Neo is an electronic cigarette brand offering itself as a healthier alternative to traditional smoking. Neo, however is taking a cue from Big Tobacco giants like Lorillard and going after celebrity endorsements. Blu e-cigs has captured endorsements from Jenny McCarthy and Stephen Dorff. Now, according to The Mirror, Neo, owned by Ballantyne Brands, LLC has made a substantial offer to Arsenal team member Jack Wilshire to "officially endorse the product as a healthy alternative to smoking."
The main reason for this substantial offer is Jack got caught puffing on a real one recently. Football, which is Soccer in the states, is a big sport in the UK. Professional Football players in England are as huge as American Football players and consequently they get paparatzied as hard as US celebrities. Jack says he doesn't actually smoke and that the photo opp was all fun and games. Who knows really, but I'm inclined to believe him. It does seem crazy that any athlete, especially in this day and age would willfully give themselves such a major competitive disadvantage like smoking. No wonder, Neo would swoop down on our boy Jack so quickly. Almost shark like... all I can say to old Jack here is: Don't do it man! I don't care how much money they offer you! You're bigger then they are. Don't get used by a "legitimate" drug dealer, pimp like Ballantyne.
E-cigarettes are nothing more than an evolution of the delivery device of a highly toxic and addictive chemical, nicotine. Any company who willfully sells nicotine is in the addiction business and has blood on their hands. Period. Jeffrey Wigand's website offers a chilling question, "Is a cigarette a natural product? Or one engineered for only one purpose: to deliver the addictive drug Nicotine?" Consider this carefully Mr Wilshire as you are being watched. Not just by the media, but by children who will make decisions about what is and is not cool. You have a tremendous opportunity before you sir and I trust you will take the higher road!
