Advocating Tobacco Harm Reduction in South Africa.
Gauteng, South Africa
Joined December 2019
- Tweets2.6K
- Following507
- Followers989
- Likes5.2K
Pinned Tweet
Kurt reminds us what Vaping Saved My Life (VSML) stands for — and the deeply personal story that sparked the initiative.
After losing both his parents to smoking-related diseases and struggling to quit a 20-year, 40-a-day cigarette habit, Kurt found the one thing that worked: vaping.
Within just 3 days, he quit for good.
🚭 This initiative was born from personal tragedy and driven by the urgent need for safer alternatives—it's not just advocacy, it's lived experience in action.
#VapingSavedMyLife | #THR | #HarmReduction | #QuitSmoking | #PublicHealth | #SmokeFreeFuture | #VSML
Your experience matters and needs to be shared. Don't let the media, policy makers and powerful NGOs trivialise your experience.
Stand up and be counted.
FACT FRIDAY:
Adults around the world share their experiences of how safer nicotine alternatives helped them quit deadly tobacco.
Share your experience on thrglobal.org/share
A major South African youth vaping study claims to tell a national story, but leaves the majority of learners uncounted.
Who gets studied shapes what we believe.
We ask AI to do a deep dive.
🎧 Uncounted: The South African Youth Vaping Study
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
South Africa’s Next Generation of Nicotine Addicts? Before We Accept That Narrative, Let’s Examine the Evidence. thrglobal.org/en/opinions/be…
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
[Promoted] Study shows loved ones benefit when smokers switch to non-combustible alternatives
businesstech.co.za/news/indu…
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
WATCH: World No Tobacco Day and the war on freedom.
FMF CEO @DavidAnsara and FMF Head of Policy Dr @Martin_ASFL discuss World No Tobacco Day, South Africa's proposed Tobacco Bill, and the growing threat of paternalistic policymaking.
LINK: youtu.be/f8JicekW55Y
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
On World No Tobacco Day, Who Speaks for the Smoker?
The smoker is not the enemy. The smoker is the person we are trying to help.
thrglobal.org/en/opinions/on…
If you believe that vaping helped you quit smoking, that it is less harmful than smoking, or if your voice and experience have been ignored. Maybe you should share your experience on thrglobal.org/share.
Happy #WorldVapeDay #WVD2026 #WNNTD2026
Fact Friday: Tomorrow is #WorldVapeDay. Let's see how many testimonials we can get.
NB! You can stay anonymous.
Your email address is only used to verify your testimonial, unless you want to stay informed.
Location is used to calculate by country and state.
#WVD2026 #WNTD2026
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
Vape Legend @GrimmGreen says it's a good thing. Testimonials change minds.
Share your story. Share this with your family and friends. Be part of the change you want to see.
thrglobal.org
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
On 27 April 1994, millions of South Africans chose a better future. Today, millions choose freedom from smoking by switching to safer alternatives. If that’s you, share your story and what that freedom means. Thrglobal.org
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
Data proves it works.
People prove it’s possible.
So why aren’t they listening?
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
expert reaction to systematic review of ecigs for stopping smoking
sciencemediacentre.org/exper…
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
Another thorough dismantling by @RobertoSussman of a secondhand vapor exposure study:
pubpeer.com/publications/203…
Vaping Saved My Life retweeted
Some encouraging news for THR science! 🎉
A deeply flawed article on e-cigarettes & cancer has just been retracted, following a letter to the editor criticizing the paper. 👇
@RetractionWatch
Original article: doi.org/10.1016/j.jcpo.2025.…
“The differentiation has to be true, real, and based on science rather than on emotion. We need a clear distinction between those.” - @DrKgosiLetlape
africanews24.com/health-depa…
WILFUL IGNORANCE
70% illicit cigarettes.
Excise hike on safer alternative vape liquids.
Wrong target.
Wrong signal.
Wrong outcome.
They are not serious in tackling the smoking situation in South Africa.
This is an AI-generated audio overview based on a comprehensive search of 50 research sources that compares scientific methods for establishing harm. Comparing the observational approach of the 1960s, with the technological techniques used in the 21st century.
youtu.be/fgKIQHkqZcQ?si=9FJa…
This is an AI-generated audio overview based on a comprehensive search of 68 research sources that compare cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
The goal is to explain the evidence across several key areas: chemistry, exposure, youth “gateway” claims, technology distrust, and public health impact.
youtu.be/xzi6SVstJ18?si=3PyD…
While the name "EVALI" suggests that all e-cigarettes or vaping products were responsible, the reality was much more specific:
The True Cause: The outbreak was caused by vitamin E acetate, an oily thickening agent found in illicit THC products, not by nicotine e-liquids.
Geography: This was a localised "market problem" in the United States, not a global "technology problem". Countries with regulated nicotine markets and fewer illegal THC additives had virtually no cases.
The Chemical Conflict: Nicotine e-liquids are water-soluble and cannot be combined with oil-based vitamin E acetate.
We have travelled from a 1960s model of rigid abstinence to a 2020s continuum of risk. Science has successfully identified the enemy: not nicotine itself, but the combustion required to consume it. vsml.co.za/the-great-decoupl…