A group of leading health experts say the anti-vaping policy of the WHO means millions of smokers are condemned to death and preventable diseases.
The panel led by tireless vaping advocate Clive Bates, calls for the World Health Organization to scrap its ridiculous and dangerous stance and accept vaping as a safe way to quit lit tobacco.
It’s a hard hitting and extremely detailed letter laying out the true scientific facts about vaping as a harm reduction tool, and tackles the WHO policy with 9 key points.
In his recent blog post – The WHO Has Gone Rogue… – Clive breaks down the pro vaping argument with precise counter arguments backed up by the real science:
- WHO has the wrong analysis of the problem – the focus must be on smoking
- WHO misrepresents risks and denies the value of switching from smoking to vaping
- WHO ignores compelling evidence that vaping is displacing smoking
- WHO fails to grasp the importance of flavours and how vaping works for smokers
- WHO backs untested and inadequate smoking cessation measures
- WHO has based its campaign on arcane special interests
- WHO must disclose and be accountable for interim results
- WHO has failed to understand a major technology transition but is trying to block it
- WHO should apply the first-do-no-harm principle – and stop what it is doing
Each of those bullet points are tackled in depth by the panel of experts who are:
- Dr David B. Abramsis Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Science NYU School of Global Public Health New York University.
- Clive D. Bates is Director of Counterfactual, a consulting and advocacy practice focused on a pragmatic approach to sustainability and public health.
- Dr Raymond S. Niaura is Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Science NYU School of Global Public Health New York University.
- David T. Sweanor JDis Adjunct Professor of Law and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics at the University of Ottawa.
It’s an impressive list and the letter and detailed comments make for very interesting reading to say the least.
You can read the letter HERE.
Smokers Condemned To Death – More Expert Commentary
I wrote about this in the article: Anti Vaping WHO Says E-cigarettes Don’t Help Smokers Quit!
In that piece I suggested I’d try and find real experts to add a counter argument to the WHO’s false and misleading claims.
Thankfully Clive has gathered a whole host of fellow health professionals to comment, and they really do take the WHO to task!
The list includes former New Zealand based World Health Organization directors Ruth Bonita, MPH, PhD, MD (hon) and Robert Beaglehole, MD, DSc.
They say:
We are extremely disappointed by WHO’s illogical and perverse approach to reduced-harm nicotine delivery products, such as vaping, which are a way of limiting the harm caused by burnt tobacco.
A key challenge in global tobacco control is to assist cigarette smokers to transition from burnt tobacco products to much less harmful options that provide the nicotine without the toxic smoke.
WHO’s continuing disregard of the wealth of evidence on the value of these products is condemning millions of smokers to preventable disease and premature death.
Indeed…
David B Abrams PhD. says:
WHO of all Institutions should base its policies and recommendations on the best and strongest scientific evidence available.
The WHO can do better at saving the lives of over a billion smokers by updating its science and by correcting the massive misinformation that all forms of nicotine and tobacco -products are equally deadly and thus smokers should quit or die rather than reduce their harms dramatically by using dramatically less harmful modes of nicotine delivery.
The WHO misinformation is not science at its best,it is tantamount to embracing propaganda.
Propaganda that conflates all tobacco and nicotine products as being equally harmful.
This is unacceptable from such an august and respected body as WHO, it is antithetical to the core values of WHO –of social justice, eradication of preventable chronicdiseases where combusted (smoked ) tobacco and some forms of smokeless tobacco but not nicotine itself is the primary driver of chronic diseases, death and untold suffering.
Strong stuff…love it!
John Britton, MD Emeritus Professor of Epidemiology School of Medicine Nottingham University, says the WHO’s anti vaping stance “beggars belief” adding:
By seeking to block access to less hazardous nicotine products, other than licensed medicines, the WHO is aiding and abetting the tobacco industry to kill millions of people
Martin Jarvis ODE, PhD Emeritus Professor of Health Psychology University College London is equally damming:
It is the smoke from cigarettes that kills, not the nicotine.
The starting point for rational regulation of tobacco has to be to an appreciation of the risks: favour non-combustibles and bear down on cigarettes and other combustibles.
It’s a no-brainer.
A no brainer indeed, yet the World Harm Organization shows no sign of doing a U-Turn on its murderous anti-vaping policy.
Do take a look at all of the pro vaping comments – it makes for an uplifting read to say the least.
UK Vaping Not Safe From the WHO!
As we edge nearer to the next WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Conference of the Parties ‘event‘, the WHO is turning up the heat on a complete ban on e-cigarettes here in the UK!
I’ve written at length about the UK team of experts ready to take on the WHO in its on back yard.
Read the article: UK Vape Ban Fightback Begins – Advocacy Top Team Assemble! for more background info.
As to if the WHO will force the UK Government to ban vaping, I personally don’t think they have a chance.
However, saying that, Martin Cullip, chair of UK advocacy group the New Nicotine Alliance told me it was “no empty threat” adding:
…considering the WHO’s extremely hostile stance towards vaping, and is very likely to be proposed at The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s (FCTC) COP9 in The Hague in November.
It is important that vapers fight developments like this because it is not a scare story, it is true.
Worrying times for UK vapers, let alone the rest of the world’s smokers.
Let’s hope the letter and added expert comments gives the WHO something to think about…however given its backed by Big Pharma and of course anti-vaping zealots like billionaire Mike Bloomberg, one doubts it.
What is clear, UK vapers and the wider vaping industry needs to put concerted pressure on the UK Government to make sure it doesn’t do a dramatic U-Turn on the current and future vape regulations.
We can do that by contacting our MPs with pro vaping letters and of course by supporting the advocacy groups listed below:
- New Nicotine Alliance
- The UK Vaping Industry Association
- The Independent British Vape Trade Association
Please let me know your thoughts on the WHO’s continued anti-vaping stance in the comments below 🙂
PS…Guess Who Got A WHO ‘Award’ For Tobacco Control?
With 130 million smokers, India sees around 1 million deaths from tobacco related diseases each year.
Indeed almost 60% of male cancers are caused by lit tobacco and related products.
The country makes up a staggering 12% of the worlds smokers and has been given a WHO award for tobacco harm control…yes really…
Oh, did I mention India has banned the 95% safer vaping?
But hey, the WHO loves the country’s policy of no smoking in public and warning on fag packets ffs…
I wrote about the ban back in 2019: The India Vape Ban Is Nothing Short Of An Act Of Democide…
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted:
Pleased to award @drharshvardhan Health Minister, with the special recognition for tobacco control.
His leadership was instrumental in the 2019 national legislation to ban E-cigarettes & heated tobacco products.
Thank you, Minister!
And a MASSIVE thank you from India’s Big Tobacco and Pharma companies for all those deaths and illnesses…but hey the money comes rolling in right?
Celebrating, and rewarding those responsible for the banning of a life saving alternative product should tell you all you need to know about the so called World HARM Organization.
It has blood on its hands with more to come…
Shame on them…
‘WHO’ are not fit for purpose, I would like to know who is controlling ‘WHO’, who is paying them to be like this. It must be an awful lot of money and or some other form of blackmail over them possibly. Who is pulling ‘WHO’s’ strings so to speak. BAD people I would want to sue them if they gain any control over here in the UK. If our government even think of taking any notice of these idiots, I would want to know why and how???