Last week saw the great and the good from the world of vaping and health meet up for the GFN 2019 held in Warsaw Poland, and e-liquid flavours were very much on the tip of everyone’s tongue.
The Global Forum on Nicotine is into its 6th year and growing at a rapid pace. This year saw 650 delegates from across the world meeting up under the strapline:
It’s Time To Talk About Nicotine.
The New Nicotine Alliance was there in force with new chair Martin Cullip delivering a key briefing on flavoured e-liquids – more on that later.
One of the main points to come out of the forum was something I guess we all instinctively know and that is in countries where vaping has been embraced by both the Government, health organizations and of course smokers, smoking rates have dropped considerably.
Rise In Heat Not Burn Products
And it’s not just vaping on e-liquids either, with countries like Japan seeing a fall of almost a third of smokers turning to heat not burn products, and over in Sweden, the use of Snus as a quit smoking tool has led to the country showing the lowest number of tobacco-related illnesses in Europe.
On the subject of heat not burn former chair of the NNA, Professor Gerry Stimpson said:
We are moving away from the world of combustion.
From internal combustion engines and cigarette combustion, we are moving to new ways of delivering energy and delivering pleasure.
The [lit] cigarette is a very dirty nicotine delivery system.
As to the power of Snus helping smokers quit, David Sweanor, a Canadian lawyer told the conference:
Sweden has the lowest rate of tobacco-related illness in Europe – they don’t smoke, they use snus.
In the last ten years since snus went on sale in Norway, the sale of cigarettes has halved.
As I wrote in this week’s Vaping News, lit cigarette sales are on the decline, especially in America, and Big Tobacco is now investing more in alternative products.
HUGE Growth In Vaping Worldwide Projected
The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction Report 2018 was used to back up many of the findings from key speakers.
That paper showed some remarkable figures regarding how people have and will continue to quit smoking – but still enjoy nicotine.
For instance, back in 2012, the e-cigarette market was worth about $2billion, however, and despite a constant barrage of anti-media and in some cases Government scaremongering, the report suggests that number has risen to around $14billion in 2018 – a remarkable rise!
And even more remarkable when the projection for 2021 is a staggering $35billion with the UK in the top 5 of growth. Sadly, and as things are now, it would be criminal if the US continues on its self-destructive pathway of vape bans, of which flavours are becoming a key battleground.
Banning Flavours ‘Detrimental’ To Public Health
The threat to ban flavoured e-liquids, particularly over in America, is as I’ve constantly reported, a clear and present danger to public health.
The New Nicotine Alliance made this perfectly clear in a briefing to delegates and the press by the new chair of the advocacy charity Martin Cullip.
He listed three key points as to why it’s important to fight any planned bans:
- The array of e-cigarette flavours has been instrumental in their success as a smoking cessation method
- Demonising flavours in some jurisdictions is a threat to global public health
- Experts agree that flavours are key to tempting smokers to try safer products
Adding:
E-cigarettes are a proven safer alternative to smoking.
The UK boasts 1.7 million former smokers who have converted from smoking to exclusively vaping instead.
Flavours have been a big driver of that success, by distancing smokers from tobacco and providing an incentive to switch, with a wide selection of different options to suit their preferences.
His thoughts were echoed by Sharon Cox, Research Fellow at London South Bank University, who said:
The evidence suggests flavours are one of a few key components, important to both the new vaper and the experienced vaper, which help people abstain from smoking.
Whilst blogger and E-Cigarette Direct owner James Dunworth reminded everyone of the ‘pleasure factor’:
Vaping works because it’s fun.
Take the pleasure out of vaping and it will stop working. Key to that pleasure is flavour.
Because of demand, there are a huge number of flavours, meaning there’s something for everyone – and when someone finds their perfect flavour, they’re highly unlikely to go back to smoking.
Absolutely, and let’s hope someone knock sense into those silly virtue signalling politicians over in the States because let’s be real, lives are at risk.
You can check out key moments from the GFN19 on the designated YouTube channel.
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