EU Making a Disastrous Mistake
The European Union Commission is making a disastrous mistake by lumping vaping with smoking, according to The World Vapers' Alliance
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by Dave Cross
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The World Vapers' Alliance (WVA) has expressed its grave concern over the European Union Commission’s recommendation to include vaping in its smoke-free environments definition and plans. The move now effectively equates vaping with smoking, and the result will see vaping banned in all places where smoking is currently prohibited or banned from in future.
Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers' Alliance, said: "The Commission is making a disastrous mistake by lumping vaping with smoking. This sends a dangerous message to millions of smokers who need vaping to quit. This falsely equates vaping with smoking, misleading millions into believing vaping is just as harmful when it's actually 95% less harmful. There is virtually no second-hand vaping, and it is way less harmful than smoking. These recommendations will keep more people smoking and put public health at greater risk by equating vaping with smoking."
The EU Commission’s recommendations disregard current independent evidence from the UK that secondhand vapour poses a negligible risk to health – especially when compared to secondhand smoke.
By banning vaping in smoke-free areas, the European Union risks that fewer smokers will be motivated to switch from smoking to vaping and, as a result, undermines years of progress in reducing smoking rates.
Alberto Gómez Hernández, Policy Manager at the World Vapers' Alliance, added: “The Commission is outright misleading smokers by claiming vaping and smoking are the same. This blatant disregard for science and consumer choice ignores the facts. Allowing vaping in smoke-free areas could drive more smokers to switch, cutting smoking deaths across Europe. Instead, they’re blocking a proven harm-reduction tool and putting lives at risk.”
The World Vapers' Alliance is urging the EU Commission policymakers to reconsider their position and adopt an approach that reflects the scientific evidence and prioritises harm reduction.
The organisation points out that there are two key differences between vaping and smoking:
- Safer ingredients: Vape liquids are made of water, nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin and flavourings, compounds commonly found in food ingredients deemed safe and not harmful by regulatory bodies including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Cigarettes, meanwhile, contain over 600 ingredients, some of which are toxic.
- No combustion: Smoking involves burning tobacco, which releases thousands of toxic chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic, including tar and carbon monoxide. Vaping, by contrast, involves heating the e-liquid to produce vapour without combustion.
The World Vapers' Alliance wants the EU Commission to:
- Acknowledge scientific evidence, recognising that vaping is less harmful than smoking and that secondhand vapour is not harmful, admitting that there is no evidence to justify treating vaping and smoking the same.
- Support public health by allowing vaping in public spaces where smoking is banned, which incentivises smokers to switch to a safer alternative, reducing smoking rates and improving overall health outcomes.
Photo Credit:
Photo by engin akyurt 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.
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