Anti Vaping WHO Killing Millions
The WHO is killing millions of people with its anti-vaping crusade says a world leader in vape advocacy.
Clive Bates is the former director of Action On Smoking and Health, and at a recent press conference he stunned reporters saying:
Millions of lives are on the line.
That is not hyperbole.
If you resist a life-saving technology where progress has been very slow in the past then essentially you are culpable in denying people that life-saving technology and the result will be more cases of disease and death.
He was joined by Lord Ridley from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping, who suggested dark forces were behind the WHO’s anti-vape stance adding:
If something was saving lives like a car seat belt and somebody tried to ban it then it would be ridiculous and I see little difference.
Now the UK has left the EU it does mean that as we approach the tobacco control talks at the UN we are an independent voice, which we weren’t before.
Previously we had to be part of the EU position.
An event like this a country like the UK has a big voice.
That is why the APPG report urged the UK to take a strong position on harm reduction and the opportunity here to go in with a strong harm reduction message.
We are not trying to save the tobacco industry, we are trying to hasten its decline.
There are indeed ‘dark forces’ behind the WHO and it’s constant war on vaping.
The majority of it’s tobacco and vaping polices are ‘sponsored’ by billionaire Mike Bloomberg.
That guy has spent millions upon millions on trying to eradicate vaping…
Clive agreed and picked out the ridiculous award given by the WHO to India after it banned vaping:
If you look for the justification of this [in India] you will see nothing of the lost opportunities to those adult smokers, nothing about illicit trade, nothing about younger people being diverted from smoking.
It is the shallowest level of policy making you have ever seen at international level and it is championed by WHO.
The WHO are really bad actors in this space.
Wise words as always.
Do checkout the next story in this week’s vape news as it shows how UK vapers can fight the global vape ban plan.
Advocates Say Follow the UK’s Lead On E-cigarettes
The World Vape Bus Tour hit the streets of London last week and advocates praised the UK’s stance on e-cigarette policies.
However, the World Vaper’s Alliance says the UK MUST stand up to the World Health Organization and not let it press for a global vape ban.
It joined the call from the NNA for vapers to urge MPs to Back Vaping and Save Lives.
Mark Oates, Director of WeVape, said:
The UK is the world leader in harm reduction and provides an excellent example for the rest of the world on efficient smoking cessation through vaping.
Our government has chosen a path that has proven to be fruitful, with science to back that up.
In the lead up to WHO’s conference in November, the UK needs to reinforce its commitment to vaping, and encourage other countries to do the same.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance said:
To succeed in fighting smoking, we need governments across the world and the WHO to be brave and to follow the UK’s lead, endorse new approaches and be open to innovation in harm reduction.
Ignoring the science on vaping means refusing the chance at a new life to 200 million people.
We came to London to highlight the positive impact vaping has had on the UK and to thank the UK Government for being a world leader, successfully reducing smoking rates.
We also urge the UK to stand up for vapers worldwide at WHO’s COP9 meeting.
We need to raise our voice today.
As I wrote last week, the New Nicotine Alliance is urging UK vapers to push their MPs to back the UK’s vaping policies at November’s WHO COP9 meeting.
Read more and get involved here: UK Vape Ban Threat – URGENT Call To Action From Advocacy Group
Senators Demand Action On PMTA Delay
The FDA has been quiet on the PMTA front this past week but Senators are now demanding urgent action.
Though saying that, last week did see 28 more companies issued with Marketing Denial Orders [MDOs] bringing the total now to 323…heartbreaking for all concerned.
Mitt Romney a Republican, and Tim Kaine a Democrat, say the delay on a decision on the bigger players in US e-cigarette sales is putting kids at risk…
By the ‘bigger players’ they of course mean Juul – Blu and NJoy to name but three.
I wrote last week how the FDA said it needed more time to look at the PMTA’s submitted by those companies with the leading market share.
In a joint letter to FDA acting commissioner Janet Woodcock, Romney and Kaine list key points they urgently want tackled:
- What is FDA’s timeline for issuing decisions on the remaining PMTAs for ENDS products? Please provide an outline of the plan.
