices. This is the fight for our lives.

“In the past we have been silenced and marginalised, but this tour will show candidates in this election that vapers will no longer be ignored.”

She said it was vital that the right regulatory

framework was in place to support the reduced risk alternative to smoking, adding that blanket flavour bans were not the answer.

Maria told supporters in Ottawa: “In Canada the voices of those who use tobacco harm reduction continue to be systemically excluded from all conversations when it comes to regulations.

“We have taken charge of the narrative and made the decision to give people a platform to speak up, that is what ‘Vape Tour 2021’ is all about.”

She added: “Vaping saves lives and it should not be treated or regulated the same as tobacco.

“We cannot stand by and let any government, including the one that will be elected on September 20, take an axe and destroy the most incredible invention of the 21st Century.

“Almost 50,000 Canadians died last year from smoking-related illness while zero died from vaping-related illness or tobacco harm reduction.

“A flavour ban is the last straw and we are going to stand up against this.”

Christina Xydous from the Québec Coalition for Vapers’ Rights said: “This tour is unprecedented as we take to the road to educate, empower and engage.

“We want everyone to understand that flavours are essential to making vaping a successful tobacco harm reduction tool."

The tour echoes a World Vapers’ Alliance campaign, currently underway in Europe, to demonstrate essentially the same message to EU politicians.

Both campaigns involve visiting towns and cities to hear ordinary adult vapers tell their stories about how important flavours are to keeping them from returning to smoking.

We cannot stand by and let any government take an axe and destroy the most incredible invention of the 21st Century.

“

NICE-LY DONE

Words: Patrick Griffin

New draft guidelines to tackle the health burden of smoking in the UK should act as a “wake up call” for the World Health Organization to change its anti-vaping policies.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) proposals state that: “nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can help people to stop smoking and are similarly effective to other cessation options” and “people should be able to use e-cigarettes as one of several options to support smoking cessation, if they so choose.”

NICE, which worked with Public Health England to develop the guidelines, believes healthcare staff should give “clear and up-to-date information on e-cigarettes” to smokers who want to quit.

But the WHO refuses to even contemplate recommending vaping and claims that “switching from conventional tobacco products to e-cigarettes is not quitting.”

Dr Charles Gardner, of the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations, said: “These new draft guidelines should be a wakeup call for the World Health Organization, which continues to believe that reducing harm is an evil Big Tobacco plot.

“NICE and PHE have no industry influence. They look at evidence. INNCO compliments

them on their courageous stance against current tobacco control dogma.”

World Vapers Alliance Director Michael Landl said the UK continued to set an example to the world on how to ‘effectively and pragmatically’ help smokers quit.

He said: “The UK is the beacon of hope for sensible public health policy when it comes to the fight against smoking.

recommendations are a renewed effort to reduce the health burden of smoking and to encourage and support people to give up smoking.

“We need to use every tool in our arsenal to reduce smoking rates, including education, behavioural support, financial incentives, and e-cigarettes if people are interested in using them.

“Combined, we hope that people who smoke will feel enabled to give up tobacco products once and for all.”

Rosanna O'Connor, Director Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco and Justice at Public Health England, said:

“This new guidance offers a welcome ‘howto guide’ for reducing the harm caused by smoking including helping smokers to quit and preventing a new generation of smokers from starting.”

“Instead of continuing their ideological fight against vaping, governments and the WHO should follow the science and listen to the millions of vapers who successfully quit.”

Dr Paul Chrisp, director of NICE’s Centre for Guidelines, said: “These draft guideline

Tobacco harm reduction advocate Louise Ross, the former manager of the Stop Smoking Service in Leicester, said: “This should all be part of a consistent message to people who smoke, encouraging them to give vaping a try.

“We know that vaping is a really popular and effective way to stop smoking.

“Now we have evidence from yet another credible source that we should all put our efforts into getting more people to try it.”

UK health workers should give ‘clear and up-to-date’ information on e-cigarettes to smokers who want to quit, under proposed new guidelines.

We need to use every tool in our arsenal to reduce smoking rates, including education, behavioural support, financial incentives, and e-cigarettes…

Q: HOW MANY LIVES COULD BE SAVED IF GLOBAL POLICYMAKERS ADOPTED VAPE FRIENDLY LAWS?

A: 200,000,000 SAYS THE WORLD VAPERS’ ALLIANCE

Words: Patrick Griffin

Vapers are being urged to support a major global campaign which aims to save the lives of 200 million smokers worldwide.

‘Back Vaping. Beat Smoking’ is the biggest ever initiative launched by the World Vapers’ Alliance and comes at a crucial time for global public health policy.

This year sees two landmark international events on which the lives of countless millions of smokers could depend. The first is the COP9 conference on tobacco regulation in November, whose outcome could set the direction for antismoking and vaping policies worldwide.

The European Union is also looking to update the Tobacco Products Directive and its changes could act as a benchmark for countries around the world.

WVA Director Michael Landl said the new global campaign is designed to deliver a clear message to decision-makers that promoting vaping is the very best way to beat smoking.

He said: “The weight of research and realworld evidence shows that progressive vaping policies can help millions of smokers to quit.

“Our campaign will make sure the evidence and the voices of vapers are heard. Nearly 200 million lives can be saved if the right vaping policies are introduced, and 2021 is a critical year to achieve this.”

“Back Vaping. Beat Smoking” was launched with the unveiling of a graffiti mural outside the European Parliament in Brussels with more events set take place across Europe and around the world.

It calls on vapers from across the globe to tell politicians how it helped them quit smoking – often when everything else had failed.

Vapers around the world are being asked to tell politicians to ‘Back Vaping. Beat Smoking’ ahead of two landmark events this year

Nearly 200 million lives can be saved if the right vaping policies are introduced and 2021 is a critical year to achieve this.

“ “

“STOP LYING”

Advocates are demanding the WHO change its anti-vaping rhetoric ahead of a crucial tobacco control summit later this year.

Words: Jordan Millar

The World Health Organization needs to ‘stop lying’ and acknowledge the ‘basic human right’ of harm reduction, say vaping advocates.

The Right2Switch campaign also called on the health body to build its regulations on the best available science, which it has so far ‘wilfully and cynically’ failed to do. It said it was vital that vapers the world over ‘unite as one’ and demand a change from the international health body.

“The WHO continues to insist that safer nicotine products are as harmful and dangerous as combustible tobacco…this position is based on deliberate falsehoods, not facts,” it said. “This will put many smokers at risk and force the millions who have already successfully switched back to the very thing that will cause harm and eventually kill them.”

The petition featured several demands for

the WHO to adopt before its COP9 tobacco control summit in November, including:

• Stop lying to us and only provide guidance based on sound scientific facts, methodology and principles

• Don’t use the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to disregard our rights to choose alternatives

• Stop interfering with the rights of adults to make informed choices regarding their health and well-being and

• Don’t ignore the basic human right to harm reduction that is one of the WHO’s founding principles.

The petition also urged the WHO to ‘respect’ and ‘empower’ smokers and vapers, instead of discriminating against them for exercising their freedom of choice. It said: “As adults, we have every

right to choose how we live our lives and the right to make informed choices for our health.

“We all need to be heard loudly and clearly by those who would rather not listen.

“A solution to the world’s smoking problem is already here…we need to make the WHO hear us.”

A solution to the world’s smoking problem is already here…we need to make the WHO hear us.

“ “

BANNED FROM BIRTH

Fury after a small Massachusetts town introduced a first-of-its-kind generational ban on vaping and tobacco.

Words: Jordan Millar

An affluent commuter town on the outskirts of Boston has become the first in the US to completely ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2000. And with access to reduced risk alternatives such as vaping products also limited under the ban, critics warn it is basically ‘asking for unintended consequences.’

Supporters have called the move an ‘excellent’ way to halt the smoking epidemic, stressing that it offers a more achievable alternative to ‘undesirable’ or ‘politically unfeasible’ outright bans. However, opponents have accused the town of Brookline’s ‘Tobacco Free Generation’ policy of facilitating a dangerous black market.

One twitter user said: “There must be something nasty in the water in MA to make people act with such hatred and insanity towards their peers. The Salem witch trials should’ve been a warning, not

a manual.”

Another, Fleur De Twee, added: “I can understand phasing out tobacco in an effort to encourage smokers to vape and reduce potential future healthcare costs. But this erroneously equates vaping with smoking on the spectrum of harm…misguided prohibition like this is just asking for unintended consequences.”

Critics have also accused the ban of breaching personal liberties, stressing that people should be free to make their own choices – especially when it comes to lifesaving, reduced risk products.

Michelle Minton of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said: “The voters of Brookline should understand that, whatever they call this, it’s just prohibition.

“And the most self-centered form since it will preserve the rights of those with power while stealing the same rights from future generations…puritanism at its most hypocritical.”

There must be something nasty in the water in MA to make people act with such hatred and insanity… the Salem witch trials should’ve been a warning, not a manual.

“ “

IS CANADA ABOUT TO SQUANDER ‘THE GREATEST HARM REDUCTION OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME?’

Fury as Health Canada ignores the evidence in support of vaping and proposes a controversial, nationwide flavour ban.

Words: Jordan Millar

Health Canada has ignored the pleas of 90,000 vapers and pushed forward with its proposed “killer” federal flavour ban.

The move has sparked fury, with critics calling this the latest blow for harm reduction and accusing the body of constantly disregarding the evidence.

Astonishingly, despite the obvious health implications, policymakers acknowledged that a wide-reaching flavour ban could drive up smoking rates but still want to press on.

David Sweanor of the University of Ottawa said: “The statement is very direct…it’s basically saying, ‘we’re Health Canada and we’re going to do something that kills Canadians’.”

Matt Culley of the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association (CASAA) stressed that the proposal shows just how ‘demonised vaping remains.’

He said: “The fact that a government can brazenly admit their policy will lead to

more smoking and death is wild.”

If passed, the bill would ban the sale and promotion of e-liquids – excluding tobacco, mint and menthol - leaving

many of Canada’s vapers without the tools they need to quit.

Officials say the ban will curb youth vaping, while critics insist that flavours are vital to help smokers quit and banning them would have ‘disastrous outcomes.’

The Canadian Vaping Association said it was disappointed that Health Canada chose to pursue such harmful regulations, instead of ‘supporting the greatest harm reduction opportunity of our lifetime.’

It said: “If the flavour ban is implemented, hundreds of thousands of smokers may be pushed back to smoking or the black market…and many will die.

“To date, more than 90,000 Canadians have notified their Member of Parliament and Health Canada of the harm flavour bans would inflict on themselves or their families.

“It is evident that there is little sympathy for smokers, as the lives and health of adult smokers have been disregarded.”

“

“

The fact that a government can brazenly admit their policy will lead to more smoking and death is wild.

NO TO COUNTERFEITERS AND UNDERAGE SALES… …BUT YES TO HELPING ENTREPRENEURS SUCCEED

Words: Patrick Griffin

More than half a million fake RELX-branded vaping products have been removed from the global market as the company gets tough with counterfeiters.

The international vape giant has been working closely with enforcement agencies to rid the shelves of the potentially dangerous inferior fake products and ensure they don’t get sold online.

Since 2019, the ‘Golden Shield’ initiative has helped remove over 550,000 fake products from the market, both online and from physical stores.

RELX International’s Global Head of External Affairs, Jonathan Ng, said the company had stringent inspection controls in place to ensure that its products were of the highest quality.

He said: “Unfortunately, there are many counterfeit RELX and other smuggled products of unknown content and origin out there.

“We are working closely with investigation firms, e-commerce platforms and local authorities to weed out such products from the market.”

The company has also unveiled its Guardian Program to help prevent minors using vaping products.

Leina Chedid, Head of Marketing for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Since our inception, youth prevention has been an integral part of RELX International’s core company values.

“Our Guardian Program applies across all our sales and marketing and supports effective legislation and regulation to prevent the purchase and use of nicotine products by minors.”

Jonathan Ng added: “Protecting minors

is an issue we take very seriously. We sincerely hope that others in the industry take this lead and also commit to this new era of responsibility.”

Speaking at an exclusive digital event, he also outlined the company’s ‘Green Shoots’ initiative, which is set to help aspiring entrepreneurs and small business grow and succeed.

He said: “Startups and small businesses are the economic backbone of societies around the world.

“As a company that grew from a startup ourselves, we understand the numerous challenges that small businesses encounter daily.”

Green Shoots also includes the RELX Academy - currently being piloted in the Philippines – which will sponsor educational courses to help budding entrepreneurs achieve the essential skills to launch their own businesses.

“ Protecting minors is an issue we take very seriously. We sincerely hope that others in the industry take this lead and also commit to this new era of responsibility. ”

Vape giant RELX clamps down on fake products, calls for industry-wide commitment to prevent underage vaping and announces plans to help new entrepreneurs thrive

DIARY OF A VAPER

PAIGE HAMBLING

Istarted smoking at university because all my friends did too.

At first it was great. It gave me something to do between lectures and made me feel cool at parties. It also gave me a way to take a break when I got stressed out and I would often smoke to clear my head. Before long, it became a habit and I wish that I had known then how much of a pain it would be to quit.

I had heard about vaping but always thought it was really complicated until my then-boyfriend explained how simple it really was and recommended an inexpensive starter kit.

I would vape in the mornings and during work and I found it easier and much more convenient than smoking. It was also so much better being able to vape at home without the need to go outside

for a smoke. Soon I was starting to smell cigarettes on other people after I quit.

It felt great to be in the office and not worried about people knowing I was a smoker.

I think transitioning to a more professional environment meant I was self-conscious about being seen to take cigarette breaks.

I recently got an ELeaf iStick P100 and I love it. My old vape was outdated, so I got this new one after reading positive reviews about it.

The digital display is great and it's easier to fill. As for e-liquid, I’m loyal to the dripping range Killa Custard and I find it is really easy on my throat which is very important for me.

Vaping has had such an impact on my life in big and small ways. Health-wise, I’m glad to have stopped smoking but it’s

“ “

the little things too – my parents never knew I smoked.

Visiting home would leave me wound up after a few days but being able to discreetly vape makes me more relaxed and able to enjoy spending time with my family.

Vaping has had such an impact on my life in big and small ways.

As one of the biggest and most popular brands in the industry, Dr. Vapes plays a huge role in helping smokers kick the habit. Its range of exciting flavours and endless pursuit of innovation has gained it loyal users across the UK…but it doesn’t plan on stopping there.

We caught up with director Mo Hassan, who gave his insight into the propaganda surrounding the industry, the future of vaping and how he continues to keep moving forward.

You’ve previously commented on the misinformation surrounding vaping, do you think we’ll ever put a complete stop to the propaganda?

The vaping industry will always be susceptible to propaganda, especially when you consider what we’re up against. And, in this day and age, I don’t believe you can ever put a complete stop to misinformation.

It is more vital than ever that people educate themselves, look beyond what they are told and view the situation from different perspectives.

It seems disposable devices have taken hold of the industry, why do you think this is and what do you think this means for the future of the industry?

I strongly believe the boom in the disposable market is a step in the right direction, as this will make it more convenient for smokers to switch to vaping.

Although this may have an initial impact on e-liquid manufactures, it’s only a matter of time before consumers of disposables look at more cost-effective solutions and move across to conventional sub-ohm or MTL devices.

The only area of concern for me is on the environmental impact, with correct information around the disposal of these devices being very important.

What are you doing to stay ahead of the curve and remain an industry leader for innovation?

We are constantly improving our existing products, developing new products, building new/existing relationships, and strengthening the team at Dr. Vapes.

Alongside this, the passion for vaping and helping people quit smoking plays a key role here at Dr. Vapes.

What do you think the industry can do to help the millions of smokers around the world kick the habit?

This is the era where the mixture of innovation and raising awareness would go perfectly together for our industry.

At the same time as creating new products, it’s also equally important to keep existing consumers and smokers informed of the benefits of switching to vaping and its differences to smoking regular tobacco.

The passion for vaping and helping people quit smoking plays a key role here at Dr. Vapes.

