Alan Depauw presentation from E-Cigarette Summit 2014

1. Alan Depauw
Vice President
AIDUCE

2. Association indépendante des utilisateurs de cigarette électronique
E-cigarette Summit
The Royal Society, 13 November 2014
Alan Depauw
Vice-President
Aiduce

3. Contents
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HEADING
Contents Page
Mission
Survey of Vapers
Newbie Concerns
Concerns Can Easily be Fuelled
Fear Fuellers
Lessons Learnt
What Needs Doing
End Page
Appendix
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4-6
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10-11
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13-14
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4. MISSION
Founded beginning 2013, Aiduce’s mission is to:
Defend the right to use electronic cigarettes
Better inform the media, public opinion and legislators about them
Take action before the courts against unjustified regulation of e-cigarettes
AIDUCE is completely independent. The only funding it receives is from member subscriptions. Commercial entities are refused membership.
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5. Survey of Vapers (who are they, their quit rate and vaping pattern)
Survey conducted by Aiduce over October 2014
4262 particpants; 92 % in France, 4% Belgium, 4% others
87.6% no longer smoke.
12% still smoke, of whom 72% have reduced their consumption by 76% to 99%.
16 respondents or 0.4% are never-smokers.
Average time vaping: 16 months. (Belgium considerably less at 8.5).
Average daily e-liquid consumption: 4.7mls
Source: http://www.aiduce.fr/resultats-de-lenquete/
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6. Survey of Vapers (information prior to purchase, choice and source of device and juice)
Prior to purchase, information about e-cigarettes was obtained mainly from the internet and friends and acquaintances; to a lesser extent from the retailer.
The vast majority of initial device choice was for eGo (simple tank) type products. Only 12% acquired cigalikes.
Over time, the choice of device has spread very significantly to more complex tank types and mods. Only 0.4% now acquire cigalikes.
Initial device purchase was mainly from specialised shops and French internet.
Over time, purchases have spread to include European and non-European internet.
Initial juice purchase was also from specialised shops and to a lesser extent French internet, but spread somewhat over time to include European and non- European internet.
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7. Survey of Vapers Flavours and Fear
Do you fear severe regulation of e-cigarettes?
Yes: 91%
What flavours could you not do without?
Fruit& dessert: 61%
Tobacco: 20%
Menthol: 13%
Beverage: 2%
Other: 4%
Note: see appendix for data detailing multiple responses
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8. Newbie concerns
2 major French-speaking forums in Europe. Largest has > 66000 members. Last month: 800000 visits and 450 new members. Most new members are ‘newbies’. Here are some of their concerns.
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9. Newbie concerns
Here is a comment posted by newbie “Astarac”:
He goes on to say that he then heard that a very well-known health professional says that smoking is like driving on the wrong side of a motorway, whilst vaping is like travelling at 140km/hr instead of at 130km/hr.
“I had heard talk of ecigs for quite a while but initially told myself that they were more dangerous than traditional cigarettes.”
“I started with an eGo kit which put me off because of leaks and lack of hit. So I returned to traditional cigarettes.” (Bobise60)
“I’ve been trying to stop smoking for quite a while… I’ve already tried a lot of ecig models and have problems with 2 atomisers” (Freenox)
“Having started vaping a month ago… I started with a Kanger Evod and have now moved on to a Emow Mega!” (Pollen)
All comments are from just a single day! (9 Nov 2014)
Source: http://www.forum-ecigarette.com/
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10. Concerns can easily be fuelled
In France, we have the support of many health professionals.
With them, we have succeeded in swaying public opinion. Some interest groups have swung our way, such as OFT, la Ligue contre le cancer, Respadd (réseau de prévention des accidents).
But it takes very little to unsettle smokers trying to adopt e-cigarettes.
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11. Many French interest groups still give out highly negative views, such as expressed by the recent ENSP/EFA report.
ENSP/EFA members include
•Alliance contre le tabac)
•Droits des non-fumeurs
