European Parliament’s Missed Opportunity
European Parliament’s BECA draft misses the opportunity to back vaping, says The World Vapers’ Alliance
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by Dave Cross
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The WVA (1) said: “The draft report is an improvement on the European Commission’s draft, which leaves the door open for flavour bans and higher taxes. But in failing to make a clear statement on the potential of vaping and harm reduction in the fight against smoking-induced cancer, the EP report misses the mark.”
WVA Director Michael Landl said: “Members of the European Parliament have taken the time to listen to vapers and their stories, as well as to the wealth of evidence that has been presented by experts. Vaping could save an additional 19 million lives in Europe if the right policies are put in place.
“But the Parliament has yet to fully back vaping as a tool to help smokers quit. It is vital that vapers continue to tell their stories and ensure their representatives understand how vaping has helped them change their lives for the better.”
The WVA says that the EP report does not explicitly put vaping in the same category as tobacco cigarettes, “and this is to be welcomed, but with a full review of the Tobacco Products Directive on the horizon and proposals from the European Commission to treat e-cigarettes like tobacco up for debate, vapers must raise their voices even louder.”
“We will keep fighting for sensible vaping regulation in Europe,” Landl concluded, “and encourage all MEPs to look at the science and endorse vaping as a harm reduction method. Flavour bans and tax increases will just make it harder for smokers to switch. The final version of the Parliament’s Beating Cancer Plan is expected to be presented this Autumn. So, there is still room for improvement.”
Europe is moving to consider vaping as a tobacco product and the draft report (2) calls for:
- an increase in minimum excise duties for all tobacco products, which could result in a reduction in tobacco use, notably among young people;
- a requirement for plain packaging and the obligation to include health warnings on 80 % of the front and back of cigarette packaging;
- a ban on flavourings in all tobacco products to reduce the appeal of these products to non-smokers and young people;
References:
- World Vaper’s Alliance - www.worldvapersalliance.com
- DRAFT REPORT on strengthening Europe in the fight against cancer – towards a comprehensive and coordinated strategy - https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/BECA-PR-693752_EN.pdf
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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