Here’s the latest from Brent Stafford at Regulator Watch:

How do you get a rambunctious group of disparate vapers to take interest in the ever-disheartening discussion around vaping regulation? The science on vaping is suspect, the news is biased, and public health mostly rejects vaping as a safer alternative to smoking.
At times the situation is so bleak, it’s hard to find focus. And trust us, it’s a vexing question.

But the marketing team at DashVapes, Canada’s largest independently owned vaping products retailer and e-liquid manufacturer seems to have found the answer. Helmed by David Praph the company’s YouTube channel has exploded in popularity notching over 400,000 subscribers and 70 million views in just the past three years.

What’s Dave’s secret for mixing the sweet: vaping reviews, comedy, lifestyle; with the sour: teen epidemic, vaping-related lung illness, and flavour bans?

Find out – Only on RegWatch by RegulatorWatch.com.

Live Streamed: May 27, 2020

Senior Producer: Cindy Schmidt
Executive Producer: Brent Stafford

This episode is supported by: DVINE LABS, FLAVOUR CRAFTERS & VAPE NATION

#RegWatch #VapeNews

Make RegWatch happen, go to: support.regulatorwatch.com

“While the use of e-cigarettes is increasing, vaping is less likely to lead to a long-term habit than smoking, according to a group of 10 interrelated papers prepared for the ongoing Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. “The most surprising finding was that while we know cigarette smoking is persistent, and we see use of electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, increasing, especially among young people, what we are not seeing is that e-cigarette use is anywhere near as persistent as cigarette smoking,” says Andrew Hyland, chair of health behavior at Roswell Park and scientific lead on the PATH study. “Cigarette smokers tend to stay cigarette smokers over time, but e-cigarette users are more likely to discontinue their use over time compared with cigarette smokers. We don’t know why that is.””

BILL TARLING — One simple reason vaping is much less addictive is because Tobacco Companies add in an onslaught of dangerous chemicals as nicotine boosters, and to increase long term addictive aspects  of cigarettes and smoking. Those tobacco boosters and additional chemicals are not used in EVP [E-liquid Vapor Products]

ARTICLE LINK:

Study: Vapers Less Likely to Develop Long-Time Habit

“Millions of e-cigarette users or vapers across the globe are celebrating World Vape Day on 30 May 2020, a day before World No Tobacco Day. World Vape Day aims to raise awareness on e-cigarettes or vapes and encourage smokers who are unable to quit on their own or with currently available smoking cessation tools to switch to safer nicotine products. “Safer nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, are the most disruptive influence on smoking in decades. These are the innovations that have the potential to save millions of lives in the Asia Pacific region as well as globally,” said Nancy Loucas, Executive Director of the Coalition of Asia-Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA), one of the lead organizers of World Vape Day 2020.”

ARTICLE LINK:

Vapers to celebrate World Vape Day on May 30

Hi Phil,

Judging by your productivity and from having heard you say it many times, you’re busy. You’ve also said you read every email you get. To me, that means I should keep it short and I’ll try to do that.

We’re about the same age, but I don’t wear Sketchers and I hadn’t heard of vaping until 2014! At that time, I walked into a local vape shop and left with some variation of a Vision Spinner, a ProTank, 6mg e-liquid and threw away a pack of cigarettes. I had no idea what I was doing with these new products, so I started researching. I found you on YouTube. You made complete sense to me and I want to thank for giving me direction, the information I needed, resources, knowledge and the incentive to stay with it, which I have.

I never did become one of the ‘Vaping Bros.” I’ve never built a coil, though I’d like to learn (the Ares 2 is at the top of my list.) I’ve never been to a cloud comp and never will. Instead, my curiosity turned into a commitment to help others with harm deduction. I’m a writer and advertising graphic designer so I offered my services to an innovative vape shop in exchange for e-liquid!

In 2016, NJ was facing legislation that would ban flavored e-liquid. I’m not on FB or Twitter so, I reached out to you at that time in an email. You gave me Dan Donahue’s contact info. That started my official efforts as an advocate. I’ve been in contact with Greg Connelly, NJVRC and, to date, 47 legislators in my state. No need to tell you how, 4 years later, the flavor ban in NJ ending things… Including my services to my local vape shop (now closed) and my e-liquid supply. As an aside-A big problem we’re finding in NJ is that many online vendors will not ship to us. Possession and out-of-state sales are not illegal here, but the law is written so poorly that no one knows how to interpret it. I will not let my government un-do my hard work and legislators don’t get to dictate how I keep myself in good health. Right now things are pretty bad here, but I’ll figure it out in time.