•Association Asthme & Allergies
•Also the OFT: a curious case!
(note EFA funding by pharmaceuticals like GKN and Novartis)
Fear fuellers
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12. Fear fuellers
Here’s what the Belgian Public Health Service has to say:
http://www.lalibre.be/debats/ripostes/libre-la-vente-de-cigarettes-electroniques-524a446d35703eef3a0b43fa
“Nicotine as such is very harmful”.
“The quality of products on the market varies considerably”
“Some e-liquid containers leak”
“We have discovered 50ml bottles that contain 1 gram of nicotine; absorbed, the lethal dose for a child is only 10mgs, for an adult it is between 40 and 50! Imagine the danger!”
“Contrary to what some retailers would like you to believe, this product is not neutral, but toxic”.
The kind of fear they fuel has been fully expressed in Belgium, where the sale of nicotine containing liquids and devices is banned.
As a result, the proportion of vapers in Belgium is one sixth that of France.
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13. Lessons learnt
Vapers often get information about e-cigarettes by word of mouth.
Sometimes the information is helpful, sometimes not.
It takes little negative information to put them off, especially if they have problems with the equipment.
Negative information reappears frequently and is exacerbated by misinformation from some government agencies and interest groups.
Problems with some equipment and liquids do occur.
There is a tendency for vapers to move to more evolved products.
Vapers who move to more evolved products are more likely to quit tobacco.
The move to more evolved products is facilitated by access to open markets.
As has been repeated by vapers all over the world, flavour variety is essential.
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14. What needs doing
Product safety norms to reassure potential consumers
Government agencies should encourage not discourage smokers to adopt e- cigarettes
Borders must be kept open to allow more variety and competition
Trade associations must challenge currently assumed toxicity of e-liquids
Responsible publicity should be allowed to make smokers aware of options
Vaping in public areas must be preserved as an individual right and an example to smokers
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15. And especially
The Tobacco Products Directive must be challenged as soon as legally possible not just by one manufacturer, but by all trade associations and other interested parties (if at all possible); otherwise, as indicated by our evidence, the Directive will kill the potential of e-cigarettes to attract smokers away from tobacco.
For if it comes into force, the TPD will succeed only in promoting tobacco and pharmaceutical industry profits.
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16. Merci de m’avoir écouté
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17. Appendix to Survey of Vapers (data detailing multiple responses)
What type of devices did you start with?
•Cigalikes: 12%
•eGo type battery (whether variable or not): 86%
•Mechanical Mod: 2%
•Electronic Mod: 5%
•Reconstructable atomiser: 2%
•Stardust, evod, tank or similar type clearomiser: 54%
•Latest generation clearomiser (e.g. aerotank, protank): 8%
What type of devices do you use now?
•Cigalikes: 0.4%
•eGo type battery (whether variable or not): 33%
•Mechanical Mod: 48%
•Electronic Mod: 58%
•Reconstructable atomiser: 52%
•Stardust, evod, tank or similar type clearomiser: 21%
•Latest generation clearomiser (e.g. aerotank, protank): 43%
Before your first purchase, where did you receive information about your material?
•Internet: 52%
•Friends or acquaintances: 47%
•Retailer where you bought your material: 28%
•Newspapers: 3%
•Received no information: 8%
Where did you buy your first devices?
•Supermarket: 1%
•Tobacconist: 8%
•Specialised shop: 54%
•Internet in France: 34%
•Internet in Europe: 4%
•Internet outside Europe: 3%
•It was a present: 2%
•Pharmacist: 1%
•Other: 2%
Where do you buy your devices now?
•Supermarket: 0.3%
•Tobacconist: 1%
•Specialised shop: 61%
•Internet in France: 67%
•Internet in Europe: 32%
•Internet outside Europe: 35%
•Pharmacist: 1%
•Other: 1%
Where did you buy your first e- liquid?
•Supermarket: 1%
•Tobacconist: 7%
•Specialised shop: 58%
•Internet in France: 31%
•Internet in Europe: 3%
•Internet outside Europe: 2%
•It was a present: 1%
•Pharmacist: 0.3%
•Other: 1%
Where do you buy your e-liquid now?
•Supermarket: 0.3%
•Tobacconist: 1%
•Specialised shop: 57%
•Internet in France: 65%
•Internet in Europe: 24%
•Internet outside Europe: 16%
•Pharmacist: 2%
•Other: 6%
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