“ “

‘WHO’ DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?

John Dunne, Director General of the UKVIA, explains why the UK vaping sector must stand up to the ‘La La Land’ position of the World Health Organization.

Words: John Dunne

The UKVIA recently held our first “non virtual” Forum event in almost two years and it was great to see so many of our members in real life again.

The event took place on floor 29 of London’s imposing Millbank House, overlooking the Thames and with views of the Shard, the Tate Gallery and the iconic Battersea Power Station.

It felt like we were on top of the world – an apt comparison with where the UK vaping sector is heading at the moment.

It is well known that Public Health England has long backed vaping as the best method for getting people off cigarettes.

More recently esteemed organisations such as Cancer Research UK and the National Health Service have also backed vaping, with the latter announcing a trial to give vaping devices to smokers in some A&E departments.

Having chaired the Forum panel discussions throughout the day I have to say the debates were positive, robust and insightful with intelligent, passionate and challenging contributions from the panellists and audience members.

We explored topics from how we can help dispel the widespread misperception that vaping is as harmful as cigarettes, through to strategies to support healthcare’s attempts to use vaping in their smoking cessation services.

There was an elephant in the room had to be confronted: The World Health Organization and its ongoing campaign of anti-science, anti-evidence rhetoric when it comes to vaping and its impact on reducing smoking numbers. It won’t surprise anyone reading this to hear that myself and the rest of the UKVIA had not many (OK none!) nice things to say about the WHO’s position on vaping. The WHO ignores a decade’s worth of anecdotal and scientific evidence which demonstrates that smokers are far more likely to give up combustible tobacco for good through vaping than any other quit method.

Non-UKVIA members agreed too, the consensus being that the UK Government should use the upcoming COP9 event – its first as a non-EU member – to challenge the WHO on this subject.

One of our guests at the Summer Forum event, Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, said: “We should have the courage to stand up to the WHO and say ‘we do not agree with you’.”

Just a few days on from our London event the WHO dropped its latest bombshell: a new report (actually there wasn’t much new about it) stating that vaping devices were “harmful” and calling for states to enact bans or more restrictive policies on vaping. Is this a joke I thought? No of course it wasn’t, it’s far too serious for that.

As soon as the report was published an army of professors, doctors and health experts, many with decades of experience treating and examining respiratory illnesses and the effects of smoking, roundly condemned it and the WHO for publishing it.

But, by then, the damage was done. The media ran with headlines such as “E-cigarettes branded ‘harmful’ as World Health Organization calls for greater regulation.”

Before long completely unfounded – and debunked – scare stories about “popcorn lung” were doing the rounds again on social media.

I sincerely hope, and as an organisation we have lobbied strongly for this, that the Government’s delegation to COP9 takes a firm stand against the WHO’s frankly ‘La La Land’ position on vaping.

It must tell the WHO, that as an independent nation, the UK will be forging its own tobacco harm reduction path, thereby cementing its rightful place as the world capital of vaping.

We must tell the WHO that the UK will be forging its own tobacco harm reduction path, thereby cementing its rightful place as the world capital of vaping.

“ “

THE ‘ENEMY OF VAPING’

Lives are at risk because the WHO allows ‘fanatics and prohibitionists’ to dictate its tobacco regulation policy.

Words: Patrick Griffin and Jordan Millar

The World Health Organization has been accused of ‘going off the rails’ with its radical anti-vaping policies, ahead of a key international summit on tobacco control.

The London-based Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) described the WHO as the ‘enemy of vaping’ and warned it had the potential to undermine the huge advances made by the UK.

It hosted an online forum with a four-strong panel of experts to discuss the implications of a major WHO global tobacco control summit, to be held in secret in November.

The IEA said the forthcoming COP9 conference posed “a significant threat to the United Kingdom’s successful approach to harm reduction policy.”

It added: “The WHO is increasingly, and against the clear evidence, positioning itself as an enemy of vaping.

“The UK is a world leader in tobacco harm reduction, and a significant reason for this is our comparatively liberal approach to vaping products and e-cigarettes.”

Christopher Snowdon, the IEA’s Head of Lifestyle Economics, said there was no excuse for excluding the media and the public from such an important online event.

He urged vapers, nicotine-users, smokers and the media to ‘closely

stream and broadcast proceedings live around the world.

The COP9 conference is particularly important because the UK will be able to send its own independent delegation to the event now that it has left the EU.

Snowdon said: “It would be genuine global leadership for the UK to use its position as an independent country to take a stand against the madness of the WHO…to say, ‘we know the science and we are the success story.’

“They’ll be on the right side of history by doing so.”

Snowdon was also highly critical of the WHO’s plans for a nicotinefree world saying he could see no ‘ethical or health justification’ for such a policy.

“This unaccountable, largely anonymous global organisation wants to move to a nicotine-free world without any real debate…and I’m not sure whether the WHO has displayed enough competence to move us towards that kind of target,” he said.

“You might think that these are the finest scientists in the world, but they’re not, they’re just people who got into the WHO.

“They’re not particularly distinguished and, in the case of tobacco and vaping, they’re people who have an enormous platform that is totally disproportionate to their knowledge of the subject.”

Matt Ridley, Vice-chair of the APPG on Vaping said he was shocked at the WHO’s anti-vaping stance.

He said countries like Britain with good quality regulatory standards were “almost certainly saving lives on a huge scale” and urged the WHO to include vapers in the COP9 discussions.

Ridley said: “The WHO should be encouraging the displacement of smoking by vaping and it is both shocking and extraordinary how resistant it is to that message.”

examine’ the international body’s approach to tobacco and nicotine regulation to understand the huge damage it could do.

Snowdon said: “This is an organisation that has gone off the rails. “Sadly, on this particular issue, the WHO has been taken over by a few fanatics and prohibitionists.

“They put out reports and statements anonymously, without accountability. They ignore the science and even the EU is paying attention to their unevidenced statements and tweets.”

Snowdon added: “COP9 will deal with decisions that are going to reverberate around the world and yet it will be totally secret…we won’t even know what’s being said.

“We need to bring people who really get tobacco harm reduction to this event so they can at least put forward a positive case in this rather murky conference which has big implications for many countries.”

He compared it to the forthcoming COP26 climate conference in London later this year where the media will have full access to

“The WHO should be encouraging the displacement of smoking by vaping and it is both shocking and extraordinary how resistant it is to that message.”

Join the UKVIA

Become a member of the UK’s largest and fastest growing trade body representing the vaping industry.

We are a fully inclusive, non-profit organisation owned and run by its members, with a wide range of membership levels to suit your business and your budget.

So why should you join?

• Support from an ever-growing network of industry leaders & regulatory specialists.

• Strengthened by our global alliances with the leading international trade bodies.

• Engagement with political, regulatory and public health stakeholders.

• Added credibility for your business as a recognised member and feature prominently on our members area and store finder.

• Exclusive access to a members resource hub and chat group.

• Free age verification resources and member discounts. ...and much more

Being a member of the UKVIA enables VPZ to be part of the wider engagement and education around the vaping industry with public health bodies and beyond by working together with other likeminded and professional companies that are part of the sector. UKVIA provides a great platform to help realise the the evidence-based life changing public health benefits of vaping products.

Mutter, UKVIA Board Member and Manufacturing and Compliance Director at VPZ

Doug

WHY WE SHOULD IGNORE THE WHO’S ANTI-VAPING AGENDA

Governments the world over are being encouraged to disregard WHO advice and implement vape-friendly public health policies instead.

Words: Patrick Griffin

The World Health Organization has such enormous influence that any bad policy decisions it makes could soon reverberate around the world.

In our previous article we reported that the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) described it as the ‘enemy of vaping’ in a recent online forum.

The fear is that if the WHO takes the opportunity to call for new vaping bans at the forthcoming COP9 conference, then many countries would follow its lead.

Louis Houlbrooke, Campaigns Manager at New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union said: “The value the WHO provides to governments across the world is this godlike voice saying: ‘Thou shalt crack down on vaping’ “And when governments do that, the politicians feel special…they feel like world leaders.” However he said smaller countries should have the courage to follow the example of New Zealand which has embraced vaping and seen smoking rates decline as a result. He said: “This is a truly fantastic result that was born out of something that differs completely from the WHO’s orthodoxy.

“The lesson here is that small countries should have the confidence to say that they don’t need to listen to the WHO. They can carve out an independent course for themselves.” Christopher Snowdon, Head of Lifestyle Economics at the IEA, also backed calls for

regulators to ignore the WHO’s anti-vaping agenda. He said: “The benefits that we’ve seen in the UK, could be multiplied many times over if they were replicated in other countries, but it’s not being allowed to happen.

“There is growing ignorance about tobacco harm reduction and the reason for this is endless scare stories in the press.

“An absolute tidal wave of junk science is pushing people’s knowledge about this topic backwards.

“Ten years ago, when no one really knew anything about e-cigarettes, people were actually better informed about their relative risks than they are now.”

“Small countries should have the confidence to say that they don’t need to listen to the WHO…they can carve out an independent course for themselves.”

IS IT TIME TO REPLACE THE ANTI-VAPING WHO?

As the WHO seems determined to ignore the evidence and tell the world that vaping is as bad as smoking, an expert panel questioned whether it has had its day.

Words: Jordan Millar

Has the World Health Organization proven itself so ‘vastly incompetent’ that it should be replaced with a body that’s fit for purpose?

A panel of experts recently demanded an end to the anti-vaping rhetoric of the WHO, calling for it to follow the evidence and support the reduced risk alternative.

The virtual roundtable, hosted by the IEA, questioned whether there was a role for the health body at all, or if we should create a new organisation that takes a more progressive approach to tobacco harm reduction.

Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) claimed that there was ‘nothing special about the WHO’, saying there is ‘definitely room for competition.’

He said: “It’s quite possible that if countries like the UK and the USA defunded the WHO, which I think we would probably need to do, we’d set up another agency.

“It wouldn’t be easy initially, but it could be replicated…they’re not the top people in the world.”

Also speaking on the panel was Louis Houlbrooke of the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union, who added that the health body only seemed to provide ‘another layer of hand-wringing and thinktanking.’

He questioned why the WHO refused to align with pro-vaping countries such as the UK when it came to harm reduction, saying that ‘funders should have some sort of say’.

Matt Ridley, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping, stressed that the organisation needed to focus on its ‘day job’ as a global health authority.

He said ‘huge bureaucratic organisations’ like the WHO were often bad at doing their jobs and questioned whether more focused bodies such as the Gates Foundation could offer a viable alternative.

Matt said: “It may be possible to make the WHO irrelevant by having other organisations do the job better.

“Chris Snowdon said that the WHO is incompetent, and I think he’s understating the case…it’s vastly worse than that.”

It may be possible to make the WHO irrelevant by having other organisations do the job better.

“ “

Beverage and Tobacco Middle East 2021

A one-of-a-kind exhibition in its first edition, planned on the 8th and 9th of December 2021, Beverage and Tobacco Middle East combines the best of both worlds, liquor and tobacco all under the sun by the beach! Our show is unique in terms of being held open air, that avoids any kind of pressure the public shall feel exhibiting in a closed environment of an exhibition hall, due to Covid 19. Dubai, the gateway to the Middle East and North Africa has been chosen as the central point to focus this show and invite traders, distributors and manufacturers to collect and take advantage of the opportunities in the growing economies.

A MESSAGE TO POLITICIANS FROM A FORMER SMOKER… …‘F*** OFF’

When a furious former smoker called out against misguided regulations, an international chorus of vaping advocates joined her.

Words: Jordan Millar

An impassioned and incredibly blunt plea from a former smoker has gained the support of harm reduction advocates the world over.

Catching the attention of some of the most prominent names in vaping, Brandee Eubank’s ‘sobering’ message to policymakers has seen thousands of responses online.

In it, she tells politicians to ‘f**k off’ and stop proposing regulations that will effectively ‘criminalise’ vapers and nicotine-users.

She said: “Stop using us to cover for the awful things you’re doing… and stop pretending that you only want to “help” us.

“You don’t even want to talk to us and you certainly aren’t listening… you dismiss our letter-writing, our phone calls, our petitions, our protests and our campaigns.”

This comes after Health Canada ignored the needs of thousands of vapers and knowingly proposed a nationwide flavour ban that would drive people back to smoking.

Writing on the SaddlehorseBlues blog, Eubank said: “It is truly an upside-down world when those in public health put forward a proposal that they predict will increase smoking rates…and the public and media are largely on-board or apathetic.”

“As someone who did smoke, I am beside myself with rage…I have been in this fight for over five years now.

“If these plans are enacted, they’ll have successfully criminalised the most effective substitute for smoking that Canada has seen.”

She claimed that politicians are being misguided by a ‘ridiculously flimsy’ moral argument against nicotine, stressing that the ‘goal post has been moved’ and it’s no longer ‘good enough’ to just quit smoking.

Eubank told policymakers: “This obsession with nicotine is killing people who might otherwise access it in safer forms.

“The reason vaping worked for me, why it stuck, is that I find it better than smoking…I enjoy it more.

“The multitude of flavours, the ability to control my nicotine intake, the ease, the convenience and the price point…that’s what made me an accidental quitter.

“The alternative - just stop using nicotine altogether - is not on the table…that hang-up is yours, and it’s damaged my life enough already.”

While Eubank’s statement is a direct response to Health Canada, the sheer amount of support it’s gained online shows that standing against poor policy is a universal struggle for advocates around the world.

HERE IS WHAT JUST A FEW PEOPLE HAD TO SAY:

“If these plans are enacted, they’ll have successfully criminalised the most effective substitute for smoking that Canada has seen.”

WHO TOLD UKRAINE THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?

Advocates urge Ukraine policymakers to ‘take the path of science’ after they proposed a series of anti-vape regulations.

Words: Jordan Millar

Ukraine needs to steer clear of the World Health Organization’s ‘poisonous’ anti-vape rhetoric, warn advocates.

This comes after policymakers mirrored the health body’s antagonistic approach to vaping and laid out a series of draft regulations that ‘will do more harm than good’ to smokers.

The WHO has long-established itself as an enemy of vaping and critics warn that lower-middle income countries like Ukraine are ‘particularly vulnerable’ to its ‘misleading’ statements.

But with more than nine million smokers – and 96,000 annual smoking-related deaths – it’s crucial that politicians acknowledge the mounting evidence in support of vaping as a reduced risk alternative.

Writing for Filter Mag, Maria Chaplia of the Consumer Choice Center said: “These proposed vaping measures do not stand up to scrutiny and will do more harm than good.

“The Ukrainian government should take the path of science and move away from the poisonous, WHO-induced belief that vaping is the same as smoking.”

She highlighted that, if passed, the regulations would only increase smokingrelated harms that ‘already hit the country hard’.

Maria also stressed that restrictions on the ‘burgeoning new industry’, as well as smoking-related health care costs, would impede the country’s post-COVID recovery.

Alongside a flavour ban, the proposal also includes restrictions on advertising and public use, which supporters claim will reduce youth vaping rates.

Maria stressed that flavours play a ‘crucial role’ in helping smokers quit, with vapers who use flavours being more likely to kick the habit. She said: “The accessibility of vape flavours ensures that smokers – especially heavy smokers – can experiment to find out which one works best for them.

“But promoting this lifesaving alternative is exactly what Ukraine’s new law would forbid.”

She said it would block access to ‘key information’ about the health potential of e-cigarettes, meaning that millions of smokers may never make the switch to a less harmful alternative.

Maria added: “Only by encouraging vaping, as countries like the UK have done successfully, can Ukraine show its commitment to improving public health for generations to come.

To learn more about the World Health Organization’s latest anti-vape campaign, read our story “We don’t want this ‘quit or die’ nonsense” earlier in this issue.

The Ukrainian government should take the path of science and move away from the poisonous, WHO-induced belief that vaping is the same as smoking.

