WVA on the BMA
Doctors’ proposed vaping restrictions could undermine public health goals, says the World Vapers’ Alliance, as it reveals 80,000 Europeans have signed a petition for harm reduction
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by Dave Cross
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The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has expressed its significant concern over calls by the British Medical Association (BMA), the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) to ban disposables and non-tobacco flavours. These measures, the WVA says, are aimed at curbing vaping among youth but ignore the experience of tens of thousands of Europeans and risk compromising the broader public health achievements made possible by the use of vaping as a harm reduction tool.
Alberto Gómez Hernández, Policy Manager at the World Vapers’ Alliance, stated: “The EU's approach to smoking is failing, and further restrictions on safer alternatives will only delay the achievement of smoke-free targets. 80,000 Europeans have already signed the ‘Every Life Counts’ petition to protect safer nicotine products, and European politicians must take them into consideration when legislating.”
While the intention to protect young people from nicotine addiction is commendable, the WVA believes that such stringent measures could inadvertently drive adult vapers back to more harmful traditional cigarettes and prevent adult smokers from quitting.
Gómez Hernández commented: “It is crucial to prevent youth from accessing nicotine products, and we support effective age restrictions to ensure this. However, equating the sale of vapes to that of traditional cigarettes and banning alternatives for adults, like disposable and flavoured vapes, could significantly deter smokers looking to quit and push vapers back to smoking. Such actions would not only hinder the transition away from smoking but also bolster the illicit market, where safety cannot be regulated.”
The UK’s new Labour government has already signalled a willingness to impose stricter controls on how vapes are marketed and sold, including harsher regulations on vape branding and marketing to protect children. British doctors insist vapes should be sold behind counters to meet this purpose.
On this, Gómez Hernández added: “The UK has been a leader in promoting vaping as a smoking harm reduction tool, which has been pivotal in reducing the country's smoking rates. It’s vital that any new regulations are balanced to protect youth without compromising adults’ access to safer alternatives to smoking.”
The World Vapers’ Alliance is urging policymakers across the UK and the EU to consider a regulatory approach that continues to differentiate vaping from more smoking and maintains flavours and disposables available, as these are crucial for adult smokers who rely on vaping to quit.
The World Vapers’ Alliance says it amplifies the voice of vapers worldwide and empowers them to make a difference in their communities.
“Our members are vapers associations and individual vapers from all over the world,” the WVA says.
Alberto Gómez Hernández is the Policy Manager of the World Vapers' Alliance. He is Spanish and currently based in Madrid. He holds a degree in Economics from the Carlos III University of Madrid and has worked for several non-profit organisations and think tanks in recent years. He is an experienced activist and passionate about tobacco harm reduction.
References:
- Every Life Counts petition - https://worldvapersalliance.com/eu/every-life-counts/
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.
