Vaping crisis: Journalists encouraged to keep asking tough questions during vaping crisis
TORONTO, Sept. 24, 2019 /CNW/ - DashVapes Inc., Canada's largest independently owned e-cigarette company, is concerned about the recent spread of misinformation and the holding back of accurate and important information in regard to recent vaping-related illnesses and deaths, in Canada and the USA.
"We ask all stakeholders in the vaping industry to make sure they fully answer media questions," said DashVapes President Shai Bekman.
"Further, we ask all stakeholders and public health agencies to not mislead the media, similarly to what has been done by the Middlesex-London Health Unit; and through them, mislead the Canadian public, health and marketing regulators, government officials, people who vape, and importantly, the families and friends of vapers who worry, based on current negative news coverage," said Mr. Bekman.
Mr. Bekman went on to add "the recent media hysteria has driven droves of people back to combustible tobacco. It's made people believe that e-cigarettes are just as harmful as cigarettes, which is a public health disaster. Adult smokers should know that if they smoke, they could vape to reduce their harm by at least 95 percent according to Public Health England."
DashVapes asks the media to do three things:
- Do not "scalp" the stories created by other journalists. Do your own reporting, ask your own questions, and do your own fact checking, especially with medical professionals.
Further, we urge you to go beyond "correctly attributed opinion" of designated spokespeople. Check what they tell you. - Do not roll over for stonewalling. DashVapes understands the need for some privacy, but that's no excuse for "sources and experts" making statements that damn our industry and refuse to back them up with facts and information. Patient confidentiality cannot outweigh what is in the public interest and public safety.
- Be cynical and suspicious. Journalists regularly work with a mix of cynicism, suspicion and doubt in regard to businesses and business people involved in a controversy. You dig into what we say, and look for errors or exaggerations.
"Follow the money" is your favourite phrase.
DashVapes asks you to apply this same digging and reporters' research into your anti-vaping sources. Just because a person in a lab coat is sitting at a table in front of TV cameras does not mean the complete truth is being delivered.
DashVapes will help you avoid being called out for stories that mask openness or raise questions about accuracy, or let anti-vaping factions mislead journalists, and through them, Canadians.
The Canadian Vaping Association is establishing an official association-wide communications protocol. For official comments and information on vaping, please contact The Canadian Vaping Association. Darryl Tempest, Executive Director, (647) 274-1867. [email protected]
You can expect to hear from DashVapes when we think we can help your stories, and we look forward to your calls, emails and messages, when you think we can help your understanding.
DashVapes' YouTube Channel
Our YouTube channel will post stories to keep the media and other stakeholders up to date.
About DashVapes Inc.
DashVapes Inc., Canada's largest independently owned e-cigarette company, operates 12 vape retail stores in Ontario and British Columbia. In addition, DashVapes operates an international website that serves customers in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Australia.
DashVapes operates two ISO-9001, cGMP, HACCP certified, purpose-built laboratories for the manufacturing of Nicotine E-Liquid, with manufacturing facilities in Markham, Ontario, and Burnaby, British Columbia.
DashVapes was founded in 2013 by President Shai Bekman, who smoked 40 cigarettes per day (1.5-2 packs) for 13 years. While he wanted to quit smoking, nothing worked for him until he tried vaping. He started DashVapes to give smokers the choice of a less harmful alternative to cigarettes.
SOURCE DashVapes, Inc
DashVapes Contact: To interview Shai Bekman, President of DashVapes Inc., contact Jana Schilder, co-founder, The Legal A Team, Law Firm Marketing & Public Relations, [email protected], mobile (416) 831-9154.
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