““

WHO turns its guns on vaping

The WHO puts its case against e-cigarettes: time to round up the usual suspects, reports ECigIntelligence

It’s hard to deny that in principle, and very often in practice, the World Health Organization (WHO) has a rightful leading place among the Good Guys. In face of something as threatening as Covid-19, for example, who would you rather trust – your government or the WHO?

However, as a 73-year-old global institution with an annual budget approaching $8bn, derived mostly from voluntary contributions from both its member states and private donors, it can hardly be expected to be at all times uncontroversial. When it brings its massive international influence to bear on e-cigarettes it never is.

And when it publishes a document as weighty, and as dogmatic, as its eighth report on “the global tobacco epidemic”, presenting what it calls “new data on electronic nicotine delivery systems, such as ‘e-cigarettes’ ”, it inevitably makes headlines. And, just as inevitably, the usual suspects line up in their usual places on either side of the argument.

Let’s look at a few of the WHO’s salient points, as conveniently picked out by the Khaleej Times: “Nicotine is the primary agent in both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and it is highly addictive.”

Primary agent of addiction, yes, but not of the truly damaging health effects, which come predominantly from tar and other constituents of smoke.

“It causes you to crave a smoke and suffer withdrawal symptoms if you ignore the craving.”

Not really. If you crave nicotine and have an e-cig handy, you don’t have to smoke to satisfy the desire. That’s rather the point.

“Though marketed as safer way to smoke, e-cigarettes are equally harmful.”

This is where the WHO and many others really let fly with the unsupported assertions. All the best evidence so far suggests it’s simply not true. So far.

In the other corner, step forward Michael Landl, director of the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA), with a few assertions of his own: “Besides being riddled with biased anti-vaping scaremongering and false claims, the entire direction of travel set out in the latest WHO report is nonsensical. Rather than focus on the all-important goal of beating smoking, the WHO is turning its guns on vaping, the most powerful smoking cessation tool on the planet.

“They clearly find it more important to fall into line with the narrow-minded ‘quit or die’ approach trumpeted by the WHO’s billionaire sponsors, like Mike Bloomberg. The reality is that if the world follows the WHO’s lead, fewer smokers will quit and more will die as a consequence.”

It would have been surprising, too, if the director of the WVA had taken any other line. And however forcefully the arguments are put on either side it’s hard to imagine anyone being seriously swayed in either direction until a lot more real-world evidence is available.

For now, there’s a whole lot more rhetoric than science in the air. Whichever way you look at it.

ECigIntelligence (www.ECigIntelligence.com) is the leading provider of detailed global market and regulatory analysis, legal tracking, and quantitative data for the e-cigarette, heated tobacco and combustible-alternatives sector worldwide.

We offer the necessary tools to navigate the complex market and regulatory landscape of this sector through independent, analytical and actionable data insights, in-depth country reports, regulatory trackers and legal analysis. In addition, we offer customised research and consultancy support.

As we celebrate our sixth anniversary with this edition, we look back at some of our recent highlights.

Words: Gordon Stribling

It seems like just yesterday that we were putting together the first issue of Vapouround, still finding our footing with no idea what lay ahead.

But here we are six years later as the World’s Leading Vape Trade Magazine and it’s fair to say it’s been one hell of a ride. So sit down, pour yourself a drink and join us as look back on the highlights from another fantastic year.

Vape Live Lands in the US - November 2020

When we first decided to put together a virtual vape exhibition, we had no idea just how essential it would turn out to be.

But with the pandemic enduring for 18 long months, Vape Live became a crucial platform for the industry to stay in touch.

When we took the show over to the states, we were able to connect with some of the biggest and best names in the US.

And with speakers from both sides of the Atlantic, our auditorium proved to be an invaluable tool in educating both vapers and smokers.

And the Winner Is… - December 2020

The Vapouround Awards are one of the biggest events on the global industry calendar. We held a virtual ceremony last year, with Vape Live being the perfect platform to host the celebrations. We had a lot of fun putting the content together for this and we hope you also had some laughs before the serious business of honouring the winners.

The physical Vapouround Awards are back this year – onboard the Lotus mega yacht in Dubai, no less. Check out our Awards website for more information - https://www.vapouroundawards.co.uk/

We’d Like to Thank – December 2020

We feel honoured to hand out awards to the best and brightest every year. But to be awarded ourselves is a very special experience, too. In December’s Ecigclick Awards, we not only picked up our fourth consecutive gong for Best Vape Magazine, but also the Best Vape Show award for Vape Live. We dearly missed visiting physical expos last year, but we are delighted that Vape Live helped so many of you connect over those long months.

EU Had to Be There – March 2021

Vape Live Europe in March arrived on the continent at an uncertain time for the industry there. Talk of US-inspired restrictions like flavour bans were making the industry nervous. Our auditorium panellists did not hold back in addressing the big issues, with speakers taking on topics like the World Health Organization’s ongoing anti-vape stance and excessive regulations in Germany. On a more positive note, US politician Julie Casimiro was a shining example of what can happen what when a politician actually changes their mind about vaping.

Bigger and Better – August 2021

August saw what was arguably our best Vape Live event yet. Alongside more than 100 exhibitors and thousands of visitors, we truly pulled out all the stops in the auditorium.

High-profile speakers such as GrimmGreen and Michael Landl of the World Vapers’ Alliance shared the stage with the Vapouround Cup, Vape or No Vape and the crowd-pleasing/horrifying Bush Tucker Challenge.

And Now…

Thank you to all the vapers and business owners who continue to support us in our mission. We can’t wait for you to join us as we help millions more smokers make the switch for good.

VAPOUROUND THE WORLD

We are expanding our reach to ensure that more people from all corners of the globe get to see the award-winning content of Vapouround Magazine.

Spreading the positive message about vaping is at the core of what we do…so we thought, why not launch seven more magazines to help get the word out?

Yes, you read that right, we’re gearing up to release Vapouround Magazine in China, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Middle East and the US.

We can’t wait to expand the reach of the ‘world’s leading vape trade magazine’ even further and help smokers across the globe make the switch.

Ahead of the launch, Vapouround Editor Patrick Griffin said: “At a time when antivaping propaganda is at its highest, we must do whatever we can to separate fact from fiction.

“These seven new magazines create a real opportunity for us to turn the tide of the smoking epidemic and stand against misinformation on a global scale.”

We’ve compiled a list of the important vaping facts and figures of the seven new countries below.

These seven new magazines create a real opportunity for us to turn the tide of the smoking epidemic and stand against misinformation on a global scale.

Words: Gordon Stribling

China

Population: 1.4 billion Adult smoking prevalence: 26 percent Annual smoking-related deaths: More than one million Adult vapers: 7.4 million Industry value: 11.28 bn RMB (£1.2bn)

Germany

Population: 83 million Adult smoking prevalence: 30 percent Annual smoking-related deaths: 121,000 Adult vapers: 1.2 million Industry value: £400 million (2017)

Indonesia

Population: 270.6 million Adult smoking prevalence: 33 percent Annual smoking-related deaths: 266,000 Adult vapers: Unknown Industry value: $357m (£258m)

USA

Population: 328.2 million Adult smoking prevalence: 14 percent Annual smoking-related deaths: 480,000 Adult vapers: 8.1million Industry value: $6.09bn (£4.3bn)

Malaysia

Population: 32.7 million Adult smoking prevalence: 21 percent Annual smoking-related deaths: 27,200 Adult vapers: 1.12 million Industry value: RM2.27 billion (£380 million)

Thailand

Population: 69.6 million Adult smoking prevalence: 22 percent Annual smoking-related deaths: 106,000 Adult vapers: Unknown Industry value: B3-6 billion (£64129 million)

Middle East

Population: 456 million Adult smoking prevalence: Ranging from 21 percent in Morocco to 51 percent in Syria Adult vapers: Unknown Industry value: $485 million by 2025 (includes North Africa) (£350 million)

Annual smoking-related deaths: Unknown

GOOD GAMES… GOOD GAMES

We invited brave consumers to compete in our high stakes Vape Live gameshows for the chance to win some amazing prizes…and here’s what happened.

Words: Jordan Millar

In what was the biggest and boldest Vape Live event to date, we invited a handful of visitors to join in with the on-screen antics. For the first time ever, we recruited consumers from across the UK to compete in some high stakes, head-to-head challenges, each eager to put their mental skills to the test. And with a selection of fantastic prizes up for grabs, including a £1,000 holiday for two and some exciting vape bundles, it’s safe to say that the pressure was on.

THE VAPERATION GAME

In this homage to the classic Generation Game, we put our volunteers’ memories to the test to see how many random objects they could recall.

The person who could remember the most after one minute walked away with an exclusive Komodo Vape bundle worth £250. While our second contestant, Nathan Warby, scored a modest five out of twenty, he couldn’t quite keep up with his opponent, Jane from Derby, who managed to recall a whopping 10 out of 20 items.

CHASE YOUR CLOUDS RIGHT

In the ultimate test of knowledge and luck, we had our two brave Vape Live volunteers answer a series of brain-busting questions. Covering everything from geography to the British royal family, there were a few questions that certainly left everyone scratching their heads – including our lively host, Johnnie Lovell.

If they won enough rounds, players were then able to try their hand on the higher or lower board, leaving their chances of winning up to fate.

In the end it was Dan Durkin who won the game – and £250 of Barehead products – but not without a brilliant effort from our second contestant Dale Rowe.

VAPE OR NO VAPE

In this battle of wits and chance with our mysterious Vape Live dealer, contestant Becky Loomes had to eliminate boxes in the search of some fantastic prizes.

And with everything from a £300 PC World voucher to a PlayStation 5, there were plenty of amazing goodies to be won.

After a tense back and forth, Becky managed to bag herself an Aether Squonk Mod worth £145, narrowly missing out on the top prize of a My Vapery Mystery Vape Bundle.

ALL IN THE BEST POSSIBLE TASTE

When we asked chef David Mao to come up with a taster menu of five unusual ‘delicacies’ for our Bush Tucker Challenge, he let his imagination run wild…

Words: Patrick Griffin

In this Vape Live competition our two challengers quickly discovered that looks can be deceiving.

Contestants Tom Slack and Pom Kaila are partial to an expertly presented restaurant-quality dish or two, so they readily volunteered to try our mystery menu.

We teamed up with a top chef to prepare five impeccably presented dishes – all of which looked like they would be right at home in a Michelin star restaurant.

But where would be the fun in serving up posh nosh? So we made sure the food would be anything but fine dining.

We asked Chef David Mao to pull no punches when he designed the menu for ‘The Vape Live Bush Tucker Challenge’ and he certainly didn’t disappoint.

We also told Tom and Pom to skip their regular lunch so that they had plenty of room for the treats we had in store for them.

I cannot say I particularly enjoyed the dishes, but I was determined to eat everything that was served up to me, no matter what it was.

“ “

THIS WAS ON THE MENU:

FIRST COURSE:

‘Clouded mind’ - Smoked lamb’s brain with a red pepper emulsion and charcoal.

SECOND COURSE:

Time of the moonth - Poached and roasted cow vagina with rehydrated blood gel.

THIRD COURSE:

Chode in the bowl – BBQ deer penis with potato foam and venison jus.

FOURTH COURSE:

Bull glands - 24 hour slow-cooked sweet-and-sour bull balls with a dry ice BBQ.

FIFTH COURSE:

Yakator-eye - Pig eye, yakatori kebabs, teriyaki, wasabi.

While Tom ate all five courses, Pom came a close second, eating everything except the ‘chode in the hole’ which he found a little hard to swallow.

Pom said afterwards: “I have always said I would like to taste every food just for the experience of doing so and I don’t regret this for one second.

“I would happily do it again, but my only request would be for smaller portions, as many of the dishes were a little tough and quite chewy.

“Chef David did such an excellent job in the preparation and presentation of the dishes that I would love to see what he does with real fine dining ingredients.”

Tom said: “I cannot say I particularly enjoyed the dishes, but I was determined to eat everything that was served up to me, no matter what it was.

“I am glad I took part in this challenge, but I wouldn’t do it again… once was enough for me.”

WHICH TEAM WILL COME OUT ON TOP?

Ten eager competitors, six gruelling challenges, five rival departments, who will win the coveted Vapouround Cup?

Words: Jordan Millar

This year marks the first ever Vapouround Cup, with our staff being pitted against each other in a series of insane head-to-head challenges.

Fighting for the title of ‘ultimate department’, our competitors were pushed to their physical, mental and gastronomical limits. Each department had two brave representatives who, after a particularly brutal selection process, were as follows:

SALES – STEVE CULF AND PETE MASTERS

ACCOUNTS – ROCHELLE WARSOP AND ANNA DIFUSCO

DESIGN – YAZ ARSHAD AND LUCY BOOTH

MARKETING – MARCUS LANGMAID AND CARRIE STROUTHER

EDITORIAL – PATRICK GRIFFIN AND JORDAN MILLAR

And our host – Johnnie Lovell from BHVape.

With the inaugural Vapouround Cup on the line, which team rose to the challenge to be crowned this year’s winner?

THE CHALLENGES

BLIND TASTE-TEST

Here we put our competitors’ palates to the test, with one member from each team stepping up to the plate to see if they could guess our collection of mystery items. While some of our contestants confidently enjoyed the roster of weird and wonderful foods, others struggled to stomach the challenge.

Our very own Patrick Griffin and Marcus Langmaid had trouble choking down the cottage cheese, but with everything from baby food to pickled beetroot on offer, there was certainly something for everyone to turn their nose up at. Ultimately, this event ended in a tie, with each team scoring a modest two-out-of-five points.

CHILLI HOT SEAT

We certainly turned up the heat for this round, with five fearless contestants facing Vapouround’s spiciest challenge to date. On an already scorching day, the competitors had to muscle their way through six mouth-burning dishes, each even more fiery than the last. Not to mention that liquids were completely off-the-table, with anyone caught taking a drink facing immediate disqualification. For an added twist, players could save themselves from the next round of spice, but only if they could correctly answer an immunity question. While the first stage was a feisty but manageable blend, the final dish was a near-unbearable mix of over 60 chillies, including those infamously hot habaneros. Astonishingly, all five contestants made it through to the sixth round relatively unscathed, but the worst was yet to come. Unfortunately, just a few spoonfuls away from glory, marketing-representative Carrie Strouther lost her cool, forfeiting the round and sadly losing all her points.

ICE BUCKET QUIZ

Question: How do make the Vapouround staff shiver in 30-degree heat?

Answer: Blast them with ice-cold water every time they get a question wrong. In this sub-zero test of knowledge, contestants not only faced each other, but also the merciless quiz master, Johnnie Lovell from BHVape. If competitors answered correctly, they could choose someone else to face an icy punishment, but if they were incorrect, they would suffer the consequences. And with ten questions in total, there were plenty of opportunities for players to soak or be soaked. While he definitely didn’t win the round, salesrepresentative Pete Masters certainly earned his place as the MWP (Most Wet Player).

But it wasn’t just him, as every contestant was hit with a face-full of freezing water at some point during the game.

EGG ROULETTE

In the fourth round of the Vapouround Cup, we put five terri-fried contestants through the ultimate test of luck and chance…Egg Roulette. The game was simple, each player had six eggs – five hard-boiled and one raw – which they had to crack on their heads. If they chose hard-boiled, they were safe, but if they ended up as Vapouround egg heads, then they were eliminated.

First out of the game was design representative Yaz Arshad, who was still a good egg even after earning zero points for his team. Yaz was quickly followed by marketing and editorial, leaving just sales and accounts to battle it out for the winning spot.

After a good run, Pete Masters was knocked out of the game in the final round, with accounts coming out on top. But, in the end, the yolk was on Pete when accounts representative Rochelle Warsop hit him with her own uncooked egg.

