WHO Snubs NNA And Continues To Ignore Evidence That Vaping Is Considerably Safer Than Smoking
WHO’s behind the World No Tobacco Day [May 31st] I hear you ask?
Why that would be the World Health Organisation aka the WHO – who it has to be said are more paltry than Daltry on their love for e-cigs – these folks don’t like vapers let’s put it that way…
The WHO not only have a total downer on all things vaping but in the ‘spirit of dialogue‘ to work towards a supposed global plan on tobacco harm reduction they’ve just snubbed the UK’s leading advocacy charity the New Nicotine Alliance.
Not only that they’ve lumped them and other leading advocacy groups from across the globe in the same category as arms dealers and Big Tobacco!
A case of ‘we’re not talking to you!’ Spoken in a sing song girly voice…
The word petty comes to mind and why do I currently have an image of a petulant toddler pulling that scrunchy grumpy face with arms tightly folded across their chest refusing to look in your direction…
That’s probably doing an injustice to grumpy toddlers the world over because at least they have a sort of excuse.
Vaping saves lives it’s that simple.
Billions of smokers across the world have made the switch from the cancer sticks and are now enjoying a healthier lifestyle – plain and simple – but still the WHO steadfastly refuses to accept that.
A case of the ostrich with its head in the sand ostracizing the advocates with the answers and solutions maybe?
Or could it be down to that old chestnut money?
Answer in comments please lol.
WHO Refuses to Engage With the NNA
So what’s caused the NNA to write a barbed piece about the World Health Organization in the week of the big say no to tobacco shindig?
It all begins with the WHO’s call for submissions from interested parties to a report on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – conditions that are in effect caused by none infectious agents so cancer and heart disease from tobacco falls into that category.
This is obviously an area the NNA has a ton of evidence and expertise in and of course as the leading advocacy group in the UK felt impelled to get involved with and indeed submitted their report which you can read HERE.
Here’s a little of what the NNA told WHO:
Smoking prevalence in the UK is currently 15.8% of adults, compared to 20.2% in 2011.
This drop coincides significantly with the uptake of e-cigarettes and vaping is now the most common method used by UK smokers who wish to stop smoking.
Hardly contentious.
However the WHO chose to ignore the submission and indeed dumped it and the NNA in the ‘not talking to you list’ or maybe ‘the naughty step’ which is where grumpy toddlers are given their time outs for ignoring their parents lol.
The NNA say:
…to our surprise, when the WHO published the responses it had received, ours was included in a section entitled “feedback received from entities with which WHO does not engage”, insinuating that we work for tobacco companies and likening us to the arms industry!
From this we can only assume that the WHO is refusing to read our suggestions or, at least, plans to ignore them entirely.
We wrote to the WHO on 22nd May to complain about our inclusion in that section on their page and to request an explanation but have yet to receive a reply.
Anyone would think the WHO are not interested in how the uptake of e-cigarettes in the UK alone has seen substantial drops in the use of lit tobacco…imagine the impact the WHO backing e-cigs as viable harm reduction tools might have on the world’s health…
And such success should not only be applauded and welcomed but maybe even promoted as part of the WHO’s push for a tobacco free world maybe?
Naw don’t be silly – I mean if e-cigarettes and say Snus are winning the war on tobacco if the WHO supported it then surely they’d lose a shed ton of money [and cushy jobs] because the fight to pull smokers to the light is ready to be won.
But hey I’m an old cynic and of course the WHO – those bastions of protecting world health – have smokers lives at heart and how dare I or anyone imply they’re more interested in protecting their bottomless purse and all expenses paid junkets…
And breath through the rant as my therapist tells me… 😉
World No Tobacco Day Ignore E-Cigarettes
So let’s look at the WHO’s annual World No Tobacco Day – a multi-million dollar funded 24 hours that generally passes smokers [and everyone else] by without a second thought.
This year its main theme is focusing on the damage lit tobacco does to the heart and includes the usual ‘heart’ rendering images – posters and catchy slogan:
Tobacco Breaks Hearts – Choose Health Not Tobacco
Kind of reminds me of that old Wham t-shirt back in the 80’s – “Choose Life” though in 2018 that should read “Choose Life – Choose Vaping!”
Much catchier if you ask me…
Look I’m not making light of the damage tobacco does to health and lives – far from it – I just wish the mandarins over at WHO would stop look and listen at the abundance of positive research done on vaping and change their current stance on e-cigs accordingly.
You know by maybe engaging with advocacy groups on the front line like say the NNA maybe?
For instance at the moment the WHO wrongly believe that so called passive vaping is a threat – it isn’t – and therefore all e-cigarettes should be banned in the same areas as smoking such as pubs and bars.
In a nutshell that means vaping as far as the alleged guardians of world health are concerned has the very same risks to vapers and those in their vicinity as smoking!
Guardians of the world’s health my arse – there has to be another reason why WHO are so anti e-cigs and again answers on a postcard or better yet in the comments below 😉
And given the NNA is vigorously campaigning for these kinds of indoor and outdoor bans to be lifted – then maybe the WHO is snubbing and sulking because unlike other organizations the NNA won’t kowtow to anyone when it’s principles are put to the test.
Does the World Health Organization Have Blood On It’s Hands?
Sadly the losers in the long run are the world’s smokers – many from the poorest countries on earth where Big Tobacco is still merrily pushing their poison whilst governments taking a lead from the WHO’s misguided guidance ban and criminalize vaping.
That’s nothing more than blood on the hands on the faceless entities of WHO meaning billions of deaths from tobacco related or non-communicable diseases across the globe.
Passionate about stopping NCD’s from tobacco – I don’t think so…
Look part of the answer to reducing harm from lit tobacco is staring them in the face with more and more peer reviewed scientific studies being accepted by much of the medical profession that vaping is considerably and at least 95% safer than smoking.
Why the hell WHO can’t one accept that and two do what Public Health England has done and not only advise smokers to make the switch – but trumpet it from the roof tops is unfathomable to me and should be to you.
And hey given the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day is all about the effect smoking has on the heart – then how about this article I wrote back in September last year: NO! Your E-Cigarette Is NOT About to Give You a Heart Attack!
In that article I showed how scientists had already rejected this ridiculous claim and actually pointed out vaping with nicotine has the same effect on the body as watching a tense soccer match or drinking a cup of coffee!
So if the WHO are really serious about protecting the hearts of the world then maybe they should open up their own hearts and minds and embrace vaping and e-cigarettes as the key to unlocking a healthier world…
But don’t hold your breath [also bad for the heart and lungs] there’s virtue signalling heart rendering global campaigns and junkets to be had.
The current head of WHO is sadly not Roger Daltry – but Tedros Adhanom – and his organization are kidding themselves if they think they can continue to ignore the health benefits of making the switch – the whole world is watching!
It’s a sad and almost criminal state of affairs that one word from WHO and billions of smokers would reduce the risk of the tobacco related heart diseases [and others] they claim to be so virtuous and passionate about.
Shame on them…
Or as famous smoker Jim Royal might say “World No Tobacco Day My Arse…“
