Helping to stop smoking - Community thoughts?

So tonight I was watching a live feed on another platform regarding what is once again rearing it's ugly head as a very controversial topic, vaping.

Hoping that most people will have heard of vaping, e-cigarettes and their different variants.

So here in my country, the government is proposing a bill for parliament in which vaping, and all that goes with it will be classified as tobacco and thus controlled along with the new proposals on how to manage that. In this, there are numerous new regulations which pop up, here are a few:

No advertising of any vape related products.
No online sales
Plain white packaging
No advertising
No samples

There are many more in the bill.

With these regulations, a few things could occur. Shops would have to close down, or change to a simple counter with no visible items on display and the assistant may not recommend, advise on anything or assist in any way. Online shops would not be able to run as they would not be able to show anything. All new items, be they hardware or liquid would not be advertised.

So, the thing is, yes, I agree regulations are important. However there are aspects that have completely been overlooked and others completely blown out of proportion.

Vaping does not cause popcorn lung. Studies have proven this. Vaping is not more dangerous than smoking cigarettes. Vaping is not a gateway to cigarettes. Studies have shown that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking cigarettes.

Personally, vaping saved me from cigarettes. Along with thousands of other people I have spoken to, met, have in my family and interacted with online. Not one person that I know has turned to vaping after never having smoked. I have seen and know more underaged people smoking than vaping.

Please understand that in no way am I, nor any study I have seen advocate vaping as a good thing to do. It's not healthy. It is the healthier alternative to smoking. This is the important part that's being overlooked. Vaping has given people a way out. This is in the face of massive pharmaceutical corporations who have spent billions of dollars on patches and gums and medications which have been less successful.

Have any of you been a smoker? Turned to vaping? Know of a family member or friend who has? What are the communities thoughts on this topic?

Image is from the VPASA

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