Opinion: We must unite to protect vape
October 19, 2020
Stoptober is a great time to join our campaign and help support vapers and smokers alike, says Mark Oates, founder We Vape
As we near the end of Stoptober, we see all over social media just how much vaping is enabling smokers to make smarter choices and quit smoking. I started We Vape to stand up for vapers across the UK. We Vape’s goal is to make sure the UK Government continues to encourage vaping as a means of helping smokers quit.
I was pleased to see that, through the Stoptober campaign, Public Health England continues to acknowledge the role that vaping plays in helping smokers switch to less harmful alternatives. Switching improves smokers’ lives and those of their families and friends. Every day I see the positive impact that vaping is having on people’s lives. That’s what led me to set up We Vape, because I am passionate about helping vapers tell their story.
The UK currently has some of the best laws in the world on vaping, but with the government getting ready to review vaping and other tobacco regulations, those rules are under threat. We need vapers to remind the government how vaping can help people quit smoking and make sure it’s not at risk like it is in America, Australia and parts of Europe. Anti-smoking and anti-vaping activists are refusing to acknowledge the differences between vaping and smoking and are trying to make it harder for smokers to switch to vaping, despite the obvious benefits.
Stoptober gives the vaping community a chance to share personal stories and encourage and support each other on their journey. One of my favourite stories is Carl Stanton’s (pictured). Carl started smoking at the age of 12. He smoked for 70 years before, in his 80s, he quit smoking by vaping. It’s those real world, raw and personal stories, like Carl’s, that we need government to hear. People like Carl are the reason I set up We Vape, so he can tell Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock his story.
To help tell vapers’ stories and send a strong, united message to Government, go online and join our campaign today.
