Last month, an EU Committee called the SCHEER launched a “preliminary opinion on e-cigarettes” that is ram-packed full of biased arguments against vaping, is missing crucial facts about vaping and avoids any form of comparison with cigarettes. As I flagged on this blog in September, the report, which will inform the European’s Commission future strategy on vaping, has been widely criticized for its stance on vaping, and rightly so.

As is obliged of them, the SCHEER has sought feedback on their preliminary opinion from the scientific community and stakeholders. As the voice of 19 associations worldwide, representing tens of thousands of vapers, we believe that our voice is important in the debate – in particular, because the consultation is structured to make it challenging for individuals to submit their experiences or testimony

Therefore, we – as an organisation representing consumers – believe that it is our responsibility and duty towards all the vapers who count on us to protect their rights, to make sure that we set the record straight. Our consultation response was officially submitted on 21 October, and you can read it here.

We wanted to make sure that the facts are out there, in front of the SCHEER Committee.

• Fact: “E-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than smoking.”

• Fact: “Vaping is a gateway OUT of smoking, not the other way around.”

• Fact: “Vaping is twice as effective as other smoking cessation methods.”

We will be closely following the developments around this opinion and hope to see the committee take into consideration much of the science on vaping that was seemingly ignored in their first draft.

Meanwhile, we are here to support and amplify the voice of the millions of vapers worldwide who have had their lives changed for the better. Even if the SCHEER does not want to hear your story, we do! If you have a story about how vaping changed you, send it to us via our website and we will make sure it reaches the right policymakers.

Back Vaping, Beat Cancer. We’ve got to keep this message in their minds if we want to make a change.

Michael Landl