EAT IT OR WEAR IT

In perhaps the messiest and most stomach-churning Vapouround Cup challenge, all ten contestants had to answer the question… Eat it or wear it? With 20 mystery foods and five teams, this round was the ultimate test of will and determination. One team member would draw a number that corresponded with our collection of secret items. But before they found out what the food was, they had to decide whether their unlucky teammate would eat it or wear it. Facing everything from mustard to olives, completing this round was no easy feat for our competitors…although some certainly got off better than others. Pete Masters was once again at the centre of the action, wearing a less-than-appetising mix of marmite and salad cream…but it wasn’t just him who walked away looking like the world’s worst buffet. Patrick Griffin was coated in a sweet and sour blend of gherkins and icing sugar and Marcus Langmaid was covered with a slimy cinnamon/custard combo. But the highlight of the challenge was when sales representative Steve Culf – who had made it through the game completely clean – was hit with a face full of mustard.

SPACE HOPPER RACE

And they’re off!

For the final stage of the first ever Vapouround Cup, our competitors put the pedal to the metal and burnt rubber in a space hopper race. This was certainly the most physically demanding challenge, with competitors hopping – and falling – their way across an extensive track. Kicking off the race was editorial representative Jordan Millar, who suffered his fair share of tumbles and trips, even landing himself a five second penalty for some illegal walking. Bringing an element of style to the event was Pete Masters, who decided to eliminate wind resistance by removing his shirt – but keeping on the marmite from the previous event - for his turn around the track. In the end, it was space hopper veteran and design representative Lucy Booth who finished at the top of the podium, completing the race in a lightning-fast 58 seconds.

FINAL SCORES

Despite commendable efforts from every department, there could unfortunately only be one winning team. Walking away with this year’s Vapouround Cup and earning the title ‘ultimate department’ was the editorial team. However, that’s not to overshadow the astonishing performances

from across the board, with all players pushing themselves to the absolute limit and proving themselves to be worthy competitors. But after a day of gruelling events and intense games, it was Patrick Griffin and Jordan Millar who pushed ahead and narrowly secured the top spot.

Product Awards

Readers’ Awards

Vapouround Awards

2021 AWARDS

E-LIQUID AWARDS

Best Menthol

Geek Bar / Elf Bar

Geek Bar is known for its disposable vape devices that have been crafted with love for adults who want to vape smarter. As more adult vapers are finding that disposables provide a satisfying ex perience, we aim to offer a great tasting, convenient, easy-to-use, pocket-friendly vape unrivalled by our competitors. Our Geek Bar tastes better and costs less. Our products are designed with quali ty-conscious vapers in mind. From sourcing and manufacturing to marketing and distribution, our commitment to quality stands. The pursuit of genuine quality is critical to us because we care about how our products affect the user’s health, quality of life and taste preferences.

Best Tobacco Ferrum City

Although founded in Pittsburgh, you can find Ferrum City’s exquisite products in vape shops around the world. Our hard work, commit ment to quality and world-class flavour can be found at the heart of every bottle. We encourage vapers from all over the world to try our products and put them to the test. We’re confident that the products we produce can stand up against any in the industry.

Best Beverage

Dr. Vapes

Our mission is to help smokers from all walks of life make the change comfortably, safely and enjoyably. We’re ex-smokers ourselves so we know how difficult it can be to kick the habit. We constantly strive to create the finest e-juices so your transition to vaping is just as smooth as our flavours. From vibrant and fruity, to rich, deep, tobacco flavours - we’ve got something to whet everyone’s appetite. The Doctor was introduced to e-cigarettes back in 2013, which led him to brew his first juice in 2014. Years of growing expertise and experimentation has led him to produce numerous award-winning ranges available around the world, including “All Dat Stuff”, “The Panther Series” and so many more!

SPONSORS

Best Salt Nicotine Famovape

From the creators of the fantastic Magma series, The Chillax is the world’s finest disposable e-cigarette. There is a great selection of flavours, each offering a fantastic taste. The device is wrapped in synthetic paper and rubber film, with a wave pattern surface and embossed text. Famovape was created with the goal of producing truly exceptional vaping devices and to help people become part of the growing vape industry. Famovape believes that success is down to the smallest details. All the materials used to manufacture our products are selected through a stringent process. A devotion to the vape industry and industry-leading R&D is at the core of what we do.

Best Fruit Vozol

VOZOL is committed to providing healthier and innovative solutions to promote quality of life for adult smokers around the world. VOZOL independently develops, manufactures and markets a full range of electronic cigarette products, including disposable pods, open and closed pod systems, starter kits and CBD hardware. We have suc cessfully made the world’s first dual flavour disposable pod which has garnered huge popularity among smokers in America, the Mid dle East and Asia. VOZOL welcomes distributors and partners from all over the world for mutually beneficial collaboration.

E-Liquid of the Year

JPL Flavour Technologies

JPL began trading in 2016 after two years of preparing optimum fa cilities and services to offer customers. The company was founded by staff with vast experience in the flavour industry who were frus trated with the corporate way of life. The flavour industry is about creativity and fresh, new ideas. Our staff felt like that was missing from the industry completely. We do not believe in sending you “off the shelf” samples resulting in you having the same flavour profile as everybody else. Our NPD team understand that you need your product to stand out which is why we always advise on developing bespoke flavours specifically for your application.

PLATINUM SPONSOR Vampire Vape

Best known for their iconic flavours, Vampire Vape has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2012. The world-class e-liquid manufacturer boasts over 54 unique flavour recipes, including numerous award-winning flavours. The company continues to develop new ranges to the delight of vapers worldwide. With continual invest ment in R&D and new technology, Vampire Vape remains at the forefront of the vaping industry as one of the leading suppliers of vape liquids. Their state-of-the-art cleanroom and production processes ensure that Vampire Vape products are always of the highest quality and fully traceable throughout every stage of the manufacturing process.

HARDWARE AWARDS

Best Pod System

Cloud City Vape

We’re one of the fastest growing names in the industry and we’re all about giving you what you want. Vapers know what they’re look ing for. They know what’s out there. They know what’s coming out. They know the specs, the details, the intricacies, the ohms, volts and watts. It is our aim to offer the most inclusive, highest selection and the best prices out there. We back everything, offer unbeatable warranties and make our products available to those who seek the best. We take customer satisfaction and customer service super seriously. After all, what’s a good business without stoked custom ers? If you’re looking for the best vapour products and the best pric es, you’ve come to the right place!

Best Tank Voom Labs

The world’s smartest and most innovative new pod system seam lessly combines style with functionality to create a smart and us able device. Combine your VOOM with a portable charging case and you’ll never run out of power on the go. We remain steadfast in our commitment to reducing the damaging effects of combustible tobacco through the use of VOOM e-cigarettes. Our robust prod ucts incorporate the highest technology and supply standards to produce simple yet superior designed products with rich flavours.

Best Accessory

British American Tobacco

British American Tobacco Middle East Cluster is part of the BAT Group, a global, multi-category consumer goods business with 55,000+ employees in over 180 markets. BAT aims to reduce the health impact of its business by offering a greater choice of enjoy able and less risky products for adult consumers. BAT’s ambition is to have 50 million consumers of its non-combustible products by 2030. It also announced its ambition to be carbon neutral for emissions resulting from its own business by 2030. BAT MEC con stitutes a major part of the BAT Middle East & South Asia (MESA) Area and has been operating in the region for decades.

Best Mod Riot Squad

We’re ‘Big on Life and even Bigger on Flavour.’ One of the first in the industry to combine salt and freebase nicotine, our unique Hy brid RIOT S:ALT gives quicker delivery and a better throat hit. This recipe provides the most realistic alternative to cigarettes, helping more people quit successfully. Unlike brands that mimic taste char acteristics, we construct flavours at a molecular level. Nothing we do is outsourced. Everything is done in-house, from the creation of our labels to the production of our e-liquid. This focus on quality has propelled Riot Squad to become an internationally best-selling brand with aspirations to own the smoking cessation space.

Best Disposable Pukka Juice

We make premium e-liquid in fruity, refreshing and unique flavours. Since 2016, we’ve been creating authentic fruit blends that have won numerous awards, gained dedicated fans all over the world and held their place as some of the best all-day-vaping juices around. With our specially selected range of unique flavour blends and pop ular e-liquid ranges, we have the perfectly refreshing juice for every style of vaper.

READERS’ AWARDS

Reviewer of the Year

Cloudy O Funky

Four co-founders launched COF Industry in April 2014 with the vi sion of a better, easier alternative for adult smokers. Within just sev en years, we have successfully expanded our e-liquids across inter national borders. Our products have reached the United Kingdom, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, South Africa, Austral ia and more, with over 1,000 distributors worldwide. On top of that, we have joined over 50 local and international events, partnering and collaborating with various prominent brands. COF Industry is an e-liquid industry pioneer, serving millions of customers across the globe. We have developed 33 flavours so far and continue to craft more unique, flavour-rich e-juices for our customers.

Vaper of the Year

Nasty Juice

Nasty Juice is a major e-liquid company operating from Malaysia. The brand has achieved worldwide fame thanks to its vast range of flavoured e-liquids. The company launched in July 2015, releasing its first range five months later. Nasty Juice entered the UK mar ket in April 2016 and soon became a household name among UK vapers. The company has won multiple awards for its products, branding and packaging and continues to strive for the highest quality in all departments. With TPD-complaint e-liquids, Nasty Juice can operate throughout the continent. All Nasty Juice prod ucts are thoroughly tested before hitting the shelves to ensure con sistency, safety and quality.

Vape Shop of the Year

Zeus Juice

Paul Curtis established Zeus Juice in his kitchen in 2011. A book maker by trade, Paul fell upon the e-liquid market when his wife, Sam was diagnosed with cancer. Having tried all the smoking alternatives, they turned to e-liquid. Frustrated by the lack of big, strong flavours, the couple decided to create their own. In pursuit of perfection, they developed premium quality e-liquids and by 2014 bought manufacturing equipment, moved into a dedicated facility and registered the business, Zeus Juice UK Ltd; a nod to Paul’s love of Greek Mythology. Today, Zeus remains a family-run business and has evolved to become one of the UK’s premium manufacturers of quality e-liquids and merchandise.

Best Online Vape Retailer Komodo Vape

Komodo Vape was born and raised in Cardiff. We are a small, fam ily-run business that aims to please. A multi award-winning e-liquid brand, we’re sure we’ve created a flavour that is right up your street. Our dessert range features Whipped, Dipped and Creamed, in our beverage range we have Cider Farms and Jungle Juice. And the one that everyone’s talking about is our latest release, LOUT! We are recognised for our awesome labels, impeccable customer service, faultless packaging, highest quality ingredients and above all, our exceptional e-liquids. Follow us on social media to become one of our awesome dragons. #SupportSmall #SupportLocal.

Best Branding and Marketing Vape HQ

HQLabs was formed by a passionate and talented team with 10+ years’ experience in the electronics and vaping industry. We are fa natical about creating the highest quality products which help em power people to improve their lifestyle. HQLabs has spent many, many months developing the QPod with great attention to detail. This advanced disposable device is one of the few to achieve con sistent, exceptional flavour and a true puff count as advertised us ing quality freebase nicotine.

Best Up and Coming Brand

Pukka Juice

We make premium e-liquid in fruity, refreshing and unique flavours. Since 2016, we’ve been creating authentic fruit blends that have won numerous awards, gained dedicated fans all over the world and held their place as some of the best all-day-vaping juices around. With our specially selected range of unique flavour blends and pop ular e-liquid ranges, we have the perfectly refreshing juice for every style of vaper.

THE VAPOUROUND AWARDS

Best Distributor

Innevape

Innevape is one of the world’s leading e-liquid brands. Founded in 2013, Innevape’s award-winning e-liquids are distributed internation ally to over 30 countries and all 50 US states. The brand strives for perfection in every part of their business. All Innevape’s blends in cluding the world-renowned Heisenberg (sold as The Berg in the UK) are made with only the highest quality ingredients, including kosher VG, and PG. Every e-liquid is a 70VG / 30PG blend to achieve the per fect balance of flavour, vapour production and throat hit. Innevape remains committed to maintaining the highest standards in product quality and customer service.

Industry Leader Drip Hacks

Drip Hacks was founded with the ambition to supply the market with the highest quality affordable products. Launched in 2015, we built ourselves a reputation for exactly this and continue to strive for excellence. It is our mission to provide our customers with the best experience possible, ensuring our product range is adapted and im proved whenever possible. With our fast delivery times, exceptional customer service and relentless pursuit of improvement, we have become a leading light in the vape industry and strive to cater to our customers’ every need.

Vapouround Hall of Fame

Geek Vape

Geekvape is an innovative technology company headquartered in Shenzhen, China. Their mission is to produce innovation and to ensure a reliable user experience for vapers around the world. Geevape aims to have a positive impact on our society and to bring a healthier vape experience to the general public. Geekvape has served more than 30 million customers globally with the highest standard products. They continue to connect actively on social me dia, with over two million people getting behind the brand and sup porting the company’s mission.

Outstanding Contribution to the Vape Industry

Barehead E-Liquids

Barehead E-Liquids was founded in Berlin, Germany in 2015. It set out with the ambition of creating a lifestyle vape brand that not only crafted award-winning flavours but also reflected the products that helped the brand’s owners switch from smoking many years ago. Barehead represents a smoke-free lifestyle by promoting their harm reduction alternatives. Their product range features a variety of fla vour profiles, including the BRHD and Weird Vibes ranges.

GRIMMGREEN: THE MAN WHO HELPS SMOKERS QUIT

GrimmGreen speaks about his enduring passion for vaping and why he will always be a cheerleader for the industry

Words: Patrick Griffin

It has been six years since I last spoke to GrimmGreen, so it was great to catch up with him again for Vape Live. We met in 2015 at Vapefest Ireland and he was one of the very first people I interviewed for Vapouround.

While many people and brands have come and gone in that time, he has stayed the course and is one of the best-known names in the vaping world.

YouTube is the platform on which he built his reputation and his unending passion for helping smokers quit is what has propelled him to the success he enjoys today.

GrimmGreen has amassed more than 83 million views on YouTube where he has 390,000 subscribers and the numbers keep on climbing. On Twitter he describes himself as a professional tobacco control advocate and says simply: “I help smokers quit.”

When we met in Dublin, the US was the vaping capital of the world and all the big names in the industry seemed to be based there. Now vaping is under attack from politicians, special interest groups and the media and the entire US federal regulatory process is in disarray. So I asked him…what went wrong?

“It’s a mess right now,” he said, adding: “The US vape industry got too big, too quick and then politicians got involved and suddenly it wasn’t just about getting smokers to quit anymore.

“Politics can take something really simple and make it really overly complicated, which is what happened in the United States.”

He said constant warnings from politicians and the media about the ‘youth vaping epidemic’ scared parents, despite the data showing that the opposite was true. “We currently have the lowest youth smoking rates in the history of our country.

“Between 2019 and 2020, youth vaping had already dropped something like 20 per cent in the United States.

“It’s crazy that this didn’t get reported but we constantly hear about youth vaping, youth uptake and youth epidemic, regardless of what the actual data says.”

He said testimonials from vapers telling how they stopped smoking were vital for getting the message across to the lawmakers, parents and non-smokers alike.

“If you have your chance to do a testimonial for anybody then do it. Tell your story. Share your experience. It is an amazingly powerful

thing to do. We can then take these stories to legislators to show them that thousands of their constituents have made the switch from smoking to vaping.

He added: “It is a punishing process, but when we tell our stories we are slowly changing minds. This is going to be a long climb up the mountain, changing one person’s mind at a time.”

The YouTube star described his own personal part in the process. “I’m trying to get smokers to switch to vaping and make sure that vapers stay vaping. That’s my mission and as long as I stay on that mission then I’m good and that’s my clear path to what I want to do. “I’m just a big cheerleader of vaping. I’ve seen what it can do for me and for tens of thousands of people who have told me that they finally quit with vaping. I see people who have been unable to quit smoking for 50 years and then along comes this little miracle battery with liquid and suddenly, they can breathe, walk up a flight of stairs and taste their food again. After seeing this first-hand, how can I not be the biggest cheerleader for vaping? Vaping has to win.

have to save smokers’ lives.”

We

“ “

When we tell our stories we are slowly changing minds. This is going to be a long climb up the mountain, changing one person’s mind at a time.

