I’ll say it now – there will be NO UK vape ban despite what the tabloids are splashing this sunny Sunday morning.
If there ever is, and I haven’t shuffled off this mortal coil before it’s implemented, I shall dance naked waving a WHO flag outside the Houses of Parliament whilst puffing away on a JUUL…that’s how confident I am…
More worrying than any possible UK vape ban one might say…and one would be right!
OK, the ‘shock‘ news splashed over a couple of newspapers with a reputation for shall we say ‘sexing-up‘ stories might worry a few of you. Those of us who are wise to the ways of the media will simply read – smile – shake our heads and move on.
What made me a little angry is these ‘stories‘ come just a couple of days after the incredible vote of confidence into e-cigarettes and all things vape from the Public Health England report on the positives surrounding vaping on these shores.
In that incredibly detailed study, PHE pointed out that very many smokers were put off from making the healthier switch to e-cigs, by sensationalist scare stories surrounding vaping – and here we are with the media doing exactly that!
Quite remarkable when you think about it and to be filed under ‘ coincidental shit you couldn’t make up…’
UK Vape Ban – the WHO DOES NOT Set Legislation
For a start the World Health Organization DOES NOT set any country’s laws – no matter how high and mighty or relevant in today’s world it might think it is.
The WHO’s role is to monitor global health and act almost as an advisory body to world governments.
By that I mean as an organization [an arm of the UN BTW] the myriad of various groups, departments and committees decide on a ‘health policy‘ and suggest that is how governments should react/act….it is up to the individual government to follow the advice – or not.
Truth be told, a quick Google will show that apart from maybe the Ebola outbreaks, you can count the WHO’s successes on one hand…or maybe not…
Now here’s a quick aside, not a lot of people know this, but one of the most successful treatments for Ebola derives from the tobacco plant…as in nicotine…how that must rankle!
Anyway…as usual I’m digressing away from the main theme – is there a UK vape ban looming?
UK Vape Ban – Follow the Money!
OK, as we can see, the WHO DOES NOT have any power in forcing laws into a country – not even any that may affect the health of a nation….
The WHO is funded in part by government subscription – but, and here’s a BIG but, it is also funded heavily by Big Pharma and individual contributions from billionaires like…yeah you guessed it…anti-vaping czar and media mogul, Michael Bloomberg.
Little Mike ‘moneybags‘ Bloomberg has his fingers in so many anti-vaping groups and organizations it’s almost – OK has – become an obsession…answers in the comments below as to why that might be