ECToH-Spasm
The European Conference on Tobacco or Health is working to ban vape advocates from witnessing the sessions
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by Dave Cross
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“We have made progress in combating the tobacco epidemic with the adoption and implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the 2014 EU Tobacco Products Directive. But we are still not there. Tobacco is the major cause of cancer and remains one of the leading causes for death and disease in Europe,” say the organisers.
“To improve the health of the European citizens, we need the support of Germany. In the same way, Germany needs the support of Europe to improve its tobacco control legislation. This country should become in the near future one of the leading countries in the Tobacco Control Scale, the scale which quantifies the implementation of tobacco control policies of European countries.”
It may be totally coincidental that, with the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, these comments are being made due to the EU’s largest collection of vapers will now be German.
According to the agenda and website, it seems as though there will be no audio or video coverage of ECToH despite the Association of European Cancer League receiving most of its funding from the EU Commission. Public money, elected officials, but no public oversight.
Somehow the Association of European Cancer League is going to be able to divine the future and ban anyone who has “future plans” to work with vape companies: “Those who have any affiliation with tobacco or e-cigarette industry (current, in the past, or have future plans) or their lobbyists, either professionally or on a personal basis, will NOT be permitted to the ECToH.”
This includes anybody who has, “ever accepted any sponsorship, grant or any other form of support, whether financially or otherwise; or entered into any form of association with the tobacco or eCigarette industry, including but not limited to tobacco companies, eCigarette companies, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and tobacco - or eCigarettes, and related industry-funded research bodies, such as the so-called ‘Foundation for a Smoke-Free World’.”
This includes attending a conference and eating the provided buffet.
“Paid registrations of such persons will not be refunded.” This is pretty severe considering a ticket costs €550 in advance.
Advocates are contacting MEPs to voice their concerns. Meanwhile, another has set up a petition to demand this year’s World Health Organisation FCTC Conference of Parties is live-streamed. Each year, vaping advocates have entered the COP only to be barred from hearing any of the sessions.
“We ask Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organisation to implement a policy to live-stream all WHO sponsored public health and health policy conferences and meetings. This directive should apply to the main conference hall as well as any smaller rooms associated with the conference.”
“Citizens cannot always trust our own governments to pass this information onto us reliably, and without being corrupted by politically motivated bias. Our trust lies in the apolitical WHO to inform us. We the people under your care have a need to know and a right to be informed. For the sake of our health, the health of our children and their children, our friends & neighbours, please grant us direct access to WHO conferences.”
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Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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