For some reason a lot of the UK media have gone above and beyond their usual anti-vaping stance. I smell a bit of a rat?

june negative vaping 2023

What the bloody hell is going on? I am used to seeing perhaps 1 or two negative articles a week, but this past week it has gone crazy?

Is there somebody panicking about the UK Government being “Pro-Vaping” and wanting to change the narrative? We know this happens in the USA with “Bloomberg” influences.

In Scotland, the poo is hitting the fan about Disposable vapes and it is looking like they may get banned. Is this influencing the press – to try and win Scottish readers?

Some stories might be true, but I sense things being blown out of proportion and big style scare-mongering?

I only looked on “free to read” websites for the past week (22nd to 29th June 2023) hence why the Telegraph, Metro and Independent are missing.

The Sun Newspaper / Website

For instance on 29th June 2023 I found three negative vaping articles on The Sun website.

“Vape Fears: Eight children from a single school are hospitalised after using e-cigarettes, MP says”.

3-6-23 the sun 1

“Risky Habit: I started vaping to help me quit smoking – one month later my lung collapsed and needed glueing back inside my body”.

the sun 29-6-23 2

“Deadly Risk: Urgent warning as vapes contaminated with flesh-eating drug found in Britain”.

the sun 29-6-23 3

Also in the past week they have furnished us with these beauties…

“Stark Warning: I took up vaping instead of cigarettes aged 16 but ended up on life support with organ failure – don’t make my mistake”.

the sun 27-6-23

“Costly Habit: Urgent warning as vapes linked to 5 deaths in Britain – and it’s just ‘the tip of the iceberg’, experts say”.

26-6-23 the sun

“Bad Habit: Urgent vape warning as e-cigarettes leave children suffering with collapsed lungs”.

25-6-23 the sun

“Poison Arrest: Man arrested for ‘poisoning’ woman, 26, who ‘fell unconscious after being forced to use vape’ at Isle of Wight Festival”.

23-6-23 the sun

Daily Mail Newspaper / Website

You can usually rely on the Daily Mail for a few scare stories and they didn’t disappoint!

“Schools are having to swap out smoke detectors for heat sensors to stop vaping kids setting off alarms during lessons, headteachers say”.

mail 28-6-23

“E-cigs linked to FIVE deaths in Britain: Experts warn shock figures prove that vaping is ‘not safe’ and say toll is ‘only tip of the iceberg'”.

mail 24-6-23

“Vape warning as primary school kids are being rushed to hospital with collapsed and bleeding lungs due to excessive use of illegal e-cigs”.

mail 26-6-23

“Father-to-be, 31, claims vaping for only one month caused his lung to collapse and it had to be ‘glued’ back inside his body”.

mail 29-6-23

“FDA tells 180 stores to stop selling Elf Bar vapes after report showed illegal e-cig device is a best-seller and is poisoning children”.

mail 23-6-23

“Invasion of the Chinese vapes: Number of electronic cigarette devices sold in America has nearly tripled since 2020 to over 9,000 – fuelled exclusively by rise in illegal and fruity flavored disposables from China”.

mail 27-6-23

Daily Mirror Newspaper / Website

When I was studying the UK media for my Vape Sentiment tracker, I found the Daily Mirror to be one of the worst culprits for being anti-vaping. So yes – this is not that surprising…

“EXCLUSIVE: Builder nearly dies after ‘chemical tasting’ vape from corner shop burns hole on his lung”.

mirror 29-6-23

“Urgent vape warning as deadly ‘flesh-rotting’ drug discovered in e-cigarettes in UK”.

mirror 29-6-23 2

“School exams chaos as vape-hooked pupils set off fire alarms triggering evacuations”.

mirror 28-6-23

“Vapes ‘more harmful’ than smoking for children – as cases of collapsed lung rocket”.

mirror 27-6-23

“Holly Willoughby concerned as This Morning co-star says she was rushed to hospital”.

mirror 29-6-23 3

The Guardian Newspaper / Website

The Guardian are usually pretty well balanced about vaping, but it is going in the “anti” direction at the moment.

