Call for e-cigarette safety warnings (BBC News)

[knome]

BBC News - Call for e-cigarette safety warnings

 

[Panter]

It really riles me this one!

From their own article, the main issue is about the wrong chargers being used so the headline should call for regulation on stupidity (probably not a bad idea really.)

So, 62 fires this Year caused by incompatible e-cig chargers, compared to the 20,000 fires caused by cigarettes!!

Sources:

Number of UK House fires: Smoke Alarms - Carbon Monoxide Alarms - First Alert - Fire and Safety Solutions for your home

One third of house fires cigarette related: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/...he-most-deadly-cause-of-house-fire-fatalities


OK, maybe not the best sources (just from a quick Google) but even if we allow for a vast error in data, 20,000 is a bigger number than 62!

 

[Stroud Vaping]

It really riles me this one!

From their own article, the main issue is about the wrong chargers being used so the headline should call for regulation on stupidity (probably not a bad idea really.)

I'm with you there. The sensationalised headline/first few paragraphs on these types of articles is as far as most people get, missing the relevant info and safety points later on. We, and all the reputable vendors I know of, issue warnings regarding battery/charging safety with every battery sold, and all over the website, but there's no accounting for general human stupidity.

How the article should have read:

DON'T BE A PLONKER

A recent FOI request has revealed stupid people do stupid things. A lot.

Don't be a numpty and blow your house/face up! Read shit people bother to give you, charge batteries properly/safely and you'll probably make it to Christmas without dying.

End.

 

[Panter]

And that would be the most accurate headline I would have ever read!

Our health & safety policy handbook is about 300 pages long, but the QM won't let me replace it with the one I wrote.

"Please use your common sense. If you don't have any, ask someone who does."

 

[Cotton Mouth]

Every 3 days someone dies from a fire started by a cigarette

 

[Panter]

Every 3 days someone dies from a fire started by a cigarette

Just that one statistic right there makes the BBC's reporting look a bit sick.

 

[scrumpox]

Calling for a sense of proportion ... the safety messages are fine with me, not in the least bit riled, in fact I think it's great. Main take aways are:-

1. Get a sense of proportion here. It's not as big a problem as smoking but vaping's on the rise so let's nip this issue in the bud.
2. This is not an e-cigarette problem, it's a battery and charger problem.
3. The fire service is urging smokers to take note.

That is exactly what is needed here. The audience is not experienced, savvy vapers it's the smokers in the process of switching.

Sensationalist - sure, but headlines are there to grab attention.
A message just for the idiots? No, you cannot educate by asking only the idiots to pay attention ... intelligent people do stupid things too, you know?

 

[Panter]

That's a very fair point, but with around 4,000 house fires caused by mice in the UK, 62 fires a Year caused by people using the wrong chargers just doesn't justify a news slot in my opinion.

It's great to make people aware, as Stroud Vaping and many other vendors do but anything in the news that could put people off vaping and keep them smoking is a backwards step. (again, purely my opinion)

 

[scrumpox]

That's a very fair point, but with around 4,000 house fires caused by mice in the UK, 62 fires a Year caused by people using the wrong chargers just doesn't justify a news slot in my opinion.

It's great to make people aware, as Stroud Vaping and many other vendors do but anything in the news that could put people off vaping and keep them smoking is a backwards step. (again, purely my opinion)

I understand.
But forget the mice for a minute. Even as we're killing the planet we wear seatbelts. We have a rising problem here and public safety messages need to go out before it gets ridiculous.
We take a lot of bashing in the media and it's hard to take when all the evidence is being ignored. That piece is not anti-vaping though, take it at face value.
Frankly, I don't give a rat's arse if people are put off vaping by their own ignorance ... if they read the headline and stop there, it's their problem not mine. Some people only need to be told, others carry on despite being repeatedly told.

If vaping carries on growing 30% annually the stats are just going to get worse and worse - can we really do nothing about that because the mice are a bigger problem?

 

[Panter]

Each to their own, but statistically it just makes no sense to me to waste headlines on this.
It's just over one house fire a week with the thousands of e-cigs out there. The number of house fires caused by rodents just lends a bit of perspective to that.
I wonder how many other hobbies/lifestyles (call it what you like) can claim such a safety record?


Anyway, I'll agree to disagree with you.