Londra, ir-Renju Unit — Today UK Health Minister Neil O’Brian imħabbra the United Kingdom will further double down on backing vaping as a smoking cessation tool by encouraging one million smokers to swap cigarettes with free vape starter kits, provide financial incentives to pregnant women to quit smoking, and introduce mandatory information sheet inserts into cigarettes packs.

Il-World Vapers' Alliance, organizzazzjoni globali tal-konsumaturi tas-sigaretti elettroniċi, tfaħħar l-impenn tal-gvern tar-Renju Unit. Dawn il-miżuri se jsaħħu l-pożizzjoni tar-Renju Unit bħala wieħed miċ-ċampjins tat-tnaqqis tal-ħsara mit-tabakk madwar id-dinja, jgħid Michael Landl, Direttur tal-World Vapers' Alliance:

“"Ir-Renju Unit huwa ċampjin tal-waqfien mit-tipjip u mexxej fit-tnaqqis tal-ħsara madwar id-dinja. Ir-rati tat-tipjip naqsu b'aktar minn 29% fl-aħħar għaxar snin minn meta l-vaping sar popolari ħafna, u l-gvern irid jirdoppja l-isforzi tiegħu biex iħaddan il-vaping. L-adozzjoni wiesgħa tal-vaping minħabba appoġġ politiku qawwi u evidenza medika soda hija r-raġuni għaliex ir-rati tat-tipjip jonqsu aktar malajr milli f'pajjiżi oħra. Li ngħinu aktar lil dawk li jpejpu biex jaqilbu se jaċċellera l-istorja ta' suċċess tar-Renju Unit."”

Politico recently irrappurtat that some ministers were considering imposing higher taxes on vaping products, and enforcing new regulations on packaging and flavours in response to the Khan Review published last year. This would endanger the progress achieved by fully embracing vaping for smokers.

“It is great news for public health that Health Minister O’Brian withstands the pressure from anti-vaping groups, who ignore scientific facts and the success of the UK’s approach. Caving-in would be a disaster for smokers and current vapers. Higher taxation of vaping products and equalling vaping with smoking, rather than a risk-based regulation, would push many vapers back to smoking and not help current smokers to switch to a less harmful alternative”, żied jgħid Landl.

Compared to the EU’s 25% smoking rate, the UK is on the right track and these new policy measures would be a further push in the right direction. Earlier this year, the UK was crowned as one of the tobacco harm reduction champions by the World Vapers’ Alliance in the Gwida għall-Politika dwar it-Tnaqqis tal-Ħsara mit-Tabakk.