For the first time in 2026, I’m back with the weekly wrap-up blog, vapers. There’s quite a lot to report, so stay with me!

Even though the year has just started, the vaping world is already moving fast. This week brought both ups and downs for our community, and this blog covers a bit of everything.

Let’s start with the bad news: de facto vape bans. On January 23rd, the European Parliament published a projet d'avis on the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan, and the outcome is far from encouraging. The proposal aims to lump all nicotine products into the same category, introduce higher taxes, and push flavour bans. This puts EU consumers directly at risk, and we need to push back against it. En savoir plus and stay informed.

More bad news from Germany, the country is considering flavour bans as well. Even worse, this measure could be introduced by decree, bypassing the proper democratic process. Michael a répondu strongly, explaining the serious negative impact flavour bans would have on both consumers and the German market.

Now for some positive news. Canada surprised us this week with a very interesting report on smoking cessation. The findings are clear: Health Canada acknowledged that vaping plays a crucial role in helping people quit smoking. In fact, 21% of former smokers reportedly quit thanks to vaping. Alberto breaks this down in his latest blog, and it’s well worth the read.

Before wrapping up the policy updates, I also want to highlight two blogs that Amanda and I worked on. If you’re planning a trip to Taiwan, make sure you’re aware of the almost draconian measures the health ministry has imposed on vaping. And if Brazil’s annual Carnival – the biggest party of the year- is on your travel list, vapers should definitely check out Amanda’s piece before packing their bags.

Finally, our WVA partner spotlight this week features a powerful read by Joseph Magero, who looks at what lies ahead for tobacco harm reduction across Africa. Will some countries move away from ideology and start following science and evidence? You’ll want to read the blog to find out.

That was a packed week of updates, and we’re only just getting started with 2026. I hope you’re all well-rested and energised, because the fight is on!