- How does the FDA plan to evaluate the PMTAs for menthol-flavored ENDS products given their harmful impact on youth?
- How will the FDA ensure that products not authorized for sale are not marketed unlawfully?
- a) In particular, what will you do to enforce the removal of new products on the market without the statutorily required premarket authorization?
- b) How will you ensure the removal of products that received Marketing Denial Orders (MDOs)?
The letter suggests menthol flavoured e-cigarettes and e-liquids should also be targeted for bans:
While we applaud the decision to pull more than 5 million of these products from shelves, we are dismayed at the delay in issuing a decision on Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTAs) representing companies with the largest market shares.
The FDA has also failed to provide clear guidance on menthol-flavored ENDS products, which make up an increasingly large share of e-cigarette sales.
We request a staff briefing and ask that you provide a timeline for issuing decisions on the remaining PMTAs and guidance on the sale of menthol-flavored ENDS products.
At the time of writing there’s been no response from the FDA.
I still think pretty much all of the Big 5 will be allowed to remain on sale – or at least the tobacco and menthol flavours.
As expected some of the larger so called Big Vape companies are not taking the MDOs lying down.
Turning Point, that has links to the Solace, VaporFi and Vapor Shark brands, has challenged its MDOs through the courts.
It is asking the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review the decision – good to hear and I expect many more will follow suit…literally.
We shall of course keep you updated.
UK Disposable Vapes Clampdown Continues
Trading Standards say they are increasing enforcement action on shops selling illicit and illegal disposable vapes.
I wrote about this in the vape news a couple of weeks ago: Dodgy Disposable Vapes Seized.
Reports have been coming in to Trading Standards offices up and down the country of mostly corner shops selling disposable vapes that are counterfeit and none TPD compliant.
Fake Geek Bars and Elf Bars seem to be the main target of the counterfeiters and Geek Bar’s UK marketing manager Jabir Ahmed said the company was working flat out to report any fakes it finds on sale.
In one case alone Geek Bar reported one store with £8k worth of stock!
A spokesman from one regional Trading Standards office said:
Walsall Trading Standards have found and seized these disposable vapes.
Geek Bar vapes are legal; Geek Bar *Pro* vapes are illegal as the amount of liquid in them is above the permitted amount.
A reminder that any disposable vape on sale here in the UK cannot contain above 20mg of nicotine, have a 2ml capacity and must carry the nicotine warning.
The UK Vaping Industry Association has a guide for retailers covering the disposable vape market – check the link.
Trading Standards say they will be visiting more shops over the coming weeks and say enforcement action will be taken.
I’m planning to tackle the great disposable vape debate – watch this space as they say 😉
Vape Video Of the Week – Amanda Wheeler
This could actually be the vape video of the decade and is more than worth a watch.
Amanda Wheeler is the owner of Jvapes and among others, the President of the American Vapor Manufacturers Association.
Her speech at the recent Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum in London was a barn stormer to say the least!
Enjoy!
and finally…UK Vapers Reported To the Police!
I do miss the cut and thrust of reporting on a local newspaper…
But this none story made me chuckle…
A customer in a Worcester restaurant sent a video of 2 men vaping at the bar to the local newspaper…and then reported them to the police!
Shock horror lol…
Indeed the complaining customer said he/she was ‘shocked’ at such a sight.
A spokesman for the bar said:
No members of staff were present at the time, but if there was, the customers would have been directed to our outdoor smoking area.
The spokesman agreed there was NO law to prevent vaping indoors here in the UK, but said it goes against their policies.
And there lies the problem.
Vaping is NOT detrimental to bystanders from so called passive vapour.
And by pushing vapers to an area used by smokers it’s putting them at risk far more than any ‘shocked’ customers.
As for the reporter referring throughout the story to vaping as smoking…
Accuracy is a byword for journalism…vaping is NOT smoking 😉
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More vape news on Wednesday!
