Recent data has shown clear evidence that e-cigarettes have led to schizophrenia among several UK newspapers.

In this case study, we'll look at one particularly severe case, although many media outlets have suffered similar symptoms after being exposed to unreliable second hand vapour reports.

Scientists Say E-Cigarettes Are Bad For You

We'll start off with one example, when our patient claims to have heard experts say they e-cigarettes were worse than smoking in a report that was called:

"Lazy, Stupid and Inaccurate"

by former Action on Smoking and Health chief Clive Bates.

Oops, No They Didn't

Unfortunately, shortly afterwards they admitted they hadn't heard any experts say that, possibly because of imagined voices.

But They Are Bad For You

Our patient continued this cycle with another claim arguing e-cigs are bad for you. The article below was actually based on a study which only one carcinogen (at levels eight times lower than cigarettes) was found in just one of the many electronic cigarettes tested, as we explained here.

But E-Cigs Are Also Good For You

And again contradicting other claims by our patient that e-cigs save lives:

Actually, They ARE Bad For You

In fact, the only consistency in the approach to e-cigs is the inconsistency, as these following two articles show:

No, Really They're Good For You

Umm, Actually We Don't Know

At other times, the patient stops in the middle of expressing one or other opposing opinion, and says that actually it just doesn't know.

Reporting Studies Before They Have Started

This article, at first glance, seems clear reporting of a scientific study...

Unfortunately, the Daily Mail was clearly hearing voices again, as they were reporting the results of a study that had not yet started, as blogger Dick Puddlecote reported here.

Gateway to Smoking

The Daily Mail has also claimed that e-cigs are a gateway to smoking for adults, a gateway to nicotine for children, and a gateway to drugs for everybody:

So it's rather surprising that attempts to ban a device the Daily Mail has called a gateway to smoking and even, at times, a gateway to drugs, has lead to attacks on the banners:

Not A Gateway To Smoking

What is consistent with symptoms of schizophrenia is other, opposite claims by our patient claiming that ecigs are not in any way a gateway to smoking, such as this claim:

Don't forget

Of course, this is a joke post. The Daily Mail isn't really schizophrenic, it simply takes stories from both sides, and twists and manipulates them to ensure they sell the most papers.

(It's easy to blame them, but the paper wouldn't do this without an audience that expects and enjoys this type of story).

The real story, to me, is that as with any disruptive product, there are losers as well as winners - and in the case of the e-cigarette, these losers are very rich and very powerful.

So perhaps we shouldn't be surprised at the blatant manipulation of the media.

One thing you should remember though - read the Daily Mail, if you want, for enjoyment. But never believe a word it says.