The World Health Organization has upped the anti on a UK vape ban threat and advocates say vapers MUST act now and fight back.
A quick look at the very latest report from the WHO shows they are targeting ALL open systems – flavours – heat not burn devices – SNUS and even want to ban vapour…yes really!
The New Nicotine Alliance says it needs UK vapers in their droves to write to their MPs to stop the WHO from forcing countries to implement a global ban on open vape systems – in other words, any tank, dripper or pod kit that can be refilled.
I’ll add a link to suggestions on what vapers need to write in a moment, but first, what exactly are the unelected mandarins at the WHO calling for now?
The new report is titled: …the dark impact of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
All rather dramatic and of course it totally ignores the multitude of scientific peer reviewed studies that show vaping is considerably safer than smoking and should be used as harm reduction tool.
In fact, this new WHO report completely ignores the recent Cochrane Library study that categorically shows vaping is the very best and safest way for smokers to quit the deadly habit.
It shows just how blinkered the WHO is when it comes to e-cigarettes, given Cochrane, is one of the most globally respected expert groups when it comes to tobacco harm reduction.
UK Vape Ban Threat – What Does the WHO Want?
The latest WHO recommendations are:
- to apply the most restrictive tobacco control regulations to HTPs (including the devices), as appropriate under national laws, taking into account a high level of protection for human health;
- to prohibit all manufacturers and associated groups from making claims about reduced harm of HTPs, as compared to other products;
- to ensure that the public is well informed about the risks associated with using HTPs, including the risks of dual use with conventional cigarettes and other smoked tobacco products;
- to rely on and support independent data and research on the health impact of using heated tobacco products;
- to require tobacco manufacturers to disclose all product information;
- to ban all commercial marketing of e-cigarettes and HTPs, including in social media and through organizations funded by and associated with the tobacco industry;
- to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes in which the user can control device features and liquid ingredients; and
- to prohibit the addition of pharmacologically active substances such as cannabis and tetrahydrocannabinol (in jurisdictions where they are legal) to e-cigarettes.
Crazy doesn’t begin to cover it…if any of those recommendations are met by a Government, vaping and other safer ways to enjoy nicotine as we know it would be obliterated.
As for the WHO demanding a ban on vapour…yup they really do want that…
The NNA says:
TobReg advocates for flavour bans as mentioned, but also a ban on open tank systems.
It recommends that heated tobacco should not be classed as a reduced risk product so should be treated as smoking, while also claiming that switching to vaping is not smoking cessation.
It does this by completely dismissing Cochrane evidence reviews – renowned as the highest standard for health research – which state that e-cigarettes work better than nicotine replacement therapy for smokers looking to quit.
‘Nicotine Flux’ WTF Is That!?!
TobReg also recommends that vaping should be regulated based on “nicotine flux” – their back-up plan if they don’t get away with banning open systems.
This involves removing any possibility of customisability so that all products will basically end up being the same, because in order to control flux, you would essentially have to put limits on everything!
And, most recently, there has been a proposal to redefine smoke as anything heated which “emits aerosols visible to the naked eye” for e-cigarettes to be classed as tobacco products and therefore be regulated, taxed, and banned the same in every respect.
Basically, denying the entire concept of harm reduction.
Like I said…crazy doesn’t even begin to cover this latest set of proposals.
UK Vape Ban Threat – Vapers Urged To Contact MPs
The WHO had scrapped plans to discuss all this at the next Conference of the Parties – COP9 meeting in November.
Rather than a full discussion they had decided to note the proposed stance on reduced risk products such as e-cigarettes with a view to a more detailed look at COP10 in 2 years time.
COP meetings are held behind closed doors and decisions are made by the so called ‘Parties’ with the UK being the largest funder.
The worry is, it only takes one of the ‘Parties’ to demand a discussion and it could happen…
The NNA explains:
The “Parties” in question are government signatories to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which is a legal treaty ratified by over 180 countries.
Each of those countries – including the UK which is no longer represented at the meetings by the EU and free to speak for itself – sends a delegation to the COP to decide the future of global policy towards tobacco products, but also recently e-cigarettes and other reduced risk alternatives.
The NNA says the UK delegation to COP9 should join forces with other countries that has embraced safer nicotine products adding:
The materials being provided to the Parties for consideration at COP9 by the Bureau are absurd, consisting of cherry-picked research to demonise reduced risk products while completely dismissing any potential benefits of harm reduction.
They seek nothing less than railroading parties into treating every alternative nicotine product the same as smoking.
Bans And/Or Severe Restrictions On Vaping
This includes bans on public use, restrictions on packaging, flavour bans, taxation the same as cigarettes and worse (which we shall come to).
The WHO and the FCTC Secretariat are seeking to influence government delegations to take decisions in the absence of any other strong government direction – the UK should take that role together with other strong harm reduction countries.
In order for the UK delegates to have a strong voice at COP9 the NNA says pressure must be put on all UK MPs to support the stance on safer nicotine products.
It has a list of suggestions on what to add to the letter or email and they include:
- Vaping and use of other reduced risk products should not be treated the same as smoking.
- The WHO is extremely hostile to vaping and other reduced risk products, the UK has a sensible approach to vaping and is a prominent funder of the FCTC. Our delegation should stand up for what works.
- The UK should strongly resist proposals to ban open vape systems and regulate vaping products so that they are all the same.
- Vaping helped me and it could help many other smokers to switch in the future. The UK should not let the WHO jeopardise that.
Check out the full list of NNA recommendations on what points to make to your MP.
There’s also a handy link on how to contact your MP by simply adding your postcode:
Final Thoughts…
You only have to look across the pond at the USA to see how vaping could be wiped out in a pen stroke.
The threat to UK vaping as we know it is a very clear and present danger.
Despite the UK being the beacon of light for reduced risk products such as e-cigarettes, should the government get sucked in to the WHO’s hysteria, vaping as we know it might never be the same again on these shores.
Let’s face it, Boris isn’t exactly a PM with much of backbone and does tend to go back on his promises regularly…COVID passports *coughs*.
So please DO contact your MPs and push the message that vaping is a much safer alternative and the WHO’s proposals are simply outdated, ignorant, extremely unscientific and above all, threaten the lives of billions.
If we don’t all make a stand NOW we could see vaping as we know it gone from these shores.
Read the full post from the NNA: The real threat from the WHO and what UK consumers can and should do about it
What are your thoughts on the UK vape ban threat?
Please let me know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
It’s the closed systems that should be banned, they’re the ones doing the damage. To push for a ban on open systems and flavours shows how little they understand. I’ve always said, we can’t be complacent with our situation, we’re in a food place now but that could be threatened at any time
No better time to waste credibility on anti-vaping FUD, than during a global pandemic! And sure enough, the WHO report is very adamantly clinging to the EVALI scare still. (And I have a feeling the rest of Europe is f-ed.)