AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY “A BILLION LIVES” PREMIERED IN PROVIDENCE AT THE PROVIDENCE PLACE MALL CINEMAS

-Scientists, Doctors and Policy Experts from Major International Health Institutions Expose How Big Business is Conspiring to Dismantle an Entire Industry in this Highly-Anticipated Investigative Feature Film —

October 28, 2016 – On the heels of its Hollywood Red Carpet Premiere event earlier this week, the award-winning documentary film A Billion Lives, will make its Rhode Island Premiere on November 2, 2016 at Providence Place Cinemas. Members of the IVORI, the state’s only Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocacy group and Chapter of SFATA Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association, have purchased a block of tickets to the single night event, which almost sold out in just over 72 hours.

Igniting controversy about the continual collusion between multinational corporations and corrupt governments, A Billion Lives shows how big business entities from around the world are conspiring to destroy an entire industry, despite the World Health Organization’s projection of a billion premature deaths this century. Unaffiliated with the tobacco industry, IVORI supports all efforts to discourage the use of combustible tobacco, while promoting awareness of the distinction between combustible tobacco products, and the non-combustible, electronic vapor devices that have become increasingly popular during the past five years.

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According to America’s Health Ratings.org,, Rhode Island smoking rate among adults has declined in the last 4 years since vape business opened State.

“The first brick and mortar vapor business opened in Rhode Island in 2012, and dozens more now serve the area,” says Lisa Ciarlone, President of IVORI (Independent Vapor Outlets of Rhode Island) and Founder of Vaporetti located in Rumford, RI. “The striking correlation of Rhode Island’s all-time, record-low smoking rate, with the advent of this burgeoning new industry, can no longer be ignored. Nor can the proven, substantially less harmful effects of our products continue to be equated with those of the known risks of deadly, combustible tobacco.”

Lisa Ciarlone also stated, “For the first time, we have a film that exposes this corruption and the true motives behind the coordinated attack on vapor products,” It has been repeatedly demonstrated that vapor products provide a safer alternative to cigarette smoking. For many lifetime smokers, this technology is proving to be the only method that has been effective in their battle to quit. Governments should be embracing this technology, not demonizing it. It doesn’t take much to draw the lines, connect the dots and follow the vast revenues created by the current system of ‘tobacco control.”

A Billion Lives unravels the unholy alliance formed among corporations and governments, as well as some of the world’s largest, and most profitable, “non-profit” organizations charged with tobacco use prevention, and staffed by highly salaried officers. Together, these groups have launched a multi-pronged campaign to poison the global population’s attitude against the use of this innovative technology. State and local public health departments across the country have initiated aggressive and costly, multi-million-dollar, public media campaigns, often implicitly or explicitly suggesting that electronic nicotine delivery systems are at least as, or even more dangerous than combustible products. Essentially, this public policy sentences a billion people to die prematurely and needlessly from smoking in this century, by withholding a low cost, successful, LESS HARMFUL substitute.

The film’s Director and Executive Producer, Aaron Biebert, traveled across four continents to discover why a device that can save so many lives, is being maligned and discredited in so many countries. Throughout this journey, Biebert discovers the hidden facts behind the vapor technology industry, and exposes the governmental forces intent on destroying it.

As part of his investigation, Biebert captures compelling interviews with leading scientists, doctors, technologists, and policy makers from major international health organizations. Each in turn gives reasoned answers to the very serious question: “Are a billion lives being sacrificed needlessly for billions of dollars?”

Independently funded by the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based production company, Attention Era Media, A Billion Lives continues to rack up top honors:
●Supreme Jury Prize at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in Australia.
●Best International Documentary at the Jozi Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa.
●Best Director at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in Australia.
●Remi Award at the Worldfest Houston International Film Festival.
●The Dorn Award from the Global Forum on Nicotine.

A Billion Lives made its North American premiere in Milwaukee, WI (August 2016). Earlier this year, the film premiered to rave reviews at the Doc Edge Festival in Wellington, New Zealand (May 2016). It also premiered in Europe at the Palace of Culture in Warsaw, Poland (June 2016), and at the Le Grand Rex in Paris, France (September 2016).

Rhode Island Contact (IVORI.): Lisa Ciarlone, Lisa@Vaporetti.com
U.S. Contact: Coterie Media, Press@ABillionLives.com