Please forgive the rant.  Now to my final point:

Your “Do You Get It Now” video from April 18, 2020 stuck with me.

My assessment of the situation is the same. On May 1, 2020, I was watching The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. She had a graphic behind her that read, “CDC, Are You OK?” At the end of the program, she asked her viewers to send her anything they had that might clarify what is going on with the CDC and their distinct lack of credibility. I used the opportunity to make my own statement publicly about how and why CDC is unquestionably in part to blame for the COVID-19 catastrophe.

I’m including a copy of my letter to MSNBC at the bottom of this email. My point in doing that is to let you know there are a lot of us that feel as passionately as you do and are doing what we can with you for a common cause. I understand completely if the letter below is too cumbersome to get through and that it may not be something you’re interested in reading. There is no obligation. But, if nothing else, part of my inspiration to make the effort in writing it was from all the years of work you and Dimitri have done for all of us. Thank you both for all of it.

Yours (But, not a Vaping Bro),

John

Re: “CDC, Are You OK?”

www.sendittorachel.com

Dear Rachel,

This correspondence might relate directly to your call for information on your May 1, 2020 broadcast. However, it’s a small crack in a large wall. I’m certain something in this is part of a broader picture.

CDC, FDA, WHO, The Surgeon General and certainly, Stanton Glantz and Dharma Bhatta have lost a critical amount of credibility and trust by demonstrating blunder after blunder through a false narrative guided by ‘convenient facts’ and biases which were clearly, at this point, directed by sources other than science and accurate data.

To bring in another player, on September 11, 2018, Scott Gottlieb, from a statement on FDA’s website, acknowledged approximately half a million people die of smoking related illnesses each year in the United States. He explained that it is combustion, not nicotine that is killing people and, of electronic cigarettes and nicotine vaping, he said further, “We saw an important opportunity. We saw a chance to leverage the potential benefits of new and non-combustible technology to allow more adults to get nicotine from sources that could pose a lot less harm than smoking cigarettes. We continue to believe in this central concept.” However, relating to teen vaping, he continued with, “Unfortunately, I now have good reason to believe that it’s reached nothing short of an epidemic proportion of growth.”

CDC’s website and dumpster fire of misinformation on this subject includes statements such as, “You have an important role to play in addressing this public health epidemic.” It takes very little research to find innumerable false assessments by CDC on the, “teen vaping epidemic.” Volumes of incorrect, non-scientific information lacking peer review and data had been published prior to what they called the “EVALI epidemic.” EVALI was first mentioned by CDC in April of 2019, over a year after their anti-vaping campaign was rooted deeply into our culture. Public Health learns of a new “vaping illness” that is making people sick and killing others. As of February 18, 2020, CDC reported 2,807 cases of hospitalization with 68 of those as confirmed deaths.

Available information indicates there are approximately thirteen million adults who have successfully transitioned from combustible tobacco to commercially available vapor nicotine products. It’s reasonable to consider there are larger numbers but many people have declined to admit the use of these products due to the stigma created courtesy of CDC and company. Nicotine vaping products were first introduced in the United States in approximately 2007. As far as has been reported publicly, there are no cases of disease or death caused by electronic cigarettes or nicotine vaping. The only harm caused is under-aged use, which, to my way of thinking, is a behavioral problem rather than epidemiology.

CDC ignored significant studies from Dr. David Abrams and Dr. Raymond Niaura from the Department of Epidemiology and Behavioral Science at NYU School of Global Public Health. Similar studies came from Dr. Michael Segal of Boston University School of Public Health, Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD from Onassis Cardiac Surgery Greece, Department of Pharmacology, University of Patras, Greece, The Royal College of Physicians and Michelle Minton and her colleagues at reason.org. The verdicts are that vapor products containing nicotine are roughly 95% safer than tradition tobacco and, in no case, was the CDC’s EVALI “epidemic” related to these products. As we’ve all learned though a timid, nearly invisible admission from CDC, the 2,807 cases of EVALI were a result from people vaporizing illicit Black Market THC products which were extended with Vitamin E Acetate. The New England Journal of Medicine’s article relaying this information put CDC in a corner.

So, is the CDC OK? The answer seems to be, “No, not at all.” They’ve been politicized and they’ve proven they can be bought. Bloomberg, his House of Democrats, states and anti-tobacco groups directed the CDC’s output to coordinate with an anti-vaping agenda. The Master Settlement Agreement awards states heavily with funds for smoking cessation and damages. The amounts allocated correlate with the number of smokers per state – to the best of my understanding. Vaping caused a multi-billion dollar decrease in smoking over the last thirteen years. It becomes apparent which states want, need and misdirect MSA money by a simple observation of a state’s policies; vaping bans, excessive taxation, over-regulation of vaping products and all forms of prohibition. It’s unfortunate to conclude most states are closely aligned with the public misconception that vaping causes death and teens are victims of, “nothing short of an epidemic.”

