NEWS
SERIOUSLY …
WHO FALLS FOR THIS NONSENSE ?
While reports that e-cigarettes are under threat in the UK have been dismissed , harm reduction advocates have highlighted the dated vaping policies of the WHO .
Words : Jordan Millar
We are happy to make one thing crystal clear to the UK ’ s 3.2 million vapers … the government is not about to ban e-cigarettes . Despite totally unfounded scare stories in the national press , the government has no plans to remove the most popular vaping products on the market from sale . The Sun on Sunday recently reported that ‘ millions of Brits face e-cigarettes being outlawed ’ if the government acts on the recommendations of a World Health Organization ( WHO ) report . The article claimed that the WHO was campaigning for UK policymakers to ban open vape systems , amid potential safety fears . This was immediately criticised by vape advocacy groups , who dismissed the ‘ alarming and misleading ’ article as fake news . The Independent British Vape Trade Association ( IBVTA ) was first to the punch , expressing its disappointment with the Sun ’ s unverified claims .
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It said : “ The Sun newspaper published an extremely misleading article about vaping which has since been picked up by the Daily Mail and some other news outlets . “ It would be highly unlikely that the Government would pivot from their current supportive position on the basis of advice from the WHO . “ This story appears to be a non-story … misleading at best and an outright case of ‘ fake news ’ at worst .” What ’ s perhaps most shocking is that it would ’ ve taken The Sun just one phone call to obtain the government ’ s official position . But that would have meant the entire ‘ exclusive ’ story would have fallen apart at the seams . When asked if they planned to outlaw open vape devices – which are used by almost 80 percent of UK vapers – the Department of Health replied : “ We have no plans to ban e-cigarettes or vaping . “ Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of premature death and disease – killing almost 75,000 people in England in 2019 . “ The best thing a smoker can do is to stop smoking altogether and evidence shows vaping is one of the most effective ways of getting people to do just that , helping around 50,000 people to quit the habit a year .” So , while there is no truth in the report that UK vapers will see their open systems banned , the WHO is not totally off the hook ( see following article ) and is known for its longstanding anti-vaping stance . The WHO has an extensive and public history of ignoring the science when it comes to e-cigarettes , which has put it at odds with the vaping industry time and time again . In fact , if it continues to play fast and loose with its treatment of less harmful alternatives , advocates warn the WHO risks being labelled “ an enemy of harm reduction .”