{"id":618,"date":"2021-11-10T15:54:25","date_gmt":"2021-11-10T20:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cccwva.wpengine.com\/?p=618"},"modified":"2022-02-05T15:04:54","modified_gmt":"2022-02-05T20:04:54","slug":"the-voices-of-vapers-take-over-the-streets-of-geneva-during-cop9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldvapersalliance.com\/en_gb\/the-voices-of-vapers-take-over-the-streets-of-geneva-during-cop9\/","title":{"rendered":"The voices of vapers take over the streets of Geneva during COP9"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geneva, 10.11.2021.\u00a0<\/strong>The voices of vapers, and their personal stories about how vaping helped them quit smoking and change their lives for the better, were broadcast all through the streets of Geneva today to coincide with the meeting of COP 9, the global tobacco control conference.<\/p>\n

Driving through Geneva in the iconic electric pink \u2018Vape Bus\u2019, \"\"the World Vapers\u2019 Alliance (WVA), representing vapers worldwide, displayed a powerful selection of quit stories from all over the world. (Here\u00a0<\/a>the full video can be found) The audience for the demonstration was the delegates to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control\u2019s (FCTC) COP 9 meeting, taking place in Geneva and virtually. The WHO FCTC has excluded vapers from participating in the COP 9 discussions, and the WVA\u2019s demonstration was quickly ejected from outside of the WHO building.<\/p>\n

Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers\u2019 Alliance, said:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came here today to make sure that vapers\u2019 voices are heard, and that vaping is at the forefront of smoking cessation policies worldwide. Vaping can save 200 million lives globally, and it is imperative that COP9 delegates understand the real-life stories of people who have been able to quit smoking thanks to vaping.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

We have brought our message to the WHO\u2019s front door and asked them to listen to our voice. COP9 delegates<\/em>\u00a0have the opportunity to make history and save lives IF they back vaping as a tool to beat smoking. Our message to them is clear: choose science and save lives,\u201d\u00a0<\/em>he added.<\/p>\n

Nearly 200 million smokers worldwide could switch to vaping, an alternative that is 95% less harmful, if governments adopted regulations that facilitate and encourage vaping as a means to quit smoking. The governments and health authorities of the UK, France, Canada and New Zealand have already done this. Yet the WHO has waged a \u201cwar on vaping\u201d, refusing to listen to the science. The World Vapers\u2019 Alliance is calling this week for the WHO and global leaders to start taking tobacco harm reduction seriously.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a risk that global leaders at COP 9 \u2013 under pressure from anti-vaping activists \u2013 will push for the introduction of laws that would treat vaping the exact same as smoking. This would spell disaster for vapers, for smokers and for global public health. The best way we can beat smoking is to promote vaping as part of public health policies,\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Michael Landl concluded.<\/p>\n

ENDS<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notes to editor:<\/em><\/p>\n