ASH Scotland Goes Cancel Crazy

ASH Scotland says it is, “raising grave concerns about the Scottish Parliament’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee giving Big Tobacco industry influenced organisations an opportunity to impact health policy development through participation in an evidence session.

“The Scottish health charity contends that the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation (SGF) involvement in the Committee’s scrutiny of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill legislative consent memorandum runs contrary to Scotland’s long-standing position of supporting the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Article 5.3 to which the UK is a signatory, and which the Scottish Government has committed to upholding since 2013.

“WHO describes tobacco industry interests as ‘fundamentally and irreconcilably opposed’ to the aims of public health’ and, under FCTC Article 5.3, they and their vested or commercial interests are permitted to be engaged only after health policies have been fully developed and engagement should be limited to the extent necessary to implement regulations.”

ASH Scotland urged the Committee to withdraw the invitations to speak to UKVIA and SGF.

ASH Scotland said UKVIA “still retains tobacco industry linked members such as the part industry-owned JUUL”.

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, has been a longstanding, puritanical, outspoken anti-vape campaigner who prefers bans to tobacco harm reduction.

John Dunne, UKVIA Director General, said: “Just before I gave evidence to a Scottish Parliamentary Committee, ASH Scotland tried to have me cancelled. Despite vaping being the most effective way to quit cigarettes, by some margin, ASH Scotland find their commitment to getting rid of cigarettes conflicted by Sheila Duffy’s irrational dislike of vapes.

“ASH Scotland’s accusations are grossly inaccurate and out of date. They are fully aware that the UKVIA has no tobacco companies as members and that those companies with vape subsidiaries who were previously members, left in September 2023. The UKVIA receives no funding from the tobacco industry and has stated publicly that it would not accept any tobacco companies as members in the future. However, that does not deter Sheila Duffy from calling for the Scottish Government to stringently avoid the views of the vaping industry.

“Luckily the Scottish Government were happy to question me and there was much constructive debate on issues such as vape packaging and flavours. Vaping is probably the most important smoking intervention tool to have ever come on to the market and is responsible for millions quitting their deadly habit. ASH Scotland would do well to follow their UK-wide colleagues at ASH, in welcoming the benefits of vaping as the most effective method of quitting cigarettes available”.

The Scottish Grocers’ Federation previously went on record to say a disposable vape ban would increase illicit trade and would make it more difficult for people who wish to quit smoking to access alternative nicotine products. Potentially encouraging some people to revert to smoking tobacco.

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave 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.