The POTV Guide to the Politics of Vaping

This guide looks at the laws that control what, how and where we vape as well as introducing the groups, charities and organisations that work to influence government policy

by Dave Cross

Share on:

What laws cover electronic cigarettes?

Who campaigns in the UK against vaping and vapers?

Michael Bloomberg

Not directly, but Bloomberg’s organisations fund an active and consistent opposition to vaping and tobacco harm reduction (a number of which are listed here)

Martin McKee:

Admitted he knew nothing about vaping when he began attacking it
Lied to children about tobacco harm reduction
Says vaping causes popcorn lung
Says vaping causes tumours and denies it’s 95% safer
Says vaping can lead to cocaine use
Regularly invited to provide “balancing opinions” in interviews, where his arguments are destroyed
Says the tobacco industry is funding vape “internet trolls”

David Bareham:

Accused the House of Commons (HoC) committee of being led by the nose by Big Tobacco
Belittled Norman Lamb for appearing in a “glossy tobacco-industry funded UKVIA publication”
Accused committee chair Norman Lamb of tobacco “industry collaboration”
Accused ATHRA of “quackery” and accepting tobacco funding
Said “The 95% safer statement is fake news”
Claimed dropping smoking rates are down to “proven measures, not e-cigarettes”
Partners Simon Chapman and McKee in making negative submissions to governments

Professor John Ashton:

Abused vapers online, for which he lost his job
Frequently comments negatively about tobacco harm reduction products and nicotine users

Simon Capewell:

Tweets anti-vape nonsense with a proliferation of hashtags
Provides nonsense to the media when McKee isn’t available
Accuses advocates and experts of being “stooges” and “useful idiots” for the tobacco industry

The Daily Telegraph:

Following a run-in between the then senior science journalist and expert Clive Bates, The Daily Telegraph continually runs smear stories attacking vaping and tobacco harm reduction.

The Lancet

Frequently carries negative stories and smears

Ruth Malone

Editor of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) and friend of Martin McKee, believes there is no need for vaping, just banning all nicotine products. Influences BMJ coverage.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism:

Paid for PR arm of the Bloomberg anti-vape campaign, produces awful articles

University of Bath/Tobacco Control Research Group:

Bloomberg funds the TCRG and this influences the output from the University, this includes smears and

Who promotes vaping as a tobacco harm reduction tool?

Health charities

Consumer groups

Trade organisations

Parliamentary groups

Who are the leading researchers influencing vape policy in the UK?

Pioneering work is being conducted by:

Professor Linda Bauld – pregnancy, nicotine
Professor John Britton, Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies - research
Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at Kings - research
Professor Peter Hajek - research
Academics at the University College London Tobacco & Alcohol Research Group - research
Dr Sharon Cox – the vulnerable
Lynne Dawkins - evidence

Where do researchers share information with consumers, advocates, and politicians?

The two leading events are:

There are many other events where consumers and advocates are not involved. The people and organisations in the section about who is opposed to vaping have been invited to the two events above in the past but either declined or failed to respond to their invitations. None of them have attended GFN or the E-cig Summit.

Dave Cross

Writer at POTV

View Articles

Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous vape companies to develop content for their websites.