FINDING THAT SWEET SPOT

Jake Lavelle from JPL Flavour Technologies explores why standard flavour concentrates don’t perform well in disposable devices?

Words: Jake Lavelle

There can be little doubt that disposable devices are all the rage at the moment.

And while there has been a huge shift to this part of the market, when brands decide to add disposables to their product line, then they must be aware of flavour considerations.

Put simply, if you use the same liquids in disposables as you do in higher-powered devices then you are very likely to run into problems.

As disposables represent a fairly new market, most brands do not have flavours tweaked specifically for these types of devices…this is a big mistake.

It is important to note that the power on which a device runs can have a huge impact on flavour delivery.

For example, if your high VG e-liquids usually pair well with subohm devices, these same flavours will not transfer well onto a disposable device.

We believe this is due to the fact that the lower power disposables cannot vaporise the flavour compounds as effectively as they do with sub-ohm devices and therefore the e-liquid can taste different.

When designing flavours for disposables, they must be specifically formulated for the devices in question and the optimum solution is to rely heavily on compounds which can be vaporized easily.

In the flavour industry we call these compounds esters and examples include ethyl butyrate, ethyl acetate and ethyl hexanoate. At JPL, we have recently been analysing the liquid inside several disposable devices and we were specifically looking for the sweetener matrix being used.

Sweeteners in sub ohm liquids are not absolutely essential but they will likely improve the overall flavour performance. The most common sweeteners in sub ohm liquids are sucralose and stevia. However, in disposable devices we are seeing increased uses of xylitol, sucralose, stevia and neotame, all used in conjunction with one another.

Sweeteners are incredibly important for disposable devices as the low power of the device struggles to push flavours through, the sweeteners will help reduce this issue.

There are some concerns about the use of neotame, as this is related to the commonly known aspartame sweetener and can carry a lot of negative connotations.

When developing a new flavour, or tweaking an existing flavour for disposable devices, we advise on creating a bespoke palette with a flavour house and talk about sweetener options.

Neotame is not currently restricted under the Tobacco Products Directive, however we would expect this to be added to the banned substances list in the near future.

Sweeteners are incredibly important for disposables as the low power of the device struggles to push flavours through

““

IT’S A G’DAY FOR KIWI VAPERS

Kiwi policymakers have put Australia ‘to shame’ with their latest ‘evidence-based’ and ‘progressive’ harm reduction laws.

Words: Jordan Millar

New Zealand has once again proven itself a champion of evidence through its latest pro-vaping policies…but can the same be said for Australia? In a ‘bold’ and ‘brave’ move, Kiwi policymakers have unveiled a series of wide-reaching, pro-vaping regulations.

The ‘progressive’ new laws have gained the support of harm reduction advocates around the world, who have praised them for accepting vaping as an effective quitting tool.

But the question now is, will Australia follow suit, or will it continue to be guided by ‘ideology’ and ‘politics’?

Colin Mendelsohn of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association said: “New Zealand’s new vaping laws are sensible, evidence-based and risk-proportionate.

“They are also a sad reminder how out-of-touch Australian vaping policy has become.”

The UKVIA added: “New Zealand’s new laws, while not perfect, are a hugely welcome development.

“Not only do they pave the way for many more smokers to access vaping products, but they also put Australia’s vaping policies to shame.” It stressed that the regulations mirror both the UK’s worldleading approach to harm reduction, as well as the UKVIA’s very own policy recommendations.

Key points of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products

Amendment Bill include:

• Nicotine limits set at 20mg/ml for freebase nicotine and 50mg/ml for nicotine salt products

• Minimum age of sale of 18 years, no vaping in cars with children and a ban on cartoons or toys on packages and;

• Containers should be no more than 120 ml and must be protected against breakage, leakage, spilling and have child-resistant closures.

Policymakers have also approved a series of messages that will inform smokers of the health benefits of making the switch. Supporters say this will help push New Zealand towards its ambitious Smoke Free 2025 goal, giving more people the confidence to move away from tobacco.

The UKVIA said: “We applaud New Zealand’s bold and brave approach to vaping, now enshrined into law.

“We can only encourage Australia and other countries with regressive, anti-harm reduction attitudes towards vaping to look again at the enormous role it can play in helping smokers give up combustible tobacco for good.”

New Zealand’s new vaping laws are sensible, evidence-based and risk-proportionate.

“ “

FOOM Lab's mission to aid adult smokers move away from combustible smoking and encourage people to shift to a safer way of consuming nicotine.

‘A NEW ENDING’ FOR SMOKERS

Aaron Biebert’s latest smoking flick reveals the ‘devastating’ and deadly impact of misinformation around vaping.

Words: Jordan Millar

Acclaimed filmmaker Aaron Biebert is back again, releasing a ‘powerful’ and ‘heart-breaking’ documentary on the ‘misguided’ stigma around vaping.

The director, best known for ‘A Billion Lives’ and ‘You don’t know nicotine’, dedicated his previous projects to the ‘devastating’ impact of smoking…and his latest short film is no exception.

In ‘A New Ending’, Biebert uncovered the shocking story of a fouryear-old boy, who was prescribed cigarettes to help him breathe.

After developing a life-long addiction, Brian Burt died of smokingrelated diseases.

His widow, Marion, told the producers that lung specialists dismissed vaping as an alternative to Brian’s smoking habit, claiming they didn’t know the long-term effects.

She said: “I can’t tell you how angry I was, I just thought: ‘one word from you might have saved his life.’

“There are lives, families, entire universes being wiped out with smoke…they’re in public health, they should know.”

Marion stressed that the reduced risk alternative has already saved

the lives of so many people, including her own, but there’s a stigma that makes vapers seem like they ‘don’t matter.’

In the documentary, Biebert highlighted the unnecessary death caused by ‘lies’ and a ‘distracted public’, saying that the ignorance around vaping is ‘robbing the joy’ of people who quit smoking.

He said: “I’ve met so many people who’ve been beaten down to the point where they won’t stick up for themselves any longer.

“When stigma is used on people for so long, they start to shut down…it’s one of the most shameful activities I’ve seen in my life.”

Biebert stressed that we need to stop letting ‘mass media hysteria’ and misinformation decide the fate of smokers and vapers.

He said: “After a lifetime of fighting for a happier ending, people must now fight the sad endings written by others.

“What if your own family, neighbours and even strangers claimed to know how your life story ends…would you start to believe it?

“It cannot be overstated how outrageous this is, the shame and stigma is now refocused on people who quit smoking… we must look at ourselves and examine the assumptions we cling to.”

“ “

After a lifetime of fighting for a happier ending, people must now fight the sad endings written by others.

TELL YOUR STORY…SAVE THE SMOKERS

How your quitting story could help encourage regulators around the world make better laws to save smokers’ lives

Words: Jordan Millar

When it comes to vaping, consumer voices are one of the most powerful tools we have against bad regulation and misinformation. And with an estimated 55 million vapers around the globe, there are plenty of people with a story to tell.

Consumers are now being urged to step up and share their own experiences with the reduced risk alternative and two of the world’s biggest advocacy groups have come together to give them an international platform.

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) has joined forces with the Consumer Advocates for SmokeFree Alternatives Association (CASAA) to launch their ‘Right to Vape’ website.

Nancy Loucas of CAPHRA said: “This site will not only be a uniquely dedicated resource, but a powerful response to those who want to restrict access to vaping.”

She highlighted that the thousands of ‘inspiring life stories’ will humanise vapers, being a ‘wake-up’ call for world governments that could have otherwise taken an anti-vaping stance.

Alex Clark of CASAA added: “All too often the debate around safer nicotine products is framed as a conflict between corporate profits versus public health.

“This international collection of consumer testimonials challenges that false and antiquated narrative.

“It’s full of genuinely lived experiences of people who are improving their lives by switching away from combustion.”

Despite its recent launch, the site has already seen almost 14,000 responses, with vapers from across the globe coming together to praise the life-saving technology.

But the organisers are encouraging all vapers to share their own personal stories on the platform, no matter where they are in the world or how long ago they switched.

Nancy said: “We are adults and we have the right to make informed decisions for our health.

“We are the evidence that safer alternatives work and we are not going to be silenced.

“Now, please give us your personal stories.”

“We are the evidence that safer alternatives work and we are not going to be silenced.”

Here are some of the powerful testimonials that have already been submitted on the Right to Vape website:

SAVE VAPING SAVE THE WORLD

Words: Patrick Griffin

GrimmGreen, one of the most influential people in tobacco harm reduction, is heralding the UK as the defender of vaping against global opposition.

He wants the UK government to stand up for the rights of vapers at the COP9 tobacco control conference in November.

Recommendations made at the conference can influence the World Health Organization’s policies on smoking and vaping, which will have repercussions around the world.

Speaking at Vape Live earlier this month, GrimmGreen said: “I hope the United Kingdom and your army of scientists and physicians will defend vaping and defend science at the event in November.”

This is the first post-Brexit opportunity for the UK to attend the conference as an independent nation, and promoting an evidencebased, pro-vaping stance could be crucial.

GrimmGreen said: “It’s going to be a tough battle because the World

Why the UK must stand up for harm reduction policies at the key global tobacco control COP9 conference

Health Organization is very set in its ways.

“So many people in tobacco control that have been doing it for so long that they can’t see another solution to the problem.

“They want people use a patch to quit smoking but can’t see the benefit of vaping…the easy, fun, enjoyable and effortless method that works so much better.”

The vaping influencer was also highly critical of billionaire Mike Bloomberg’s attacks on vaping and accused him of acting as the ‘policeman of the world.’

He asked: “When billionaire philanthropists just want to use their money to change the way you live, how can we pretend that’s not a human rights thing?”

“No one elected Mike Bloomberg to be the policemen of the world. “He’s just an unelected rich guy who wants to use his money to influence the way you live and that really bothers me.”

When billionaire philanthropists just want to use their money to change the way you live, how can we pretend that’s not a human rights thing?

“ “

ARE SHOCK TACTICS LIKE THIS SPIRALLING OUT OF CONTROL?

New Jersey anti-vaping campaigners take a rough landing after equating vaping with skydiving without a parachute.

Words: Jordan Millar

Let’s get one thing straight…vaping is NOT as dangerous as skydiving without a parachute. Despite what the latest in a long line of anti-vaping campaigns would have you believe, vapers aren’t risking instant death every time they inhale.

If it were true, the reduced risk alternative would have already killed an estimated 55 million people – which is more than ten times the global COVID-19 death toll. So, it’s no surprise that harm reduction advocates around the world are furious over the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s ‘propaganda’ campaign.

Cliff Douglas of the Tobacco Research Network called the move an exercise in ‘public health malpractice’, questioning whether anyone would believe it accurately represented the health effects of vaping. He said: “I don’t vape, but I have without hesitations taken a couple of hits on a JUUL.

“But when I went skydiving, I used a parachute and wouldn’t have considered the alternative.” A spokesperson for the World Vapers’ Alliance added: “The logical way to say this would be: ‘Vaping is as safe as skydiving WITH a parachute…it’s at least 95 percent safer than jumping without’.” Supporters claim the campaign is set to curb vaping amongst young people, plastering the completely false message across 3,500 New Jersey schools. However, evidence suggests that the so-called ‘youth vaping epidemic’ has been largely exaggerated, with the majority of young vapers being previous tobacco users. To make matters worse, the campaign has been released on billboards, trains and buses across the state, which critics say will steer smokers away from making the switch to less harmful products. Popular YouTuber and vaping advocate GrimmGreen said: “Looking at this poster blind, if I was a smoker, I’d probably stay a smoker. “I’m most thankful that I discovered vaping early on in 2009…before ‘public health’ tried to convince me not to switch.” The anti-vaping campaign has seen hundreds of responses online, with advocates the world over calling out the ‘outright lie’.

Vaping is as safe as skydiving WITH a parachute...it’s at least 95 percent safer than jumping without

“ “

E-U NEED TO START LISTENING!

A first-of-its-kind European study has reaffirmed the need for vaping and encouraged policymakers to steer away from ‘abusive’ measures.

Words: Jordan Millar

Less than one percent of European ex-smokers say the World Health Organization helped them kick the habit. And yet, the international health body continues to guide tobacco harm reduction policies around the globe.

Infamous for its antagonistic and largely ideological approach to vaping, the WHO has called for world governments to either ban, or heavily restrict, the lifesaving technology.

However, a comprehensive study of over 35,000 European nicotine users – the largest of its kind – has reaffirmed the need for vaping as a reduced risk alternative to smoking.

Of the near 28,000 ex-smokers who took part in the survey, more than 97 percent cited vaping as an effective quitting tool. Meanwhile, just 0.2 percent said that they were helped by stopsmoking information from the World Health Organization.

The study, organised by the European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA), also urged policymakers to stop limiting access to crucial vaping products.

It said: “Taxes, flavour bans and state sales monopolies are barriers to smoking cessation. Member states and the EU must stop going in this extremely dangerous direction.” The survey called for policymakers to listen to European vapers, stressing that ‘abusive

regulatory measures’ can often drive people to ‘alternative’ or illicit channels to buy their products.

It said: “For several years, consumers of safer nicotine products have patiently and civically participated in public consultations…yet their views have been treated mainly with condescension. “The large participation in the ETHRA survey appears to be an urgent demand from the concerned public to be listened to by European authorities.”

Member states and the EU must stop going in this extremely dangerous direction.

“ “

TELL YOUR STORY TO #BACKVAPINGSAVELIVES

UK vapers can shape international tobacco harm reduction policy by simply sharing their stories with MPs.

Words: Patrick Griffin

The World Health Organization has long-established itself as an enemy of vaping, with its hostile policies regularly featured in the pages of Vapouround Magazine. And just when you think the WHO’s relentless anti-vaping campaign couldn’t get any worse, it ramps up the rhetoric to a new high. It seems that it won’t be satisfied until every vape product is wiped off the face of the earth, despite the millions of people around the globe who rely on the lifesaving technology. While it often feels like there’s nothing we can do to impact the huge anti-vaping lobby, we now have a window of opportunity to turn the tide of the global approach to vaping.

This is why Vapouround Magazine is proud to support the new #BackVapingSaveLives campaign and we urge all our readers to do the same. We Vape Director Mark Oates says the UK’s 3.2 million vapers could help roll back the global attacks on this life-saving industry by simply telling their stories.

He said that a deluge of messages from ordinary vapers around the country could help push the British government to stand up for vaping at a key international tobacco policy summit in November. The COP9 conference – which is notoriously anti-vaping – helps shape the message from the WHO, a body which needs little persuasion to tell the world that e-cigarettes are bad.

As the UK will send a delegation to the conference, it is the ideal opportunity for it to say how tobacco harm reduction has worked so well and plays a vital part in helping smokers quit.

Mark Oates was joined by the Counterfactual Director Clive Bates and New Nicotine Alliance Chair Martin Cullip at a webinar to launch the #BackVapingSaveLives campaign in the UK.

Politicians listen to stories from real people as these cut through in politics in a way

Clive said it was vital that the UK government doesn’t agree anything at COP9 that it thinks is wrong, from a public health point of view.

He said: “If you want to influence what happens at the COP and at WHO level, you have to do your influencing in your own country, through your own government’s representation.

“Politicians listen to stories from real people as these cut through in politics in a way that even science does not.

“So simply tell your story and don’t be afraid that the debate is too sophisticated, too scientific or too statistical for your input.

“Politicians take notice of people writing about their own very personal experiences, in their own words and it does not matter if it is full of spelling mistakes and written in green ink.”

Martin said the UK government could help ‘drive the agenda’ at the COP9 conference but had no plans to include consumers or harm reduction experts in its delegation.

He urged vapers to write to their MPs and demand that the UK delegation includes people who will tell the conference just how beneficial reduced risk products are to helping smokers quit.

The NNA chair added: “Whether you like it or not, the WHO is seen as a global health leader, and…sooner or later some UK politicians will begin to doubt that we are actually doing the right thing because the rest of the world is going a different way.

