NEWS
Q : HOW MANY LIVES COULD BE SAVED IF GLOBAL POLICYMAKERS ADOPTED VAPE FRIENDLY LAWS ? A : 200,000,000 SAYS THE WORLD VAPERS ’ ALLIANCE
Vapers around the world are being asked to tell politicians to ‘ Back Vaping . Beat Smoking ’ ahead of two landmark events this year
Words : Patrick Griffin
Vapers are being urged to support a major global campaign which aims to save the lives of 200 million smokers worldwide . ‘ Back Vaping . Beat Smoking ’ is the biggest ever initiative launched by the World Vapers ’ Alliance and comes at a crucial time for global public health policy .
This year sees two landmark international events on which the lives of countless millions of smokers could depend . The first is the COP9 conference on tobacco regulation in November , whose outcome could set the direction for antismoking and vaping policies worldwide .
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Nearly 200 million lives can be saved if the right vaping policies are introduced and 2021 is a critical year to achieve this .
The European Union is also looking to update the Tobacco Products Directive and its changes could act as a benchmark for countries around the world .
WVA Director Michael Landl said the new global campaign is designed to deliver a clear message to decision-makers that promoting vaping is the very best way to beat smoking .
He said : “ The weight of research and realworld evidence shows that progressive vaping policies can help millions of smokers to quit .
“ Our campaign will make sure the evidence and the voices of vapers are heard . Nearly 200 million lives can be saved if the right vaping policies are introduced , and 2021 is a critical year to achieve this .”
“ Back Vaping . Beat Smoking ” was launched with the unveiling of a graffiti mural outside the European Parliament in Brussels with more events set take place across Europe and around the world .
It calls on vapers from across the globe to tell politicians how it helped them quit smoking – often when everything else had failed .
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