SACKED FOR VAPING
More than a dozen Brits have revealed they were fired for … vaping at work . They were employed in sectors including government , education , health and defence , according to a new E-Cigarette Direct ‘ Vaping in the Workplace ’ survey . Hundreds more reported either being bullied or discriminated against because they vaped . E-Cigarette Direct chairman James Dunworth said : “ Vaping in the workplace is a little-explored area and it ’ s shocking to learn that people have actually lost their jobs due to vaping . It is also concerning many people have experienced bullying and discrimination .”
WHO VAPE ATTACKS ‘ DISGRACEFUL ’
US FEDERAL VAPE TAX IS ‘ POLITICAL LUNACY ’
America ’ s proposed new federal vape tax would ‘ drive up cigarette sales ’ according to a leading economic professor . Michael Pesko , from Georgia State University , said 5.5 more cigarette packets would be sold for each pod eliminated . He predicted the tax would ‘ immediately ’ lead to 2.7m more adult daily smokers and 530,000 additional teen smokers . American Vapor Manufacturers Association president Amanda Wheeler said : “ For millions of vapers this is life or death . Imposing a gigantic tax on working people and the poor , especially in this economic climate , is just political lunacy .”
There are renewed calls to defund the World Health Organization after its latest mistimed attack on vaping . Just days after a WHO-hosted international tobacco control conference ended , it tweeted : “ Don ’ t fall for the tobacco industry ’ s tricks … switching is not quitting .” World Vapers ’ Alliance director Michael Landl said : “ Discouraging people from switching to a 95 percent less harmful alternative is disgraceful . Time to defund the WHO .” Global health expert Charles A . Gardner added : “ These messages will come back to haunt you . You have a history of deadly harm reduction denial .”
FOR ‘ EVALI ’ READ ‘ ATHCVALI ’
A group of 75 experts have joined forces to urge the US Centres for Disease Control to drop the name EVALI . In an open letter to the US health body , they said EVALI - E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use- Associated Lung Injury – was an ‘ ineffective and misleading ’ term . They highlighted that the CDC itself acknowledged that the ‘ primary drivers ’ of the 2019 lung injury outbreak were ‘ THC products that had vitamin E acetate added ’. The experts suggested ATHCVALI - Adulterated THC Vaping Associated Lung Injury – should be used instead .
‘ END THE HYPOCRISY ’
A leading surgeon and harm reduction expert says the Indian government must reverse its vaping ban to protect public health . New Delhi-based Dr Kiran Melkote said vaping and other low-risk alternatives were ‘ the future of tobacco use ’. He said : “ These methods offer an incredible opportunity to improve public health , however the WHO and many countries ( including India ) have refused to even consider these harm reduction alternatives . If tobacco control in our country really is about public health , then the hypocrisy must end .”
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