Vape Force One Arrives in Canberra
The Legalise Vaping campaign which has been touring Australia on Vape Force One gathering public support to overturn the federal government’s ban on the sale of vapes (it has to be bought internationally online), a nicotine alternative to cigarettes has now arrived in Canberra where the law can be changed. The Legalise Vaping campaign is an initiative of the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance and My Choice Australia.
The Unshackled had visited Vape Force One when it arrived in Hastings, Victoria where the office of Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt is located who is refusing to budge on the issue. We heard the facts about vaping from their spokesperson Brian Marlow and saw the rest of the team in action on the streets of Hastings talking to the public.
Given that vaping has been found to be 95% safer than cigarettes in a report published by Public Health England, an independent UK government agency many are bewildered at the current federal government’s position on it. State governments are also regulating vaping in public places in the same manner as cigarettes.
Some have speculated given how much the government takes in through cigarette taxes they don’t really want people to quit, there is also the nanny state lobby who want anything that resembles cigarette smoking banned and have claimed that vaping causes cancer.
Vape Force One was given a warm welcome by Liberal MPs Tim Wilson and Senator James Paterson where they launched a new report to promote vaping “Tobacco Harm Reduction: A formula to save 500,000 Australian lives”.
Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm has been speaking on the benefits of vaping on his social media platforms and other media appearances.
But it was Australian Conservatives Senator Cory Bernardi who stole the show taking Vape Force One for a spin around Parliament House in Canberra to draw attention the cause.
The campaign has got some mainstream media support with Ben Fordham on 2GB hosting Brian Marlow, David Leyonhjelm and Cory Bernardi to promote the campaign. Miranda Devine also promoted it on her most recent episode of her Daily Telegraph web show Miranda Live.
Although Legalise Vaping campaign has managed to open many Australians eyes to the benefits and safety of vaping it is clear that governments and the medical lobby are digging their heels in on the issue.
