The UKVIA (UK Vaping Industry Association) are calling out the World Health Organisation as they continue to discourage vaping this World No Tobacco Day.
Every year the WHO organise a worldwide campaign to raise awareness of the damaging effects of tobacco, in the hopes of working towards a smoke free future.
However, they continually deny the effectiveness and safety of using an e-cigarette as an alternative to smoking, even going so far as to encourage member states to ban e-cigarettes altogether.
The Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis, has given a statement regarding the WHO’s efforts in tobacco control and their fight against the illicit trade of tobacco products, which are indeed commendable and will hopefully go a long way towards the aim of a smoke free future.
However, in this statement he also expressed concern that young people are taking up the use of e-cigarettes and that this could be damaging their young lungs. This part of the statement in completely unfounded, in fact research by the government body PHE (Public Health England) shows that in the UK, who have the biggest vaping market in the EU, continued e-cigarette use by young people remains very low.
In light of this statement, the UKVIA have collaborated with NNA (New Nicotine Alliance) to produce a press release to be shared with media outlets in the UK and Brussels encouraging them to help raise awareness of the benefits of vaping.
John Dunne, board member of the UK Vaping Industry Association said:
“It’s disappointing that Commissioner Andriukaitis has decided to mark World No Tobacco day by criticising vaping, one of the most effective means at stopping people from smoking. There is a growing bank of evidence that shows that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking and research from University College London published last week in the journal Addiction shows that it is substantially more effective at helping people quit, even over prescription nicotine replacement therapies.’ - John Dunne, UKVIA Board Member
If the World Health Organisation truly wants to work towards a smoke free future, it seems counter-intuitive to also discourage and even ban the use of a stop smoking tool with such effective results. The research published last week found nicotine patches and gum to be only 34% effective at a successful quit attempt, while e-cigarettes were found to be 95% effective.
When you consider that e-cigarettes are also 95% less harmful than smoking, it seems irresponsible to ignore and discourage such an effective and successful stop smoking tool.
The World Health Organisation are hugely respected and their opinions can be powerful at shaping the views and opinions of individuals and governments alike. It is therefore confusing for those smokers who would like to kick the habit, on the one hand to hear how effective and how much safer e-cigarettes are, and on the other for such a big influence in health awareness to take such a negative stance on them.
Sarah Jakes, of independent consumer charity the NNA, stated;
“World No Tobacco Day should be a great opportunity to raise awareness of far safer alternative nicotine products to maximise benefits to public health worldwide. It is disappointing then that the WHO instead supports bans on vaping, despite mounting evidence that e-cigarettes are a proven safer alternative to smoking and have contributed to record falls in smoking prevalence in countries where they are allowed to flourish." - Sarah Jakes, NNA
The UKVIA are working hard to encourage the WHO to differentiate between vaping products and tobacco products, e-cigarettes contain no tobacco and should therefore not be bracketed under the umbrella of ‘tobacco products’.
Here in the UK we are fortunate that the government has recognised that the benefits and effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a stop smoking aid make them a crucial and important tool in the fight against tobacco, and encourage the use of e-cigarettes to those looking for an alternative to smoking.
It is the tireless efforts of UKVIA, NNA, along with the vital research and data from health organisations such as Public Health England and Cancer Research UK that have paved the way for substantial declines in smoking prevalence within the UK, e-cigarettes have played a big role in helping these people make the switch to a healthier lifestyle.
If you are considering giving up smoking and would like to learn more about how an e-cigarette could help you, pop in to your local Evapo vape shop or head to our online vape store and remember you can read lots more vape related news, reviews, how to's and advice on our vape blog.
Sources:
https://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-19-2751_en.htm
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.14656
