The UKVIA recently held our first “ non virtual ” Forum event in almost two years and it was great to see so many of our members in real life again . The event took place on floor 29 of London ’ s imposing Millbank House , overlooking the Thames and with views of the Shard , the Tate Gallery and the iconic Battersea Power Station .
It felt like we were on top of the world – an apt comparison with where the UK vaping sector is heading at the moment . It is well known that Public Health England has long backed vaping as the best method for getting people off cigarettes . More recently esteemed organisations such as Cancer Research UK and the National Health Service have also backed vaping , with the latter announcing a trial to give vaping devices to smokers in some A & E departments .
But , by then , the damage was done . The media ran with headlines such as “ E-cigarettes branded ‘ harmful ’ as World Health Organization calls for greater regulation .” Before long completely unfounded – and debunked – scare stories about “ popcorn lung ” were doing the rounds again on social media . I sincerely hope , and as an organisation we have lobbied strongly for this , that the Government ’ s delegation to COP9 takes a firm stand against the WHO ’ s frankly ‘ La La Land ’ position on vaping .
It must tell the WHO , that as an independent nation , the UK will be forging its own tobacco harm reduction path , thereby cementing its rightful place as the world capital of vaping .
Having chaired the Forum panel discussions throughout the day I have to say the debates were positive , robust and insightful with intelligent , passionate and challenging contributions from the panellists and audience members . We explored topics from how we can help dispel the widespread misperception that vaping is as harmful as cigarettes , through to strategies to support healthcare ’ s attempts to use vaping in their smoking cessation services . There was an elephant in the room had to be confronted : The World Health Organization and its ongoing campaign of anti-science , anti-evidence rhetoric when it comes to vaping and its impact on reducing smoking numbers . It won ’ t surprise anyone reading this to hear that myself and the rest of the UKVIA had not many ( OK none !) nice things to say about the WHO ’ s position on vaping . The WHO ignores a decade ’ s worth of anecdotal and scientific evidence which demonstrates that smokers are far more likely to give up combustible tobacco for good through vaping than any other quit method . Non-UKVIA members agreed too , the consensus being that the UK Government should use the upcoming COP9 event – its first as a non-EU member – to challenge the WHO on this subject . One of our guests at the Summer Forum event , Christopher Snowdon , Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs , said : “ We should have the courage to stand up to the WHO and say ‘ we do not agree with you ’.” Just a few days on from our London event the WHO dropped its latest bombshell : a new report ( actually there wasn ’ t much new about it ) stating that vaping devices were “ harmful ” and calling for states to enact bans or more restrictive policies on vaping . Is this a joke I thought ? No of course it wasn ’ t , it ’ s far too serious for that . As soon as the report was published an army of professors , doctors and health experts , many with decades of experience treating and examining respiratory illnesses and the effects of smoking , roundly condemned it and the WHO for publishing it .
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We must tell the WHO that
the UK will be forging its own tobacco harm reduction path , thereby cementing its rightful place as the world capital of vaping .
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