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RIP IT UP AND START AGAIN
EU chiefs urged to revise its new cancer plan to reflect the role vaping can play in saving lives
Words : Patrick Griffin
T he European Union has been accused of having “ a religious antipathy towards anything that resembles smoking ” and should do more to encourage vaping instead . US-based health care policy expert Jeffrey A . Singer says the EU should promote vaping to smokers as part of its ambitions new plan for cancer prevention , treatment and care . The new EU cancer strategy recognises that smoking is the main risk factor for cancer death in Europe but fails to recognise the important role that vaping can play in saving lives . Mr Singer said : “ If they ’ re really interested in reducing cancer in Europe , then they should take a page out of what Public Health England has done , and actually promote vaping as a means of getting off tobacco smoking because they seem to be too heavily focused on nicotine . “ The cause of cancer from smoking comes from the carcinogens in tobacco smoke and not from the nicotine it contains .” Referring to the EU ’ s approach , the Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute think tank in Washington , DC , added : “ This is almost a religious antipathy towards anything that resembles smoking when we should be focusing on the harmful effects of smoking instead . “ This is ironic as Europe is so far ahead of the United States when it comes to appreciating harm reduction for a lot of other illicit substances including opioids and cocaine . “ The EU gets harm reduction much better than they do in the US and yet , in this one area , they have this blind spot .” He was speaking at a webinar organised by European Students for Liberty called ‘ Vaping : Escaping Paternalistic Doctrine ’ alongside UKVIA director general John Dunne and World Vapers ’ Alliance director Michael Landl . Webinar host Liza Katsiashvili said vaping was one of several industries which could face “ severe restrictions ” under the European Commission ’ s plan . John Dunne said vape regulations should not be so broad that they restrict freedoms
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