“Millions of illegal vapes seized in UK in three years, data shows”.

guardian 23-6-23

“It took years to learn the deadly lessons of cigarettes. We can’t wait so long for vaping”.

guardian 25-6-23

“‘No need to rush’: How to give up vaping”.

guardian 23-6-23 2

“How much nicotine is in a cigarette compared to a vape?”.

guardian 23-6-23 3

“Quitting vaping by going cold turkey can work”.

guardian 26-6-23

Have Your Say!

The Guardian have published a survey asking for people’s opinions on vaping – so please join in and let them know how much it has helped you and that you are scared that this important tool to keep you off tobacco is at risk. I have filled it in!

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/22/tell-us-your-experiences-of-vaping.

guardian 22-6-23

Daily Express Newspaper / Website

Not one of the more mainstream newspapers but still has readers…

“Horror vaping warning as eight pupils from same school landed in hospital”.

express 29-6-23

“‘I vaped for only a month and I was rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung'”.

express 29-6-23 2

“‘Only a matter of time’ before vaping in cars is banned with ‘urgent changes’ likely”.

express 26-6-23

“The alarming rise of primary school children hospitalised due to vaping”.

express 25-6-23

Scary

Remember all of the above stories were collected for just one week 22nd to 29th June 2023! Plus there were many other newspapers / websites that I didn’t cover!

I find this pretty scary, in addition to this week’s shocking Select Committee hearing on Youth Vaping – where there was that much Bull-crap floating about it must have smelt like a farmyard. I will be covering the Select Committee in another article.

It seems like for some reason the media are trying to present an agenda to turn people against vaping. If I thought too much about it I could start going down the path of it possibly being companies or organisations who would suffer if the smoking rates were reduced?

Imagine if you know nothing about vaping, reading this could make you scared to try them, worry you to death if your child was vaping and also possibly get you that angry you start to join in the “vapes are dangerous” chorus?

In a way I could understand why – seeing all these horror stories.

I just don’t know what to think, it seems sudden and a total overreaction.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Shell Ecigclick Photo
Michelle Jones

I am an engineer and Technical Author by trade. My journey in vaping began around 2016, in the days of Tornado tanks, Ego batteries and Variable Voltage. It took me a few years to fully quit smoking but I finally stopped in June 2019 and that is all thanks to vaping! 20mg Nicotine Salts are my hero! Oh and I am partial to a nice pod mod and Bubblegum e-liquid! I have reported on the latest news on Ecigclick since 2017 and love being part of this great team! My passion for Tobacco Harm Reduction has also led me to becoming a Trustee for the NNA (New Nicotine Alliance) aiding in Advocacy

I am an engineer and Technical Author by trade. My journey in vaping began around 2016, in the days of Tornado tanks, Ego batteries and Variable Voltage. It took me a few years to fully quit smoking but I finally stopped in June 2019 and that is all thanks to vaping! 20mg Nicotine Salts are my hero! Oh and I am partial to a nice pod mod and Bubblegum e-liquid! I have reported on the latest news on Ecigclick since 2017 and love being part of this great team! My passion for Tobacco Harm Reduction has also led me to becoming a Trustee for the NNA (New Nicotine Alliance) aiding in Advocacy

1 COMMENT

  1. Michelle – this article may be of interest to you (in you haven’t already seen it) – The Massive Network Bankrolling The Anti-Vaping Movement –
    https://theavm.org/accountability/the-massive-network-bankrolling-the-anti-vaping-movement
    Now, I know this article is mainly concerned with the state of play in the US, but Bloomberg, Bill Gates, and the WHO et al influence does extend across the pond, so I am wondering if this might be what we are seeing here…
    It is also touched on in another article from AVM –
    https://theavm.org/accountability/anti-vaping-activists-want-censorship-in-public-health-research
    “..Bloomberg grantee Vital Strategies, which funnels money to two non-profit journalism outlets. These organizations then publish slanted news reports in major media outlets, including The Daily Beast, The Guardian, The Telegraph and HuffPost.”

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