“This is why UK consumers must tell our politicians that the message we want to bring to COP9 is that the rest of the world should be following us, not the other way round.”

Vapers can share their personal stories with MPs by following the link to the #BackVapingSaveLives campaign on the We Vape website - https://we-vape.org/

that even science does not.

VAMPIRE VAPE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

We were joined by industry-leader Vampire Vape which gave us a peek behind the curtain at what keeps the brand moving upwards.

As one of the UK’s leading e-liquid manufacturers, Vampire Vape has become a staple of the industry.

Its products continue to help smokers the world over ditch their cigarettes and make the switch.

We caught up with Vampire Vape to see how they plan to push that mission even further and find out how they’ve managed to stay on the top of the UK industry for so long.

Since erupting onto the vaping scene, Vampire Vape has grown into one of the UK’s biggest brands. What you do credit for all this success?

The Vampire Vape brand has grown progressively over the years and is, without a doubt, best known for our Heisenberg e-liquid. We pride ourselves on the exceptional standards of our end-to-end manufacturing and compliance service and are very coy about what goes into each of our flavours.

Over the years, our fun branding and range of imaginative and flavourful e-liquids have made us increasingly popular. Continuing to develop both domestically and internationally, we are now stocked in over 90 percent of independent vape stores and an extensive range of leading convenience, forecourt, and retail outlets.

We aim to continue this journey and ensure that every vaper worldwide has access to our fantastic range of products.

The past year of lockdowns and quarantines has been incredibly challenging for vapers and smokers. How have you helped your loyal users stay on track with their quitting efforts?

Throughout the past year of lockdowns and quarantines, the UK convenience market was best positioned to help support local communities. At Vampire Vape, we take pride as a category leader and support all retailers on the ever-changing category trends to ensure that we rise to the challenge and maximise every opportunity we can.

Last year you braved the journey into space, sending your products to new heights. How do you plan to top such an extreme feat?

Our leap into space and watching Heisenberg reach new heights was an exciting time for us as a business! We have lots of new and exciting ideas planned, so keep your eyes peeled to see what we get up to in the future.

Innovation and Vampire Vape go hand in hand, can your customers expect any new and exciting releases in the near future?

We have a few exciting new releases coming up, all of which our consumers and distributors will love - all will be revealed very soon!

The past 12-months have been filled with regulatory discussions and international policy changes. What do you think the future of the industry could (and should) look like?

Many vape businesses have struggled with the challenges of COVID-19 and the resulting change in consumer habits – moving from visiting traditional vape shops to convenience and online retailers.

With that being said, we are anticipating a period of consolidation over the coming years across all businesses.

And with the growing appreciation of vaping as a less-harmful alternative to smoking, it is expected that the industry will continue to go from strength to strength.

Now that the world is starting to open up again, what are you most excited about?

It’s great to see that the UK is slowly returning to ‘normal’ and our main goal is to continue being one of the most trusted e-liquid suppliers.

Our success is ultimately measured by the experience of our customers, partners, distributors, employees and community.

We are really looking forward to getting back out to exhibitions and seeing our customers face-to-face after a long wait!

Continuing to develop both domestically and internationally…we aim to ensure that every vaper worldwide has access to our fantastic range of products.

“ “

DITCH THE ’JUNK SCIENCE’ AND FOLLOW THE LOGIC

Australian policymakers are being urged to acknowledge the mounting evidence in support of vaping and reshape their harm reduction strategy.

Words: Jordan Millar

urious advocates are calling for Aussie politicians to end their ‘dreadful ignorance’ and champion vaping as a harm reduction tool.

Fiona Patten, Leader of the Reason Party, said they had been quick to accept the limited science around COVID but continued to disregard the ‘logical facts about vaping.’

She told this year’s Global Forum on Nicotine (GFN): “Politicians will fall over themselves to agree with the science of lockdowns, isolation and vaccines…but when it comes to vaping, they say there’s not enough evidence.

“The mantra ‘listen to the evidence, listen to the experts’ has been on high rotation in all politicians’ speaking notes for the past 18 months.

“So maybe it’s time to extend this newfound respect for science and health experts and change tobacco harm reduction policy in Australia.”

Fiona highlighted that, if we could overcome the stigma around nicotine-use and adopt a more permissive approach to vaping, we could potentially save 20,000 Aussie lives ‘immediately.’

She said: “It’s so hard to change people’s views, particularly when it’s something that has a morality to it.

“Governments around the world constantly state that drug use must be treated as a health issue, not a criminal one.

“Yet, when it comes to nicotine, they are actively making criminals out of users here in Australia.”

Christopher Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs questioned how we can correct the ‘dreadful’ and ‘growing’ political ignorance about vaping.

He said: “The story of vaping as a harm reduction tool is stronger than ever, but increasingly, the good science has been flooded out by very bad science.

“Because we’re going backwards on the research, we’re going backwards on public understanding, and I think this is the most shocking thing.”

Snowdon explained that the ‘sheer weight’ of evidence against vaping is often enough to convince politicians but stressed that most of it is ‘junk science from anti-vaping advocates.’

He said: “In Australia, virtually everybody is against vaping…but in the UK, a vast majority of people in public health are in favour of vaping.

“Australians have got basically the same weapons but they come to directly opposite conclusions.”

Fiona called on advocates to spread the positive message about vaping.

She said: “We need to pump up our lobbying, we need to be knocking on every door and challenging candidates at elections.

“Report after report, expert after expert, have told the government that vaping is a significant tobacco harm reduction tool…that it can help save lives.”

Politicians will fall over themselves to agree with the science of lockdowns, isolation and vaccines…but when it comes to vaping, they say there’s not enough evidence.

“ “

CORRECTING THE MYTH-STAKES

From the ludicrous ‘e-cigarettes don’t help smokers quit’ to the absurd ‘youth vaping is an epidemic’, there is no shortage of dangerous myths out there.

Words: Patrick Griffin

More false statements have been made about vaping than any other product in the history of the world – fact.

OK, so I made that up, but given the amount of misinformation about the vape industry, some days it seems that it could be true.

Scare-stories are commonplace around the world and pose a serious threat to public health, making smokers scared to quit. And when people are discouraged from switching to reduced risk products there is one inevitable consequence…more smokers will die unnecessarily.

The US-based consumer advocacy group CASAA is dedicated to

protecting the rights of vapers, regularly speaking up for them to policymakers and politicians.

CASAA also works hard to educate and increase public awareness about vaping and with so much false information out there, this is no mean feat.

Here is a selection of the most popular vaping myths they highlight on their website and the truth behind them.

For more information check out the CASAA website - https://casaa.org/#factsmyths

MYTH:

E-cigarettes don’t help smokers quit.

FACT: A variety of studies conclude that vapour products help people quit smoking.

Most notable is a randomised controlled clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2019 which found that nicotine-containing vapour products were nearly twice as effective as traditional nicotine replacement therapies (like gums and patches) to help people quit smoking.

MYTH: E-cigarettes are a trojan horse by tobacco companies.

FACT: While most major tobacco companies now have their own branded e-cigarettes, these products were not created by tobacco companies to “hook future generations,” as many activists claim.

Vapour products were invented by people who smoke, for themselves, because they were frustrated with the low success rates of traditional nicotine replacement products.

MYTH: E-cigarette batteries often explode

FACT: E-cigarettes use lithium-ion batteries, the same battery chemistry used in many cell phones, laptops, and other consumer electronics.

While battery explosions and fires can happen with any of these products (usually due to improper use or a manufacturing defect) it is generally rare.

MYTH: Vaping was responsible for the EVALI deaths

FACT: The ‘EVALI’ lung injuries and deaths identified in December 2019 were caused by exposure to THC-containing vapour products, which also contained vitamin E acetate.

The lung injuries were not caused by nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. Conflating THC vapor products with nicotine vapor products in the case of EVALI is comparable to blaming all leafygreen vegetables for an outbreak of e-coli, when it’s really just a bad batch of spinach.

MYTH: Vaping exposes users to more formaldehyde than cigarettes

FACT: This claim comes from a single defective study published in 2015 in the New England Journal of Medicine in which researchers improperly used e-cigarette devices by overheating them, and effectively “burning” the wicking material, instead of aerosolizing the liquid.

This phenomenon, known as ‘dry hits,’ is the only way to achieve such high levels of formaldehyde but because of how harsh and intolerable the resulting vapor is, the user immediately stops vaping if this happens.

MYTH: Youth vaping is a gateway to smoking

FACT: This claim comes from data showing that youth who experiment with cigarette smoking are likely to experiment with vaping, and vice versa.

There is currently no data to support a causal link between the two, let alone a “gateway” effect. In fact, according to the latest research, the most likely causal link between vaping and smoking is that vaping is diverting young people from experimenting with smoking.

MYTH: Youth vaping is an epidemic

MYTH:

Flavoured vapour products are designed to attract kids

FACT: Flavoured vape products, including fruit, candy and dessert flavours, were designed by and for adults. Surveys of adult vapers clearly show a strong preference for fruity, dessert and sweet/candy flavours over all other flavour categories.

FACT:

Youth experimentation with vaping increased in 2018 and 2019, but actually decreased in 2020. Additionally, the data most often reported only covers experimentation (trying vaping –even one puff – in the last 30 days), not regular or habitual use. Daily use of vapour products by adolescents remains relatively low, under five percent as of 2020.

FAST BIKES, HIGH-END COMPUTERS AND LOUD MUSIC

We sat down with Don Thompson, who gave us a peek into his life behind The Zen Vaper brand.

Words: Jordan Millar

As one of the more outspoken personalities in the vaping community, Don ‘The Zen Vaper’ Thompson is recognised across the globe. But when you strip away the corporate veil and CEO-status, who is Don Thompson?

In an interview with Vapouround, he said: “Besides being a husband and a father, I have three passions in life; motorcycles, computers and music.”

Here we take a look behind the brand and reveal what Don is like outside the world of vaping.

MOTORCYCLES

Don’s love for motorcycles started in his early teens, with some of his fondest memories being spent on the back of a friend’s Yamaha DT250 dirt bike.

He said: “He would ride it up to my house, put me on the back and we’d head up to a field that had been fashioned into a makeshift motocross track.

“This is where I first learned how to ride and I fell in love. The freedom, the wind in my hair, the thrill of being so exposed…I fell in love hard.”

Don told us how, as an adult, he would get together with a crew every Sunday, hit the ‘twisty roads’ and ride ‘until his muscles ached’. He said: “There is one particular ride that still gives me goosebumps, especially when I hit the same roads.

“On this day, I nailed every braking marker, perfectly clipped every apex, and stormed out of every corner like a Moto GP racer…it was literally the ride of my life.”

Although back surgery forced him to sell his Kawasaki ZX14 sport bike, Don is now on the hunt for something smaller for him and his wife to enjoy.

COMPUTERS

As a lifelong gamer, Don has played almost every title under the sun, from The Legend of Zelda to the latest season of Destiny 2 and almost everything in-between. However, his favourite game of all-time was Final Fantasy VII, which he would play with his now-adult children on an almost nightly basis. But what’s perhaps most impressive was Don’s time as a competitive gamer, spending most of the early 2000’s dominating the Counter Strike scene.

He said: “I was a 40 something year old competing against the 18-year-olds and winning more often than not.

“Unfortunately, there just came a point where my reflexes no longer allowed me to stay competitive, so I eventually had to step away.” Don now spends his time building high-end custom PCs for friends and other clients, as well as working with a team of friends to push their tech to the ‘twitching limit’ in overclocking competitions. He said: “Think of cooling your CPU and graphics card to -175C with liquid nitrogen and then turning the speed up to “11”.

MUSIC

Don is an audio engineer by trade, with a BS in Audio Production, a master’s degree in acoustics and a wealth of experience working with live sound.

He spent the first part of the 80’s moonlighting as a DJ in one of New York’s most popular disco clubs, brushing shoulders with some of the biggest stars of the time.

After that, he spent some time on the road touring with major rock artists and bands as a live sound engineer.

He said: “I enjoy mixing monitors – the stage speakers for the musicians – because when you give a musician a clean mix, they can tilt their head back, close their eyes, take in the energy of the audience and give them a magic moment.

“I’ve seen pretty famous people, who play the same songs day-in and day-out, suddenly have a special night where everything comes together.”

He added: “Those are the kinds of gigs I would’ve done for free because of the magic the artists were able show to an audience.”

Now he spends every chance he gets in a home-based project studio and his office turned control room, mixing tracks for different artists.

“I’m not the guy who records the drums, bass guitar or even vocals, I’m the one that they send those tracks to make them into a song.”

He said: “It’s relaxation for me, it’s fun, especially after long and stressful days running an e-liquid company in the toxic US environment…it’s what I do instead of watching TV.”

They’re all everyday items that have been the subject of junk science and moral panic.

Words: Patrick Griffin

When it comes to the vaping industry, every new month seems to bring yet another challenge to overcome and another battle to win. Smoking claims more than eight million lives every year, so when vaping emerged as a far less harmful alternative, it should have gained universal support.

It’s difficult to understand why there is so much hatred towards a product with the potential to save lives...but we’ve been down this road before.

Here we look at some other everyday items which were once as demonised as vaping is today…

COFFEE

Coffee has been around since the late 15th Century but was met with resistance and widespread fear as it made its way around the world.

Religious leaders in Mecca, concerned about its stimulating effects, banned it in 1511 –a blanket restriction which was to take 13 years to overturn.

As it spread around Africa and Europe there were scare stories that it would ‘dry your kidneys’ but modern medical research has suggested that coffee could prolong the lives of people with kidney disease.

In 1672 King Charles II was so paranoid about people talking politics in London coffee houses that he shut them all down. However, there was such public opposition to the closures that the move was overturned after just 11 days.

BICYCLES

These days local authorities (in the UK at least) are falling over themselves to build more bicycle lanes, but this form of transport was almost written off from the start.

In the 1890s, The Washington Post dismissed bicycles as “a hot fad for fancy ladies,” but as more people took up cycling a moral panic developed around the craze.

In Victorian England, doctors blamed cycling on illnesses ranging from appendicitis and general inflammation to swelling of the throat and infertility.

There were reports of bike riders of mowing down pedestrians and ‘leaving them for dead’ on the roadside.

And an 1894 New York Times article said: “There is not the slightest doubt that bicycle riding, if persisted in, leads to weakness of mind, general lunacy and homicidal mania.”

TALKIES

Two of the biggest attractions of the modern cinema experience are the giant screens and the high-quality surround sound.

Early movies were all silent until ‘The Jazz Singer’ added sound in 1927 and the era of the ‘talkies’ was born.

Silent movie star Mary Astor dismissed ‘The Jazz Singer’ as a ‘box-office freak’ and predicted that the noise from talkies would ‘drive audiences from movie theatres.’

However, just as smokers the world over have taken to vaping, the movie audiences quickly warmed to the talkies and Hollywood learned to embrace the addition of dialogue.

And finally, here is one invention that everyone initially loved…

SMOKING

Between the 1930s to 1950s tobacco companies would push the health benefits of smoking in their advertising.

Phrases such as ‘doctors recommend’ were commonplace and one famous 1946 advert boasted: “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.”

It was also common for hospital patients to be encouraged to smoke as they recovered from surgery.

At least this no longer happens, but it is astonishing that so many health professionals continue to support policies which will force vapers to switch back so smoking.

There is not the slightest doubt that bicycle riding leads to weakness of mind, general lunacy and homicidal mania.

“ “

TACKLING THE BIG CHALLENGES

The UKVIA hosts its first live event in almost two years to debate some of the highs and lows of the vaping industry.

Words: Patrick Griffin

More than 100 leading players in the UK vaping industry met in London for a special forum to discuss some of the key challenges that need to be tackled.

They were joined by influential figures from the fields of politics, science, economics, medicine and academia for the UK Vaping Industry Association’s Summer Forum.

The event, held at London’s imposing Millbank Tower, allowed delegates to appreciate the great advances the sector has made in achieving widespread acceptance as the very best and most effective method to help smokers quit.

