While the World Health Organization urges governments worldwide to ban vape flavours, real-world data indicate that such bans are counterproductive and that endorsing vaping product helps decrease smoking rates.

Last month the World Health Organization’s (WHO) issued a statement urging governments worldwide to ban vaping products and flavours, a move which marked an escalation in the WHO’s campaign against vaping products. Echoing the sentiment of tobacco harm reduction experts (THR) worldwide, the World Vapers Alliance (WVA) reiterated that the WHO’s stance is not only misguided but also dangerously out of touch with science.

WVA director Michael Landl highlighted that studies have indicated that flavoured vapes increase the chances of successful smoking cessation by 230% compared to their non-flavoured counterparts. The WVA also referred to the research indicating that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking and more effective in helping smokers quit than traditional methods like gum and patches. To this effect, argue THR experts, restricting or banning access to vape flavours, would undermine public health efforts and lead to unnecessary loss of lives.

Landl said the WHO’s proposal is a blatant neglect of its duty to protect public health, describing it as a regressive move that will likely drive people back to smoking. The WVA urges global health policymakers to reject the WHO’s recommendation and adopt a more evidence-based, balanced approach to regulating vapes.

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