Nobody has been banned simply for "speaking out". The issue of disposables has been a conversation on this forum for a long time with many members voicing their opinions both for and against.
The member who I'll assume you are referring to was banned because - despite several warnings - he continued to go at vendors in sections of the forum where all members had been clearly informed was not the place to vent their frustrations every chance they got in a hostile and non constructive way, as the hostility was leading to vendors, who sell far more than just disposable vapes, closing multiple accounts and leaving the forum, withdrawing the very funding that helps to provide this platform for all of us to use and express our opinions.
Not sure if you've looked at the Vendor/Manufacturer forums recently and seen just how many have been lost between TPD and Covid and how few are still here?
Management's decision to allow the advertising of TPD compliant and legal disposable vapes isn't the reason we are where we are.
Re Disposables.
I realise no one reads my stuff, but I have been badgering these companies and the trade bodies for two years. I’ve questioned them on the phone, by email, and at forums. I’ve done it as a journo and as a trustee for the New Nicotine Alliance. I served on the British Standards committee where I was pushing for sustainability and environmental awareness, and I was a member of an industry working group where I pushed the same as well as consumer education. I was able to do this because of advertising revenue.
Holding heads in the sand and refusing to have anything to do with them would’ve achieved nothing. Sure, my engagement achieved little - but it did achieve movement in some quarters, just not with ElfBar/Lost Mary or Geek Vape. Both of them were typically Chinese in their approach to marketing here. There are some brilliant collection/processing programmes, the are some brilliant recyclable ‘disposables’. It just too too long, change was too slow.
Ultimately, I place the blame on the arrogance of ElfBar/Lost Mary and Geek Vape. I’ve not met a single representative from them who wasn’t what I professionally term ‘a complete prick’. The trade bodies failed to stand up to them, valuing their income over accountability. I stood up to them, I asked for accountability from them towards consumers and the environment. I’ve written about it, the journey was logged in the News section across articles.
The issue, as Mitz says, has never been MHRA complaint products - the issue was with the illegal ones proliferating everywhere. Illegal ones that will not be stopped by banning legal ones. Pollution that won’t be addressed. Teen use that won’t abate.
So the choice is very simple now - brands have to mobilise customers, consumers have to become advocates, advocates have to speak out, advocates have to be supported by academics and harm reduction/public health experts. With one voice we need to say no to flavour bans and highlight the power of our 6.5 million votes (casual and f/t vapers). Because if we don’t, vaping is fucked.