UKVIA’s Director General, John Dunne said: “After almost two years of lockdowns it was fantastic to finally get together in person and discuss the most pressing issues facing vaping today.

“We were honoured to have some truly esteemed representatives from the scientific, academic political and health sectors who all gave great insights into the latest thinking around vaping’s current and potential impact on society.”

The World Health Organization’s anti-vaping stance was discussed at length.

Mark Pawsey MP, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping, said: “Increasingly vaping and smoking are getting conflated. There are too many places where it says that vaping and smoking are as bad as each other and we know they are very different activities.

“Leaving the EU, we can form our own policy on this and continue the reduction in smoking that is helping so many people.”

The forum also praised the work being done by the National Health Service to promote vaping as an alternative to smoking.

Mark Oates, director of consumer organisation We Vape, said the influence of the NHS could not be underestimated when it came to encouraging people to switch from smoking to vaping.

Dr Sudhanshu Patwardhan, from the Centre for Health Research and Education, revealed that a recent survey of health workers, including smoking cessation staff, showed that almost half wrongly believed that nicotine caused cancer.

He said this underlined that there is still too much misinformation which needs addressing, both among health care professionals and the public in general.

How we can improve vaping’s image was another key topic of the event.

Senior trading standards officer Jo Mahoney said one of vaping’s biggest and most enduring image problems was the public perception that children and young people were too easily able to

access vaping products. She said that organisations like the UKVIA had a ‘vital role to play’ in demonstrating, and communicating to the public and politicians what the wider industry was doing to prevent youth access. John Dunne added: “It was brilliant to once again be able to get into a room with so many forward thinking people to look at what has been achieved in the last 12 months.

“We must now steel our resolve for the coming year and do all we can collaboratively to promote our industry and get even more smokers to switch to vaping.”

We must now steel our resolve for the coming year and do all we can collaboratively to promote our industry and get even more smokers to switch to vaping.

“ “

DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES

We take a look at some of the strangest and most extreme ways people have quit smoking… if only they had a vape.

Vaping has helped millions of people successfully quit smoking over the years, but what did people do before e-cigarettes were invented? In this feature, we’ve curated a list of the most weird and wonderful ways people have tried to kick the habit. While we commend their efforts to end their addiction and take back control of their health, wouldn’t it have been easier to pick up a vape?

THE CAGE

A long-time Turkish smoker locked his head in a home-made cage following countless failed quitting attempts. After losing his father to lung cancer, Ibrahim Yücel vowed to kick his twopack-a-day habit once and for all. He took inspiration from motorcycle helmets, crafting his own anti-smoking headgear from 130 feet of copper wire. Yücel even fitted a padlock to the cage, giving the key to his family who would only open it during meals.

THE HYPNOTIST

After deciding to end her 22-year addiction, journalist and lifetime smoker Aneesha Baig cautiously turned to hypnotherapy. Although sceptical, she undertook a virtual hypnosis session via Skype and ended her 30-a-day habit almost in an instant. She said: “I started the conversation with a cigarette in hand and two hours later, I found myself collecting all my ashtrays, lighters and cigarettes. Sometimes something works, even when you think it shouldn’t…nobody who knew me thought I could ever quit and here I am.”

THE PACIFIER

Austin Powers and Gossip Girl star Elizabeth Hurley was spotted sucking a dummy during a shoot in the Caribbean. When questioned, she confirmed it was her third attempt to quit and the dummy was a way to replace cigarettes.

A spokesperson said that she had decided to try the pacifier after reading a copy of Desmond Morris’ ‘Man Watching’. While she was caught smoking after the dummy fiasco, Hurley revealed she’d quit for good during a 2019 interview.

THE RESCUE MISSION

What better reason to quit smoking than to save a dying dog? While on a holiday in Corfu, Cheryl Hague and her husband came across a springer spaniel that was a little worse for wear.

They recognised the dog was in bad shape and wanted to help as these animals were often shot or poisoned to reduce the stray population.

They eventually decided to take it home with them, but not before having to put it in a six-month quarantine.

To cover the costs, Cheryl quit smoking, saying the thought of saving the dog helped her to stay off cigarettes.

Although the cravings took two years to completely fade, Cheryl said she is much happier now and has even started running marathons.

THE CASTAWAY

Desperate to end his 43-year addiction to cigarettes, a former banker marooned himself on a deserted island with no electricity, 120 books and only sheep for company.

Geoff Spice, who started his 40-a-day habit at just 13, said he turned to island life to help him quit and hasn’t smoked since. He said: “I tried several conventional ways of quitting, but I thought that putting myself in a position where I couldn’t get any cigarettes would make me quit.”

Living in Australia at the time, Geoff didn’t want to face the wildlife of a nearby island, so he returned to the UK and set his sights on the small Isle of Sgarabhaigh in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. He said: “I got my wife to drive me there and drop me off before taking a boat to the island because there was no other way to get there. It was completely uninhabited apart from about 40 sheep.” While he planned to spend the month in total solitude, he quickly became a celebrity after a Ukrainian TV crew turned up with gifts of crisps, newspapers and whisky.

He said: “I look back fondly because it was such as big adventure. “It was something no one else has ever done and it worked…I don’t think I could have given up smoking in those days any other way.”

Fortunately, smokers no longer have to go to such extremes to kick the habit, with reduced risk products like e-cigarettes making it easier than ever to quit. Geoff said: “If vapes had been around then, I would have tried them…I would have felt I was doing a better thing than smoking cigarettes.”

If vapes had been around then, I would have tried them…I would have felt I was doing a better thing than smoking cigarettes.

“ “

UNDER A-TAX

Fury after researchers conclude that implementing wide-reaching tax hikes could reduce vaping…but fail to consider the public health consequences.

Words: Jordan Millar

““

I am at a loss to understand how a paper like this made it through peer review… how does this stuff even get written, let alone published.

Harm reduction advocates aren’t sure whether to ‘laugh’ or ‘shake their heads’ at the latest antivaping report.

Researchers have highlighted that widereaching tax hikes could be an effective way to steer people away from vaping products.

However, what the report seemingly fails to mention is what will happen to the millions of people who rely on the reduced risk alternative. While the study, published in the international ‘Tobacco Control’ journal, claimed that increased tax could help curb youth vaping, experts warn it would spell doom for public health.

Clive Bates of The counterfactual accused the report of overlooking the wider consequences of a vaping tax, stressing that it would drive people back to smoking.

He said: “The paper appears to pay no regard to the impact on cigarette demand…in fact, the most important public health impact of this policy is entirely excluded.

“I am at a loss to understand how a paper like this made it through peer review…how does this stuff even get written, let alone published?”

The report was also widely condemned on social media with one Twitter user saying: “I don’t know if I should laugh or shake my head over such ignorance. Taxing nicotine products is moralistic extortion of users.”

THE FUTURE OF ZEUS WITH TIM ALLINSON

In Vapouround Issue 33, we sat down with Zeus Founder Paul Curtis, who took us through the journey of his award-winning brand. He touched on some of the past successes as well as his inspiration for entering the industry. This time, we spoke to Managing Director Tim Allinson, who shared his experiences with the brand so far and his vision for the company’s future.

You joined the Zeus team in 2020 to great success, what would you say has been your biggest contribution to the growth of the brand so far?

I joined the business four months before the first lockdown and immediately focused on steadying the ship and giving clear direction.

I also decided to discontinue the range Myth and to release new flavours in the Zeus range, which have both proved to be the right decision as one year later Vermillion, our new cherry menthol, is one of our best sellers.

Your position as Managing Director for Zeus was your first major step into the vaping industry, what was it that attracted you to the role?

Without a doubt both Paul Curtis, the founder of Zeus, and the quality of the product were what attracted me to the role. My background is with big corporate retailers and most recently, I worked for the founder of Jack Wills and loved working at a premium brand with a boss who cared about people.

I met Paul and it was clear that he had similar values and started the company for good reasons. I definitely made the right choice because Paul is the nicest bloke I have ever worked for.

The growth of Zeus is truly a great British success story, how do you plan on taking the brand further in the future?

The plans for the future growth of the business are to focus on international expansion and to target new markets - we have a great product and we are ready to share it with the rest of the world!

Last year Zeus won Vapouround’s ‘Best Branding and Marketing’ award, what did this mean for you? And are you hoping to add another trophy to the company mantelpiece at this year’s show?

It’s tackled Greek gods, mythological creatures and legendary beasts, but what’s next on the cards for Birmingham-born Zeus Juice?

We were thrilled to receive the award and to officially be recognised for the amazing work of our creative teams and, of course, we hope to be in the mix for that award again this year.

You’ve just launched a new line of shortfills, what was the inspiration behind these flavours and the iconic Zeus artwork that goes along with them?

All of the designs of the Zeus Juice flavours tell a story, with Greek and mythological symbology integrated into the DNA of the artwork.

The two new Reloaded flavours are aggrandised versions of their predecessors. To make a flavour Reloaded, it is made more, and this is mirrored in the designs. Our recently launched three brand new flavours all drawn from Greek concepts: the bittersweet tale of Adonis, the legendary cynomolgus featured in Cinnabird and a reenvisioned goddess of the hunt, Artemis in The Animal.

The last two months have been a blur of global policy changes and regulatory proposals, after all this, do you see a brighter future ahead for the international vaping industry?

We see dramatically different levels of regulations internationally, however the

general trend seems to be that most are getting tighter and stricter.

We have always taken regulations very seriously and this ultimately works in our favour, as tighter restrictions hold back inferior products and consumers are seeing an increasingly safer and thoroughly tested end product.

Finally, is there anything you want to say to the loyal Zeus fans reading this?

Keep the faith, keep spreading the word about vaping and a huge thank you for being so supportive and to stick with us! We will still be here producing quality all-day vapes and helping the world convert from smoking.

ARE UK-IDDING ME?

Vapers were stunned after an anti-vaping study falsely claimed that the UK has banned or restricted flavours.

Words: Jordan Millar

“ “

Frankly put, these recommendations will kill people.

When health officials are citing the UK’s approach to vaping policy to back up their own flavour ban…you know something’s gone terribly wrong.

A controversial study, funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, has caught the attention of advocacy groups after it recommended a series of regulations set to prevent youth vaping. But most alarming was when the report tried to justify a widereaching flavour ban, by claiming the UK has also ‘banned or restricted’ flavoured products.

While the UK is seen as a world leader in harm reduction, longestablishing itself as the golden standard for vaping regulation…it seems researchers in Nova Scotia didn’t get the memo.

The Canadian Vaping Association called the report ‘unequivocally false’, stressing that the UK has ‘taken no action’ to ban or limit flavours.

A CVA spokesperson said: “It’s interesting that the report uses the UK as an example of restrictive policy, considering that it has embraced vaping as a harm reduction tool.

“Both Public Health England and King’s College London are global leaders in vaping research and the UK is so confident that the country has run many campaigns encouraging smokers to switch.”

Critics have accused the report of failing to prove that flavours are a main driver for youth vaping, or that a ban would protect young people without ‘harming the rest of the population.’

The CVA said: “The vape industry acknowledges that action is needed to protect youth, yet anti-vape proponents refuse to acknowledge vaping’s efficacy and harm reduction potential.

“If implemented, the policy recommendations within the report will lead to thousands of premature deaths from smoking.

“Frankly put, these recommendations will kill people.”

Canadian vape shop owner Donald Vosburgh tweeted: “Heart and Stroke doesn’t care about Canadians or harm reduction.

“Each year 45,000 Canadians die from combustible tobacco. Zero from vaping. They have demonized vaping despite all the science. Don’t be fooled, they don’t believe in harm reduction.”

Scott Attrill, who uses social media to alert people about vaping misinformation, tweeted: “I will never give that organization one cent of support. Shame on them.”

IECIE SHANGHAI SHANGHAI NEW INTERNATIONAL EXPO CENTER. MAY

18-20, 2021

Words: Arlen Luo

It is good to see live vape events slowly start coming back again. This was the first professional vape expo in China this year and formed a key part of Shanghai Vape Culture Week. It was organized by Shenzhen Informa Markets Creativity Exhibition Co. and was held in the expansive 12,000 sqm Hall N3 of the complex.

The exhibition had included a 12,340 square meter space and organisers said they were thrilled that it attracted more than 34,000 visitors from 52 countries and regions.

In all, there were more than 300 vape brands represented and a number of e-cigarette and vape seminars were also held during the three days.

As an official media partner, Vapouround had a booth at the expo and it was great to see so many people interact with us at the show. A huge variety of vaping devices were represented at the show including open and closed system pods, disposables, mods and e-liquids.

There were also many companies from the wider harm-reduction community including those exhibiting heated tobacco products, herb sticks and other products.

It was great to see so many visitors including consumers, buyers,

wholesalers, and vape store owners coming together to experience the diversity of e-cigarette products and the unique charm of vape culture.

These were some of the companies which really stood out for me: RELX had an impressive 325-square metre booth which showcased their open and closed system pods, disposable devices and other products.

YOOZ was established in December 2018 and now have 5,000 stores in China. Their products include a chargeable e-cigarettes device with disposable, snap-in pods with 30 flavours, e-atomizer and nicotine salt products.

JWEI Group was established in 2007 as one of the first famous vape brands in China. They own Joyetech, Eleaf and Wismec – all brands that are recognized globally.

Established in 2019, SnowPlus is the fastest growing vape brand in the world. By now, there are 300+ SnowPlus stores in 150+ cities in China. Their booth exhibited the SnowPlus Pro and SnowPlus Lite devices and pods.

The next IECIE show will be held in Shenzhen on September 3-5, 2021.

VAPE… THE FINAL FRONTIER?

Did sci-fi movies predict the rise of vaping, or did they completely overlook the idea of a reduced risk alternative?

Words: Jordan Millar

Science fiction has a long history of predicting future innovations, but amongst the flying cars and cybernetics, did anyone dream up a less harmful alternative to smoking? Despite taking place in the distant future, genre-defining scifi movies such as Alien and Blade Runner 2049 seem to have completely overlooked the idea of harm reduction. Instead, they have characters travelling the stars in galaxyhopping ships and wielding otherworldly laser guns, all while smoking traditional cigarettes.

While a handful of movies did show characters trying to kick the habit, their quitting tactics were nothing compared to the reduced risk products available today.

Cult classic, The Fifth Element, tried its hand at smoking cessation by having protagonist Korben Dallas limited to four cigarettes a day through his in-apartment vending machine. However, Dallas might have seen more success on his quitting journey if he was equipped with a good-quality mod or disposable instead.

Although there have been some e-cigarette style devices featured in science fiction media, they were nowhere near as complex, or effective, as the vaping products on offer to smokers today.

One of the earliest examples comes from the short story One Face, which included a ‘tabac stick’ device that allowed people to inhale the ‘funny tranquilizer’ from tobacco, without running the risk of lung cancer.

Vaping is now slowly making its way into pop culture, with onscreen characters taking back control of their health and opting for a less harmful alternative to traditional cigarettes. The question is, will there come a time when smoking is completely phased out from sci-fi movies?

VAPOUROUND REVIEWS E - L I Q U I D

ISSUE35

H ARD WARE

Please note: All hardware and e-liquid reviews are reviewed by external reviewers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Vapouround Magazine. All e-liquids are reviewed at a 3mg nicotine level. Mod reviews are rated on specific criteria depending on the style of products received.

