Organisations from across North America, Europe, Asia and Australasia have signed the UK Vaping Industry Association’s call to action. International vaping bodies have come together out of concern that the WHO’s stance may compromise the progress made by countries who have embraced vaping, by opening the door to potential bans.
In spite of having recognized vaping’s potential for reducing smoking rates, the WHO tobacco control group holds a contradictory stance that member states could also ban vaping products outright as part of a tobacco control plan. Vapers believe the WHO tobacco control group’s messaging is not only detrimental to public health, but unaccountable, least of all to the consumers whose taxes fund but do not seem to have any influence on its policies.
The WHO’s position is also at odds with it’s member states, in particular those such as the UK and New Zealand, who advocate smokers switching to vaping as part of harm-reduction policy. Seems like a no brainer, the organization funded by the countries taking the pro-vaping and eLiquid stance should probably follow the direction the hands that feed it are taking.
Lizi Jenkins, a member of The U.K. Vaping Industry Associations Conference of the Parties working group and Head of Regulatory Affairs said: “We and our international co-signatories are proud to stand up for vaping as a route for smokers seeking a less harmful alternative.”
This follows growing evidence that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking. The UK’s Public Health England states that vaping is likely to be at least 95% less harmful than cigarettes, with the UK seeing a record 23% decline in smoking rates in recent years. Good news all around it seems, hopefully this will bring a more positive wave of conversations about vaping and eLiquids in the US.