The Tobacco Harm Reduction Association of Canada (THRA) - We Vape, We Vote.
Posted by Haze Vape Co Orders on
When reflecting on Bill 174 consider this as a plausible cause and effect scenario:
- In the June 2016 Brexit referendum more than 33 million people in the UK exercised their democratic rights on the UK’s future in the European Union. The “Leave” side won by 3.80% or 1,269,500 votes.
- The EU parliament’s handling of the vape question was much like the posture of Bill 174, terrible, so vapers in the UK were naturally upset which no doubt influenced their vote.
- Agreed that not all vapers would have voted for Brexit because of the “Bill 174” like treatment by the EU Parliament; however, it is safe to say that a good number of voters whose health and welfare depend on vaping would have been “single issue voters”. Their ultimate decision point among a myriad of complex issues and confusing arguments would have been the one issue that resonated the most - their escape from tobacco addiction using “electronic cigarettes”.
- At the time of the Brexit vote there were approximately 2,800,000 vapers in the UK; there are more than 2,900,00 today.
- Assuming that vapers turned out in the same proportion as the general population (72%) that means approximately 2,010,400 vapers voted.
- The catastrophe that ensued by a “Leave” win could have been avoided if 634,750 vapers + 1 would have voted “Remain”.
Interestingly that only represents 31.57% of the UK vaping community that voted and 22.67% of the entire vaping community in the UK.
No doubt the Ontario vaping community will, just as the UK vaping community did in the Brexit vote, play a significant role in the outcome of the next Ontario election. Ontario vapers are a community, and highly motivated by the freedom from tobacco that “electronic cigarettes” has given them. The next vote will not be a referendum where it is simply a tally of votes it will a battle for ridings. The vaping community will be focused on supporting those who support vaping and working to unseat those who have elected to follow the false flags of Bill174.
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www.thra.ca