VAPORESSO GTX GO 40

Vaporesso has a reputation for designing reliable and stylish devices whilst keeping up with the ever-evolving features of vaping hardware. The GTX GO 40 looks similar to many other pen style vapes, with the classic cylindrical shape and petite size. It has just one button as well as a USB C port. The outside is incredibly sleek and understated, adding further to its user-friendly nature. I simply loved the no-nonsense aesthetic of this kit which is available in several colours and finishes including metallic rainbow, matte black and bright red. This device is discreet and pocket-friendly. It feels solid to hold and has a well-balanced lightweight feel to it, yet still retains a good level of build quality. By no means does it feel cheap or run of the mill. A single fire button on the side is used to vape and also allows you to switch the device on or off by pressing it five times. Press the button three times, and you can cycle through three different power settings: red - low, blue-medium and green-high, all indicated by the LED light behind the fire button. I thought that this was a nice touch allowing vapers to choose their preferred power settings when vaping. The GTX GO 40 features an internal 1500mAh battery which lasted me almost a full day of light-to-moderate usage. It can be charged swiftly via a one amp USB-C and battery life is indicated by LED lights behind the fire button, Green (70-100 percent), Blue (30-70 percent) and Red (0-30 percent).

The magnetic pod sits tightly and flush on the top of the kit, with absolutely no looseness or rattling. Airflow is easily adjusted by rotating the pod and this kit works great for all inhale types, from a super-tight MTL straight through to a relatively loose DTL. The pod is also very straightforward to fill. The top part is loosened by unscrewing anti-clockwise, revealing a small rubber fill port that works great at keeping leakages at bay. I really appreciated that the glass was fully transparent, allowing me to easily see how full the

SPECIFICATIONS:

Size: 22mm x 110.3mm

Pod Capacity: 2ml (TPD)

Output Power: 5-40W

Output Voltage: 0-4V

Resistance Range: 0.1-2 Ohm

Battery Capacity: Integrated 1500mAh

tank was, removing any chances of overfilling. This kit comes with only one coil included, something I saw as a minor inconvenience. However, the supplied 0.6 Ohm mesh coil was rated between 20-30W and delivered decent flavour and modest vapour.

Coil longevity is what you’d expect for typical sub ohm vaping with high VG e-liquids, and lasted me roughly a week before dying out. Vaporesso boasts a wide range of compatible coil heads, ranging from 0.3 Ohm mesh up to 1.2 Ohm MTL.

I had no leakages whatsoever, nor any overt condensation forming under the tank, another great aspect of this well-rounded kit.

To say I was impressed would be a vast understatement. This kit has cemented its place in my arsenal of devices, and deservedly so.

PROS CONS

- A great choice for new vapers - Solid build quality

- Easy to operate

- Very affordable

- Lightweight

- Easy to see the e-liquid level in the tank

- Battery life could be better - It’d be great if another coil was included with the kit

Words: Peach Atkinson

ZYN NICOTINE POUCHES FLAVOUR:

BELLINI

STRENGTH: 3MG AND 6MG

Words: Peach Atkinson

This is an innovation that oozes practicality as well as reliability.

ZYN pouches are the perfect choice, not only for people wanting to quit tobacco, but also as a handy backup for when vaping is not an option. They do not contain any tobacco and are far less likely to stain your tooth enamel.

ZYN pouches were created as an alternative to ‘Snus’ - a form of nicotine consumption found mainly in Sweden. They are placed under your top lip and because there is no smoke or vapour production, they are an ideal choice for when vaping is not allowed. I find it to be an absolute lifesaver for situations such as long-haul flights or even going to the cinema. ZYN pouches deliver the right amount of nicotine to take the edge off any irritability you may feel when you are unable to vape.

The pouches are currently available in three different strengths of nicotine - 1.5mg, 3mg and 6mg, catering for all requirements and are presented in a pocket-friendly, circular container.

ZYN pouches come in a multitude of different flavours, including Cool Mint, Citrus, Espressino and finally, Bellini - their brand new flavour which is the subject of this review.

Getting a feel of the flavour is very different to when I review e-liquids, often I find that vaping allows for more intricate combinations of flavours.

The ZYN pouches are a tad more straightforward in terms of flavour complexity, but the tastes are far more intense. I likened it to sucking a boiled sweet - much more flavour when compared to vaping an e-liquid.

The primary taste is a smooth and mellow peach that has a subtle sweetness to it.

This is followed by a fizzy grape that offers a zinging sensation on your cheeks and gums. The flavour lasts for what feels like forever and did not diminish over the half hour or so that I had the pouch in my mouth.

As I mentioned previously, even just one pouch was strong enough to keep any nicotine cravings at bay.

Overall, the flavour was incredibly satisfying and tasty, but the real winner in my eyes was the fact that this product can offer a nicotine hit wherever you may be.

It is a great alternative to Snus or chewing tobacco and gives vapers the chance to consume nicotine without any vapour. A very handy product indeed!

SPECIFICATIONS:

Integrated 450mAh battery Disposable pod system Leak-free

2 ml e-liquid capacity Averages 550 puffs per kit Draw-activated

BECO MATE DISPOSABLE

Words: Paul Johnson

The small pocket-sized vape was nice and light, offering a pleasant, slightly restrictive draw and a comfortable mouthpiece. Overall, the Beco MATE put in a solid performance for me, providing a range of flavours that could appeal to vapers of a variety of different flavour preferences.

On a general note when we talk about disposable devices like this, we mean that they are not rechargeable or refillable.

They cannot be put in the recycling bin as they contain lithium batteries which must be disposed of at your local recycling centre or specialist battery collection points.

The packaging on the Frunk Bar shows a crossed out wheely bin to denote that the device is not to be home recycled and should be taken to your local recycling point. This is a plus point but the labels on the packaging of several other disposables are not as clear. Alongside the device itself, I reviewed six of the available flavours, ranging from a traditionalist tobacco to fresh and crispy apple.

Premium Menthol

Great minty flavour, not to overpowering on the draw and sweetmuch like Polo mints.

Golden Tobacco

I do like my tobacco vapes and this didn’t disappoint. The rich, deep and oaky flavour was smooth and had a slight throat hit. It reminds me of an award-winning vape from Café Racer.

Mango Ice

This one I struggled with, as the mango, whilst there, was very thin in flavour. The ice on the inhale was not too strong and lacked any depth.

Lush Ice

In a complete contrast to the Mango Ice, the Lush Ice was bursting with fresh watermelon straight from the get-go and the ice was strong and refreshing, giving it a good throat hit.

Crispy Apple

A nice and fresh apple vape flavour. It was sweet and genuinely juicy, creating a naturally-tasting apple that didn’t feel artificial – think Granny Smiths.

Strawberry Burst

Another strong flavour, the Strawberry Burst was jam-packed with that strawberry flavour, all without feeling artificial. Again, this was somewhat juicy, much like fresh ripe strawberries.

PROS

- Good flavour range to appeal to a wide variety of vapers.

- A solid device

CONS

- Mango was thin on flavour

SPECIFICATIONS:

1.6ml capacity with 20mg nicotine

Stylish design

Approximately 600 puffs per device

All our products are fully TPD compliant

FRUNK BAR DISPOSABLE

The Frunk Bar disposable holds around 600 puffs, alongside a 2ml tank and 20 mg nicotine.

The round, pen style shape is not too heavy, coming with a comfortable mouthpiece and a variety of different flavours.

The Frunk Bar delivers on both flavour and smoothness and the overall performance was very good. These are the flavours I taste-tested:

WATERMELON SPLASH

With a nice, fresh watermelon taste and a massive ice hit, this flavour gives a smooth vape. However, the ice hit is too much for my tastes, overpowering the accompanying watermelon flavour.

ENERGY BURST

This flavour is a really good replication of the popular energy drink that gives you wings, with the taste and smoothness making this a potential favourite for me.

CLUB COLA

Again, a true replication in flavour, providing a good, deep cola taste that seems to last forever.

For a 20mg it’s really smooth and slightly sweet – certainly not the diet version.

GRAPEFRUIT WITH PASSION

A real grapefruit taste, with sharp, sour and bitter notes on the inhale, which is followed by passion fruit on the exhale and a lingering grapefruit aftertaste.

TWISTED APPLE

A tasty apple vape which is both sweet and sour, reminiscent of those sugar-coated, rosy apple sweets (for those that can remember them).

Words: Paul Johnson

FICH LAB PODS

Words: Tom Slack

Closed pod systems are an effective, foolproof way for smokers to kick the habit and transition to reduced risk alternatives.

So, when the Fich system landed on my desk, I was excited to see what it would have to offer…and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed.

The device itself has a simple and sleek design that is extremely user-friendly, which can easily stand against some of the most popular closed system devices.

Thankfully, one of my pet peeves when it comes to devices was gone, with the Fich pod presenting zero leaking.

I tested this device with two flavours – Heisenberg and Grape Mint – which both hit all the right notes and made for a brilliant vaping experience.

Typically, mint is one of my go to flavours for pod systems as it’s a blend that always seems to work.

So, when I tried the Grape Mint, I was pleasantly surprised, with a cool inhale and refreshing, well-balanced grape notes leaving me thoroughly satisfied.

The biggest pro for me was the overall quality of the system, with the slender, ergonomic design boasting the title of ‘thinnest device ever’.

At just 6mm, the Fich pod feels great and is incredibly practical, making it a brilliant device to have on hand all-day. The pod itself glides in and out of the battery with no problem and once they are locked into place, you can feel confident that it’s secure.

Charge time is also a massive bonus, with the 250mAh fully charging in just 20 minutes.

Not to mention that the device will last you most of the day, so there’s no need to worry about always keeping a cable on hand. All in all, I have to say the Fich has really impressed me across the board. From design to flavours, but especially the anti-leak pods, this system is certainly up at the top for me.

I would recommend it for first time vapers - as a way to move away from cigarettes -and seasoned vapers alike.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Weight – 30g

Dimensions – 8.3x1.8x0.6 cm

Battery – 250m Capacity – 220 puffs

- Ergonomic design

- Long-lasting battery

- Fast charge

- None

ASPIRE VILTER KIT

Words: Alex Shenker

For a lot of people looking to make the switch, replicating the feel they get from smoking is usually the biggest challenge.

I believe Aspire have created a simple, yet effective, solution for new starters who want to steer clear of cigarettes.

The Aspire Vilter Kit is, at its core, a small pod system, sporting a 450mAh battery and sleek alloy body.

It looks and feels like a premium product, but also offers a discreetness too – perfect for any new vaper.

Inside the box there is a Vilter Kit, one pre-installed pod, a charging cable, instructions and two paper filter drip tips.

The innovative drip tips simply slot into the top of the pod, offering a nice, tight draw and high-quality experience.

The pod itself is extremely easy to work with, neatly snapping in and out of the battery with ease, even being filled via a decently-sized port located at the bottom.

Unfortunately, these are disposable pods with no option to change the coil, so you will have to purchase some spares. Although, there’s no need to fret, as I easily got a few weeks out of the 1.0-ohm coil (even with some pretty heavy use).

I would quite like to see a version of the Vilter Kit that uses replaceable coils, as it does feel a bit wasteful throwing the pod away every time the coil burns out.

The Vilter charges via a USB Type-C port and I found the charging time to be around one hour from flat to full which is definitely a huge plus.

Despite only having a 450mAh battery, I was easily able to get around half a day of heavy vaping out of it.

A simple honeycomb-shaped LED on the front of the device lets you know when to charge and when the device is ready to go.

I definitely recommend using 50/50 e-liquids with the Vilter Kit, as any thicker than that and I doubt the coil would be able to keep up. The flavour was absolutely bang on and the tight draw combined

SPECIFICATIONS:

Weight – 31g

Dimensions – 11*2.2*1.3 cm

Capacity – 2ml

Coil resistance – 1.0ohm

Battery capacity – 450mAh

with the paper drip tips and a nice tobacco e-liquid was the closest any vape has ever come to replicating a cigarette for me.

To sum up, I believe the Aspire Vilter Kit is the current benchmark for starter kits; it’s small and lightweight, sleek and stylish and super easy to use.

SHAKERS E-LIQUIDS COCKTAIL RANGE

Words: Paul Johnson

Summer’s here and the sun’s out (occasionally), so it’s cocktail time! Today’s cocktails are 50ml shortfills and so I won’t be adding any nic shots.

WHITE RUSSIAN

VG/PG - 70/30

I’m no stranger to this cocktail and know exactly what I should be getting. The first draw delivered a smooth, fresh and creamy taste, followed by a rich and deep coffee. The flavour was superb, with something else added in there to replicate the vodka, adding to the overall taste. Plus, the coffee lingers around the mouth for ages as with the drink. A really good representation and I’m sure coffee vape lovers will like it too - excellent start!

SUMMER PUNCH

VG/PG - 70/30

Everyone makes some sort of summer punch, so this can’t be judged as a replication. The first draw provided a sweet taste with a hint of fruit, which was quickly followed by mint and finished with, wait for it, cucumber! This combination was a surprise, but gives this e-liquid a really refreshing taste -different but pleasant.

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

VG/PG - 70/30

I have to say, I’ve never actually had one of these cocktails before and after vaping this, I had to look up the ingredients. Typically, there would be a blend of frozen strawberry, white rum, soda and lime and lemon juice, but that’s not what I was getting at all (if blindfolded, I would say it was strawberry laces). I don’t know if my palate was overloaded from the other flavours, but I’m not sure if this one fits the brief, as all I got was an artificial strawberry taste. All in all, this range offered a good replication of some popular and famous cocktails apart from the last one - well worth a try.

MOJITO

VG/PG - 70/30

Probably one of the most popular cocktails, either whilst on holiday or even at home. My first impression was that it’s a pleasant vape, with the white rum-like taste at the forefront, followed by a subtle lime and mint. I’m not getting the big, fresh mint and lime hit usually expected from a freshly-made mojito, with this juice leaning more towards a spearmint taste. This is a nice vape, smooth and refreshing, with all the flavours - great effort!

PEACH BELLINI

VG/PG - 70/30

Well this flavour was certainly peach…and loads of it! The thick and sweet liquid was smooth and didn’t taste artificial. In fact, it was similar to fresh peach juice from a carton and even had a kind of fizzy aspect to it – really nice.

MIMOSA

VG/PG - 70/30

On first vape I got orange – not fresh squeeze, more of a cordial –but then something else started to come through. The more I vaped I tasted a sour grape flavour, not front-and-centre, but in the finish.

I liked it, it was different, very sweet, full of flavour and refreshing all at the same time, lingering in the mouth for ages – nice!

DOOZY TROPIX

Words: Alex Shenker

FIJI

VG/PG – 70/30

This juice offers a unique combination of fuji apples, cucamelon and a hint of cucumber. The initial flavour was similar to a sour apple, which was quickly followed by refreshing notes of cucumber. I couldn’t put my finger on the cucamelon, but it’s safe to say that it added a slight tang on the inhale.

RIO

VG/PG - 70/30

Rio was the juice I was looking forward to the most, and I wasn’t disappointed! If you’ve never had mangosteen, it’s a delicate southeast Asian fruit that, to me, tastes somewhere between a mango and a lychee. On the inhale you get the perfect tropical cocktail, the guava and mysterious mangosteen combining to create a rich flavour that I can’t get enough of. The icy citrus swoops in to add an extra layer of flavour and complexity to this juice, taking it to the next level. Definitely an all-day vape contender in my books!

HAWAII

VG/PG - 70/30

While some people are put off by aniseed, I would recommend everyone give this incredible flavour a try. With a delightful mix of berries, the inhale was nothing short of strong and sour, with hints of that unmistakable blue raspberry slushiness for added sweetness. This liquid also had an icy hit of menthol – no doubt a result of the aniseed – which worked brilliantly alongside the other flavours.

MALIBU

VG/PG - 70/30

This liquid is certainly one for the cocktail lovers, blending tangerine, grenadine, banana and crushed ice. Sweetness is definitely the word I would use to describe this e-liquid, as the initial inhale is a perfect mix of the grenadine and sour citrus. The banana then joins the party, bringing you back to the sweet side…and it’s all backed up by a sweeping hit of ice. If you like your sweet, fruity juices definitely give Malibu a go!

TAHITI

VG/PG - 70/30

Tahiti is one for the sour, fizzy lovers out there, with the passion fruit definitely being the dominant flavour. The refreshing notes of grapefruit cut through and there’s even an icy blast thrown in for good measure. It’s a fantastic combo of sweet and sour with enough fizz to really make your tastebuds dance.