World Vapers’ Alliance presents a 7-step plan for Portugal to combat cigarette consumption

LISBON, PORTUGAL, 10 November  — Un groupe mondial de défense des droits des vapoteurs, World Vapers' Alliance (WVA), a présenté une Plan en 7 étapes pour que le gouvernement portugais lutte contre la consommation de tabac.

Alors que la prochaine mise à jour de la directive européenne sur les produits du tabac et la mise en œuvre du Plan portugais de réduction du cancer (ENLCC) devraient déterminer la stratégie de lutte contre la consommation de tabac au Portugal, WVA, en collaboration avec ses partenaires portugais Associação Portuguesa de Vaporizadores (APORVAP) et Ohms do Vapor, ont présenté un ensemble de recommandations aux décideurs politiques sur la promotion de la réduction des risques dans le cadre de la stratégie portugaise de réduction du cancer. 

Le plan en 7 étapes comprend les recommandations suivantes :

1. L’engagement clair du Portugal en faveur du concept de réduction des risques liés au tabac.
2. Promouvoir le vapotage comme outil de sevrage tabagique.
3. Exclure le vapotage des restrictions relatives aux zones sans fumée.
4. S’abstenir d’imposer des taxes plus élevées sur les produits de vapotage et réduire la taxation excessive sur les e-liquides dès que possible.
5. Rejetez les interdictions d’arômes et ne limitez pas le choix des niveaux de nicotine dans les liquides de vapotage.
6. Maintenir le vapotage accessible aux adultes tout en appliquant des restrictions d’âge pour empêcher sa consommation par les adolescents.
7. Promouvoir la réduction des risques liés au tabac dans les institutions et les législations de l’UE.

“Smoking is responsible for over 13,000 deaths in Portugal every year. Multiple ways have been effective in helping smokers quit, and vaping has proven to be the most successful tool so far. We need a modern, open regulatory framework to fit these alternatives to reduce cancer rates successfully. While the Portuguese government is designing the ENLCC strategy, we offer 7 comprehensive steps for the government to succeed in the fight against tobacco-induced cancer. Portugal can become a global tobacco harm reduction leader by implementing consumer-friendly vaping regulation,” said Michael Landl, director of World Vapers’ Alliance.

“Today, Portugal has the highest excise tax on e-liquids in Europe, which adds up to EUR 3.23 per 10ml liquid, and the government intends to increase this rate in 2023. Such taxation rules discourage consumers from purchasing e-liquids and, therefore, switch to less harmful alternatives than traditional smoking. Portugal needs a modern, risk-based tax regulation that will remove the burden from consumers and support Portuguese public health goals,” said Cristiano Batista, president of APORVAP.

«Unfortunately, we see a lot of misconceptions about vaping and e-cigarettes among the media, policymakers, and health professionals. At Ohms do Vapor, we provide reliable information to the public about tobacco alternatives, but it is not enough. Portugal needs a country-wide educational campaign on the benefits of tobacco harm reduction if the government wants to achieve their set goals. The 7-step plan developed by WVA supports public awareness needs and should be taken into account by the government,” said Ohms do Vapor.

The 7-step plan reducing smoking rates in Portugal is a part of World Vapers’ Alliance’s Europe-wide campaign on harm reduction, #BackVapingBeatSmoking, previously launched in France, Poland, Czech Republic, and Italy. WVA is running a petition among the consumers to support harm reduction strategy in the upcoming review of the Tobacco Products Directive, which will be delivered to the Members of the European Parliament at the end of November. 

Learn more about the Back Vaping Beat Smoking campaign ici.