“ I FEEL THAT VAPING IS BREAKING A GENERATIONAL SMOKING HABIT

JOURDAN WHEELER, ARIZONA, U.S

Jourdan was saved from a lifetime of smoking related issues with the help of reduced risk nicotine products.

After making the switch in 2009, he met his wife who had two children from her previous relationship both aged just two and four years old. He went in to buy his usual pack of cigarettes and the lady there was using an e-cigarette, after learning the facts from her, he bought one and never smoked again.

Jourdan said: “Now I didn’t quit because I was going to become a father but I sure am glad I did. I am able to keep up with my kids, and also live longer to share life with them.”

Having lost both his stepdad and mother to lung cancer – caused by excessive cigarette use – Jourdan felt as though smoking stole many years not just from him, but his children.

After smoking from the ages of 11 to age 29 it got to the point where the father of two was out of breath doing routine things like walking up the stairs.

He said: “I was dying inside and poisoning my body and unable to quit regardless of the resources that were offered.”

The second ever MENA Vape Awards was held in Dubai on Wednesday June 21 and was jointly presented by Vapouround and Vape Paper.

Words: Oliver Smith

It was only a few weeks ago that the team and I were hosting the eight annual Vapouround Global Awards live from the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.

As you can imagine, staging an event as big as that takes months of organisation and planning.

So, when we scheduled the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Vape Awards only a few weeks after, we knew we had a industry being in one place at one time.

Although, with a short time frame, and the fact that the awards would be taking place more than 4,000 miles away added just a small amount of pressure to the team.

In fact, all in all, I think even Ethan Hunt would have had his work cut out to pull it off successfully.

‘Mission Impossible’ are two words that our extremely capable team don’t seem to understand.

I must give massive props to the Vapouround team as well as the Vape Paper team in Dubai, working together harmoniously for a truly memorable event.

After planning awards for the past eight years, each one just keeps on getting better and better, setting us up with the experience to improve every year.

We have a successful blueprint on how things are done, which we try to improve upon each year so that the results are always clear to see.

However, the MENA Vape Awards tore up the blueprint and we did things completely differently.

The venue was on a whole new level, choosing ‘The Theater’ situated in Dubai’s Fairmont hotel.

Although it was a challenge to stage this awards evening, the venue was very accommodating and very professional.

All the hospitality staff worked extremely hard and were incredibly friendly, with many not even asking for a drink before a fresh one was presented right to them.

The entertainment was outstanding. With a variety of dance, singing and performance acts hitting the stage to wow the vaping crowds.

The acrobats and dancers were performing throughout the night with it culminating in the Greatest Show, from The Greatest Showman.

The entertainment was a huge hit with everyone. Being in The Theater meant that they had stateof-the-art sound, light and visuals which were used to the acts advantage.

Rather than the formal sit down three course meal, it was done as more of a sharing platter, with loads of small bites coming out frequently so no one went away with an empty stomach.

With free drinks all night for whoever wanted to let their hair down, the night was flowing and everyone was enjoying a fantastic experience.

From this point, the awards evening seamlessly went into an after party at the same venue, with more singers and dance acts, followed by a DJ playing all the hits until 3am.

Of course, the night wasn’t only a place for some good food and drink, the awards evening was also there to celebrate the many wins for the industry, especially in this region.

For me, some that really stuck out to me were Instafill winning ‘Best Innovation’, Dr Vapes’

‘Outstanding Contribution to the Vape Industry’ and of course the Geek Bar going into the Vapouround ‘Hall of Fame’.

I can’t wait for the third instalment of the MENA awards next year, with the bar being set extremely high, I am excited to see the heights we can reach to hail the blossoming vape industry in this beautiful region of the world.