Common Sense - The Key To Safer Vaping

If someone dies because they didn't wear a seat belt, we do not ban all vehicles, we remind people to wear seat belts.

If someone has an allergic reaction attributed to peanuts, we do not ban peanuts, we advise them to not eat any products containing peanuts.

Knowledge, not ignorance, is how to keep people safe.

Accordingly, in the US we have seen a sudden spike in respiratory illnesses, unfortunately with some fatalities, amongst people who used vaping devices. As evidence emerges, it seems there are specific links, namely the illicit use of THC oil, or synthetic cannabinoids, in order to experience their psychoactive properties, and even more significantly, an ingredient known as Clear Cut, or Honey Cut, being used as a diluent in many of these illicit THC liquids. It is made from Vitamin E oil (tocopheryl-acetate) and has been found to be the common denominator in the many cases in New York state.

Vitamin E oil (tocopheryl-acetate) is not used in any FlavourArt product and never would be because of its potential for harm. It would not pass scrutiny under any of the UK/EU regulations governing eliquids and their ingredients.

The sudden appearance of patients displaying these symptoms is not indicative of a gradual, long term progression, but more of a unique and abrupt change in what they have inhaled, in these cases it points to THC products diluted in Vitamin E oil.

Prof Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, said:
“E-cigarettes have been on the market for a decade in the USA, UK and some other countries. Millions of people are using them, in some cases over several years. These reported deaths in the USA from serious respiratory conditions are the first of their kind linked to vaping.
It seems highly unlikely that widely available nicotine containing vaping products, particularly of the type regulated in Europe, are causing these cases. Although some American authorities remain equivocal, suggesting any vaping may cause this, others are now providing more information and all the evidence to date suggests that illicit marijuana vaping products (THC oils) are the cause. In particular, a compound called tocopherol acetate may be the culprit. Authorities who are reacting to these cases by advising no-one to vape are by default sending the message to people who have quit smoking through vaping that they should return to tobacco. This is misleading, and potentially irresponsible. Authorities in the USA should be prioritising confirming the causes and addressing this illicit market, not pushing people back to smoking which we know carries multiple risks to health.”

The media hysteria is not unusual, 'never let the truth get in the way of a good story' has long been the mantra of some lower level outlets. We must apply a common sense perspective to the situation if we are to continue the harm reduction that has been achieved over the past 11+ years.
Vaping saves lives, smoking kills, that really is how it is. Substance abuse, whether it is via a vaping device, a soda can, or a hypodermic syringe etc is a separate issue that should be addressed accordingly.

Buy from reputable sellers, and if in doubt, ask questions about the ingredients in their liquid.
Don't vape products that offer a THC high, or those that do not disclose their origin and ingredients. 'Buyer beware'.
Look at research and advice from credible sources, Public Health England, NHS, even from Westminster, as on 31.10.2019 -Seventh Report of the Science and Technology Committee, Session 2017-19, E-cigarettes, HC 505, and the Government Response -
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2019-10-31/debates/51F44D0A-88CC-450C-9465-E0DF3E49F013/E-Cigarettes

There has been a significant and continuing increase in awareness throughout the vaping industry with regard to all ingredients, particularly to the individual chemicals contained within, in order to minimise any potential contra effects. FlavourArt has invested intensively into researching both the toxicology, and more pertinently the cytotoxicity, of their products, since 2015 in conjunction with TRUSTiCERT, a Bio-tech research facility born out of Milan University.
The ClearStream Protocol established by FlavourArt has, for over six years, advanced the testing of vapours created using their (FlavourArt) flavourings to an extremely high standard. Testing the effects of the vapours created by their flavoured eliquids on living cell cultures to determine the cytotoxicity in comparison to traditional cigarettes has seen very positive results and contributed to the improvement, refinement, and where appropriate, the reformulation of flavourings so that only the safest possible products are offered to consumers. https://www.clearstreamonward.com/en/

For a brief overview of FlavourArt and their research, please have a read of our Vaping Science booklet.
https://www.flavourart.co.uk/vaping_science.html

220 smokers die EVERY DAY in the uk because they chose to smoke. The Government makes huge profits from smokers' tax contributions, far more than the cost of treating those with smoking related diseases, so smokers are helping to prop up the NHS. Why do we not see headlines proclaiming '220 smokers die every day'? Yet one reported case in the UK of an allergic reaction to a vaping product is sensationalised all over the media. Up to 80,000 deaths every year caused by smoking and yet there is no ban on a non-essential product that has been proven beyond all doubt to cause death and disease to UK citizens whose health and welfare is an implicit responsibility of the government. A study of more than 200,000 people, published in BMC medicine, found about 67 percent of smokers perished from smoking-related illness. That is higher than doctors had previously estimated. Public Health England have stated that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking.

If you were on a sinking ship with a 67% chance of dying, would you jump into a lifeboat that was 95% safer than staying on board the sinking ship?

E-cigs 'twice as effective' than nicotine patches, gum or sprays for quitting.
https://www.nhs.uk/news/heart-and-lungs/e-cigs-twice-effective-nicotine-patches-gum-or-sprays-quitting/

What the NHS and the UK vape regulator had to say about e-cigarettes after US deaths.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/what-nhs-uk-vape-regulator-16994092