Hello fellow vapers,

I’m back with another weekly wrap-up. The world of THR is as challenging and turbulent as ever, so here’s a quick look at what’s been happening around the world – both good and bad.

Starting with the bad news this time. Belgium’s federal government has approved a ban on flavoured e-cigarettes. This leaves vapers with only tobacco-flavoured or unflavoured options – a classic move. Even more concerning, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke described vaping as “an invention of a criminal industry”. Statements like this are worrying, as they ignore the harm reduction benefits vaping can offer. You can read more in the lehdistötiedote we published.

Moving to Australia, which is already known for its strict approach to nicotine products. A new study published in Addiction shows the consequences of this approach: an estimated 55% of all tobacco sold in Australia and 95.7% of all vapes are now illicit. As you can imagine, this puts consumers in a risky position. You can read more about this in Michael’s latest blog.

Now onto some better news. We’re back with a uusi jakso of Vaping Unplugged, where Michael sits down with Bernd Mayer to discuss the potential consequences of the flavour ban in Germany. It’s a great listen if you want to understand why these kinds of policies don’t benefit consumers and go against the evidence.

Also, Filtermag recently featured the new platform THR Global, co-founded by our friend and THR advocate Kurt Yeo. The platform allows you to submit your own testimonials and support the fight for less harmful alternatives, so make sure to check it out.

As you know, World Vape Day is coming up on May 30, so stay tuned and make sure to follow our social media for updates.

That’s all for today, dear vapers. A mix of good and bad news, as always, but we stay positive. The fight is still on!