Why Does Vaping Only Seem To Get Bad Press Coverage?
For some reason, certain elements of the international media have taken it upon themselves to mount a crusade against the ever-popular habit of vaping. Whilst some of these are undoubtedly people that are genuinely concerned about the welfare of the public, the vast majority seem to be of a more sinister breed - lobbyists for big tobacco companies scared of losing business to vaping. These groups tend to have large amounts of $$ to throw at smear campaigns and usually have the media eating out of their hands, which would the big tabloid newspapers' recent fixation on any negative vaping stories. You'll have seen them by now - exploding batteries, "molten nicotine", collapsing lungs etc etc etc. They all share one thing in common - they never have any facts to back them up. Let's have a look at the best of them, and then try to figure out why they don't make sense;
1 - Daily Star - "Vaping Burns Hole In Dads Lungs After E-Cigarette Spits MOLTEN NICOTINE Into His Throat"
This was a gem from October 2015. The Daily Star yet again striving to uphold the basic standards of journalism, claim that a 33-year old man in the UK was hospitalised having had holes burnt in his lungs by "molten nicone" that was "spewed" from the top of his vape pen. The man reportedly told the Daily Star how he paid over £100 for his vape kit in a bid to kick a 16 year smoking habit. The article claims that his vape pen failed to turn his ejuice into vapour and instead spat out MOLTEN NICOTINE. The man then goes on to finish with "I want to quit completely but at the moment i'm just having the odd roll-up. I'm such an addict that I can't go cold turkey even after what happened."
Right...so, you paid over £100 for a "dodgy" vape pen to quit smoking, had a hole burnt in your lung by said device, and then went back to smoking cigarettes the week after being discharged from hospital. I smell a backhander from a cigarette company.
Firstly, how could a vape pen heat up eJuice enough to turn it into "molten nicotine" but not vapour? Molten lava burns at between 700 and 1200 degrees. eJuice turns into vapour at around 200 degrees. The numbers speak for themselves.
But more importantly, why did the man or the Star feel the need to include the quote about returning to smoking? If public safety and avoiding the risks of smoking completely are on their agenda, then why try to subtly convince readers that it's a better idea to return to cigarettes?
2. Fox News - "Man In Coma After E-Cigarette Blows Up In His Face"
Well, this one shouldn't be a suprise. Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch, continue their zealous campaign against the vaping industry that threatens to harm the income of their big tobacco sponsors. Murdoch has repeatedly been accused of promoting smoking & being in the pocket of big tobacco companies - the same companies that have tried and failed to dominate a scene that is thriving from individuality and numerous independent manufactures, shops and enthusiasts.
This one kind of defies reality for me, but I suppose that's the general sense you get when reading anything on an American news site as an Englishman. So, Fox News claims that a 21 year old man has been placed in a medically induced coma after the vape pen he was laying down on his bed smoking exploded in his face. Okay, so, plausible enough considering there is an actual possiblity these things can happen due to the nature of carrying a small vapourizing device with a lithium battery in it. But, here's where Fox start to take the piss a bit;
The MOUTHPIECE of his vape pen went down his throat and magically exploded aswell? I'm failing to understand how a plastic/metal mouthpiece could spontaneously explode by itself...
And, of course, Fox dropped in the obligatory "now everyone should think twice about vaping" line at the end. Because if the tobacco companies lose, Rupert Murdoch loses, and he won't be able to marry another woman half his age in an overly glamourous and ridiculous fashion in 10 years time. (Yes, he will still be around in 10 years time. Rupert Murdoch is a vampire, and the real life version of Mr Burns).
3. The Sun - "Is Vaping A Gateway To A Life Of Smoking?"
And now we turn to The Sun, another bastion of journalistic morality. The Sun claim to have spoken to a few of their readers (and not just used images from shutterstock) who began vaping and somehow made the backwards step of starting smoking afterwards. The first reader they claim to have spoken to was "Shahid Khan" a "security guard from West Huddersfield" who supposedly started vaping in college with his friends "because it was cool" and then developed a taste for real cigarettes. I. Mean. Really. Who "develops a taste" for real cigarettes? 99% of the vapers I know using it to quit tobacco have said that the better taste of vaping alone makes them never want to go back to smoking. Why would someone who was never smoked suddenly develop a taste for tar? Seems to me like Shahid is an impressionable guy trying to keep up with a stupid group of friends...
He ends with "I now smoke 10 silvers a day and I love it. I have no intention to give up now as smoking is my reward and comfort".
Next is "Angela Garvin" whom The Sun felt it was important to tell us that *GASP* at 49 she had no children and is currently dating! Apparently, starting vaping in your middle age is synonymous with being a complete and utter failure in life and a burden on society.
Angela supposedly told The Sun that she always thought that smoking was a bad habit, but started vaping with a few colleagues 2 years ago, as it was "so in-vogue" and "trendy to vape outside bars and clubs". She goes on to explain how after a year she "wanted to see what the real thing was like" and so bought a 10-pack of (conveninent name drop) B&H silver cigarettes. It may be a convenient time to point out that The Sun is also owned by Rupert Murdoch (suprise, suprise). Angela finishes by echoing Shahid's parting line "I love cigarettes now but don't think i would have ever started if it wasn't for vaping". Because if they can't sell you cigarettes, they definitely don't want someone else selling you a substitute.
I think you can see the recurring pattern here for yourself. The news corporations with shareholders & owners vested in the tobacco industry will continue to pursue their anti-vaping agenda at all costs until it is evident that that there's nothing more they can do - at which point they'll likely move to trying to dominate or corrupt the vape industry. Decide for yourself - but one thing's for certain, you're better off vaping than you are smoking.
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