FEATURE
NICOTINE IS NOT
YOUR ENEMY
Vape advocates from both sides of the Atlantic come together to highlight why the ‘ futile ’ war on nicotine harms public health .
Words : Patrick Griffin and Jordan Millar
The war on nicotine has been described as a ‘ terribly unsuccessful exercise in futility ’ as demands grow for it to end .
Two global vape advocacy groups have teamed up to show that when it comes saving smokers ’ lives , nicotine is not the enemy .
The World Vapers ’ Alliance and the Consumer Choice Center have highlighted six common nicotine myths to help end ‘ the pointless and senseless war on nicotine and vaping in general .’
They have co-authored a briefing paper called ‘ Nicotine is Not Your Enemy ’ aimed at ‘ governments , wealthy ‘ philanthropists ’, misguided activists and others waging a war against the wrong enemy .’
WVA Director Michael Landl said : “ For decades , the war on nicotine has been a terribly unsuccessful exercise in futility – because the problem was never nicotine .
“ So-called experts , media and politicians found a simple argument and a convenient scapegoat for an incredibly complex problem .
“ They failed to prevent , as such , the deaths of millions of people around the world and they persist in their thinking to the detriment of 1.1 billion people .”
He said over the last decade , vaping has been shown to be the best method to help smokers quit and has proved to be a ‘ stepping stone to life without cigarettes ’.
Landl said the argument that vaping should be treated the same way as cigarettes because both contained nicotine , made no sense , especially as nicotine gums and patches were ‘ celebrated , prescribed and recommended ’ as a first step to quitting .
Nicotine consumption can finally be decoupled from the hazardous effects of smoking and therefore help millions of smokers to improve their health .
The WVA director went on : “ Due to innovation , nicotine consumption can finally be decoupled from the hazardous effects of smoking and therefore help millions of smokers to improve their health .”
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