ASA Investigate Lurid And Misleading E-Cigarette Advertising

Whilst the controversy over E-cigarettes and the health claims, made by the companies selling them, and the fact that there is no regulation of the quality and efficacy of the liquid nicotine used continues, a battle in the media has begun following complaints about the lurid and crude advertising of one the main brands in the UK.

As previously reported by this website, the issue of safety and efficacy is of major concern, but so is now the type of advertising being used by one of the major brands - VIP Cigarettes.

The VIP advert is accused of being lurid and highly suggestive of oral sex, which was screened on ITV during its new drama series ‘A Woman’s Son’.

The 20-second TV ad featured in the Granada viewing area last night, shows a woman telling the viewer, "I want you to get it out, I want to see it, I want to feel it, hold it, put it in my mouth, I want to see how great it tastes", as the camera zooms in on her mouth and eyes.

The two minute long website 'viral ads' are even more lurid, even crude.

Further, the advert is clearly aimed at males, despite the fact that smoking is increasing amongst females and actually going down amongst males. Indeed nearly 100% of the advertising on the various company websites and on the various social networking sites is aimed at males, with information videos again featuring nearly 100% men.

Absolutely no mention of the claimed health benefits associated with e-cigarettes is actually mentioned in the advert. But David Levin, co-founder of VIP is unapologetic about the 'controversy' of the ads but says the company takes their responsibility very seriously and markets the product only to adults over 18.

No comment with regard to the fact their marketing is aimed solely at men, despite the fact that more women than men smoke in the UK according to official figures. Smoking cessation amongst men is also higher than amongst women.

Now the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) are investigating VIP Cigarettes and other electronic cigarette advertisers.

One person who has complained, but wishes to remain anonymous, has contacted Unionsafety and disclosed a response they received from the ASA following her complaint specifically about the VIP advert:

"We have received complaints about other advertising in this campaign as well, covering both broadcast and non-broadcast media. The different media are considered by separate Councils, but all the ads will be investigated together. This means that the investigation may take a little longer than usual but ensures that the decisions reflect all the available information and are appropriate to the media.

We intend to deal with your complaint under our formal investigations procedure, which means that we will ask Must Have Ltd t/a VIP Electronic Cigarette and Clearcast, the clearance body for TV ads, to comment on the complaint. We will then draft a recommendation and refer your complaint to the ASA Councils for adjudication. Once the Councils have made a decision, the adjudication will be published on our website."

One of the main promoters of E-cigarettes in the UK is uses a website and mailing list, going by the name of 'Smokers Angel' who are currently promoting major discounts throughout the run-up to the Christmas period.

Once again, their advertising seems aimed solely at the male population and employs similar sexist techniques with perhaps the most glaring being their recent posting entitled ' 26 Ways E-cigarettes Are Better Than Sex' containing crude and sexist reasons for this to be the case. All in perfectly good taste and in fun, of course! They even suggest that 'E-cigarettes make you horny' and provide so-called scientific evidence to that effect - again all in perfectly good taste and humour.

All this of course detracts from the debate over efficacy of E-cigarettes as a 'quite smoking' aid, with the evidence to support the industry's assertions not being as convincing as they try to claim.

A 2012 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) online survey of 10,000 adults (aged 18+) in England found that:

• one fifth of smokers had tried e-cigarettes, but only a third of those who had tried them were still using them

• one out of five users of e-cigarettes have quit smoking altogether

• four out of five e-cigarette users continue smoking, and use e-cigarettes primarily as a substitute where smoking is not allowed, and to help them quit and to cut down.

Hardly startling evidence for the efficacy of the e-cigarette as an aid to quit smoking.

Indeed, even VIP Cigarettes admit this on their website:

"At VIP we do not promote electronic cigarettes as a way to quit smoking. The e-cigarette is not a licensed nicotine cessation aid and does not offer Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). "

But they also state: " Despite on-going promising research, especially in New Zealand and South Africa, there have been no long term studies carried out in the UK on e-cigarettes as an aid to quit smoking."

and:

"Many e-cigarette users no longer smoke tobacco and actually prefer 'Vaping'. The VIP E-Cig is ideal for smokers who can't quit smoking, and also for smokers who require a cheaper alternative."

But those who argue that we are simply replacing one addiction for another and that so-called 'vaping' allows people to increase their 'nicotine hit' to a far greater level than tobacco based products allow; and with dangers of nicotine overdose; find some justification for their views from the way Smokers Angel and VIP Cigarettes promote their products.

The promotion of major kits with larger tanks of liquid nicotine and kits to make your own liquid nicotine are promoted with the risk of nicotine overdose through absorption by the skin of spilled liquid and leaking e-cigarette products; adds to the controversy of an unregulated industry and gives cause for major public health concern.

Further, with the development of the E-cigarette as a predominantly a male cult with its own techno hobbyist language, any pretence that this is about saving lives and cutting tobacco usage and nicotine addiction; has long been abdicated by both the industry and users of the product.

It seems that the promise of a healthier society including both men and women through the quitting of smoking by those using e-cigarettes has long been given up by those promoting, selling and distributing the product of e-cigarettes.

The question must be asked: "Are we on the brink of a rise in nicotine addiction, nicotine overdose and even deaths as a result?"

See: 'BMA Case For Ecig Regulation Update Jan 2013' available from the E-Library Database using seach word 'ecig'

Source: VIP Cigarettes / Smokers Angel / ASH / ASA / unionsafety / BMA

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