People are watching the CDC’s response to COVID-19 with skepticism. The playbook has an uncomfortable familiarity. Their dialog changes daily, not with real information but through compliance with leaders’ directives. Though somewhat shrouded, the information they produce tends to shift by threat and money, not fact. They’ve demonstrated themselves as a product for political purchase and, again, are seemingly being used as exactly that. Had they not wasted time up until February of 2020 chasing a false youth vaping “epidemic,” resources and publicity might have been used more wisely.

The last year has, in theory, taught most of us what an epidemic is and what it’s not. This time, with COVID-19, it’s real. It’s my perception that CDC has, again, been lured into a very dangerous game refereed by money and politics while spectators die in the seats.

With respect,

John

“The town of Bethlehem is looking to license tobacco retailers and ban the sale of vaping products within 1,000 feet from a  school as part of a broad new policy that would greatly reduce access to tobacco and especially vaping products in town over the coming years. The town board is holding a virtual public hearing on the proposed new law on Wednesday night. Due to the fact that in-person town board meetings are banned due to the coronavirus pandemic, residents can register for a Zoom meeting that the town has set up for people to comment at the public hearing, which will also include a proposal to extend the ban on new vape shops in town until the end of the year so that the new law can be implemented. Residents can also submit comments by email. The state is implementing a new ban on flavored vaping products starting in July, so tobacco retailers are already having to pare back on their vaping sales.”

ARTICLE LINK:

Bethlehem looking to license tobacco retailers as part of vaping policy

“Experts, including Clive Bates, have told the European Union that it isn’t doing enough to combat disease in its ‘Beating Cancer Plan’ because it is failing to recognise the importance of vaping. Bates also spoke to Regulator Watch about teen vaping and the potential benefit of nicotine in the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms. With the European Commission stating it is aiming to eradicate tobacco-related cancer, Clive Bates told EU Today, “that in order to beat cancer public authorities/national governments need to ‘use policy, regulation, fiscal measures and public services objectives to encourage people to stop smoking (or never start) by any means possible, including by switching to vaping, heated tobacco products, snus or oral nicotine products.””

ARTICLE LINK:

Clive Speaks Out

“Senate Bill 793: Both North Coast state lawmakers, Assemblyman Jim Wood and Sen. Mike McGuire are again taking up the fight against flavored tobacco. The bill would ban the sale of any flavored tobacco, including menthol, and flavored tobacco products. The bill’s lead author, Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), said there are indications the COVID-19 virus could be spread by e-cigarette smokers. The bill passed the Senate Health Committee earlier this month. It is set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee June 1.“

𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗘: There are no scientific studies or evidence to support or prove Senator Hill’s deceptive claim that vaping is a cause of COVID-19 spreading.

ARTICLE LINK:

Capitol Tracker: Lawmakers tackle tobacco

THE ARES II LANDS IN NORTH AMERICA!

Thanks to Dash Vapes for being the first to bring it in and offer it for sale!  Now live on their site!

And be sure to try out the Unsalted E-Liquid line while you’re there including the #1 Best Selling Flavor… Watermelon Peach!!
Ok, I guess you can try Cool Citrus and Blueberry Morning too 🙂 🙂

Get your Ares II HERE!
Get your Unsalted E-Liquid HERE!

Thank you all for your support!!

To find out more, click HERE or visit www.vapitaly.com/en

“Next Wednesday, the Calabasas City Council will vote on whether or not to adopt an April 22 ordinance banning the sale of e-cigarettes and related items. If adopted, the ordinance would take go into effect on Nov. 23. The April 22 ordinance amended Chapter 5.18 of the Calabasas Municipal Code, which regulates tobacco sales within the city, to prohibit the sale or public, outdoor use of e-cigarettes within city limits. Ordinance No. 2020-383 would ban “any device or delivery system that can be used to deliver nicotine or flavored tobacco products in aerosolized or vaporized form,” which includes e-cigars, e-pipes, vape pens, and e-hookahs in addition to e-cigarettes. It also bans the sale of any related paraphernalia and any liquid containing nicotine in aerosolized or vaporized form.”

ARTICLE LINK:

Vaping Ban Likely In Calabasas For ‘Health, Safety’ Of Residents