Education, Not Plain Packaging
Education, and not plain packaging, is the key to protecting youth from taking up vaping, says the World Vapers’ Alliance, following retrograde measures by the Dutch government
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by Dave Cross
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Education, and not plain packaging, is the key to protecting youth from taking up vaping, says the World Vapers’ Alliance, following retrograde measures by the Dutch government. The World Vapers’ Alliance expressed its grave concerns with Netherlands’ recent decision to apply plain packaging requirements to vaping products.
The World Vapers’ Alliance says that the move, proposed by State Secretary Van Ooijen of Public Health, Welfare and Sport, has aims to reduce the attractiveness of these products to young people, but the unintended consequence of this is that it overlooks critical distinctions between vaping and smoking.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, told Planet of the Vapes: “The ultimate protection for the youth lies in education and fulfilling lives for Europe's young people. We must heed their voices. Surveys consistently reveal that teens tend to engage in risky behaviours when they face challenges like school issues, health problems, or poverty.
“At the same time, packaging only plays a minor role for initiation. If genuinely safeguarding youth is the goal, advocating for improved education, healthcare, and economic conditions becomes imperative. Regrettably, achieving these goals is complex, leading many politicians to opt for sensational yet ineffective policies that overlook tangible outcomes.”
The World Vapers’ Alliance explains that it believes that accurate and fact-based information about vaping is essential.
The organisation expounded: “Placing vaping products in the same regulatory category as combustible tobacco products, including plain packaging requirements, risks misleading current smokers about the significant harm reduction benefits of switching to vaping. Research shows that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
“While the intent to prevent youth vaping is understandable, it is vital to balance this with the need to facilitate smoking cessation among adults. Effective youth protection is achieved through comprehensive education and supportive environments, not by conflating vaping with smoking through uniform packaging laws.”
The World Vapers’ Alliance says it, “amplifies the voices of vapers worldwide and empowers them to make a difference in their communities. Our members are vapers associations as well as individual vapers from all over the world.”
Michael Landl is the director of the World Vapers’ Alliance. He is from Austria and is based in Vienna. He is an experienced policy professional and a passionate vaper. He studied at the University of St. Gallen and worked for several public policy outlets and as well in the German Parliament.
References:
- The World Vapers’ Alliance - www.worldvapersalliance.com
Photo Credit:
Photo by Ernest Ojeh on Unsplash, cropped and resized
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.
