With all the recent press it's easy to read a headline and make your mind up, but are headlines honest? Or are they just grab lines to sell their paper?
Surprisingly the first electronic cigarette was invented in 1963 by a man named Herbert Gilbert! Thats 56 years ago! By this point, humans had been smoking tobacco products for a very, very long time, but Gilbert felt that the smoke itself was unpleasant and carried some negative effects. He wanted to find a way to enjoy tobacco without actually burning the material. His patent was filed, and he attempted to get major manufacturers on board, to no avail.
A man named Hon Lik became inspired to find a safer alternative to smoking after losing a family member to cancer. He set out to create an electronic cigarette that would serve as a direct substitute for smokers, with the same look and feel as a traditional cigarette. It was released in China in 2003 and made its way into the Western world in 2006 after several years of testing and approvals.
After 2006, the market for modern vaporizers really blossomed. Within the first few years, many new manufacturers popped into the scene, creating their own versions of the liquid charger, battery systems and more. As these products became more popular, the demand for higher power and better-tasting vaporizers came about. And that’s why we have the vape mods that we have today. (1)
So, if vaping has been mainstream for almost 14 years, why is it only now receiving bad press?
The answer is simple. It is what motivates the world. MONEY.
The biggest anti-vaping stories come from the U.S.A, and here's why:
In November, 1998 the attorney generals of 46 states filed lawsuits against the four largest tobacco companies in the United states. These lawsuits were bought against the tobacco companies for essentially killing their residents through tobacco related illnesses and diseases.
In order to settle all of these lawsuits at once the tobacco companies agreed a Master settlement agreement with the states which defined:
- Cease of marketing
- to make annual payments to the states relating to their profits
- Compensation for medical costs
The original four companies agreed to pay $206billion over the first 25 years of the agreement, however this can change based on their profits.
Some states, rather than waiting for the money sold bonds to wall street in a kind of "payday loan" agreement. This meant they could get all of their money upfront. Some states then deferred the loan payments causing the interest to build and build to the point where some states owe 50x the original amount!
Now vaping has caused a huge decline in smokers, the tobacco companies aren't making the same profit they used to, which in turn creates lower payments to the states that formed the master settlement agreement.
So what can they do?
Well, with the biggest threat to their money being vaping, what better way than to smear vaping? Create a false "danger to children" campaign, Illnesses from vaping, Vaping causes death. Just a few of the recent campaigns funded by companies that lobby on behalf of the US government.
Ask yourself, why is the the US government so against vaping, whilst the UK government actually suggest we switch to vaping from smoking? It's because no such agreement exists in the UK.
In short
Yes vaping is safer, regardless of what media outlets post (after all, money makes news) with all of the studies conducted by independent scientists & labs pointing to a safer alternative, you can be sure we're making the right choice.
Nothing will be safer than pure, clean air but at least we can make an active decision to get our nicotine in a better way!
Scientific studies have shown that vaping is AT LEAST 95% safer than smoking. (2) So don't just read the headlines and dismiss it! Take a look at the real story behind the news.
(1) https://www.vaporfi.com.au/blog/how-long-has-vaping-been-around/
