BRUSSELS, Nov. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/  — The voices of vapers, and their personal stories about how vaping helped them quit smoking and change their lives for the better, were broadcast across Brussels today to encourage European leaders to support pro-vaping policies.

Driving through Brussels in the iconic electric pink ‘Vape Bus’, the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA), representing vapers worldwide, displayed a powerful selection of quit stories from around Europe. The collection of stories from individual ex-smokers was gathered as part of the Back Vaping. Beat Smoking campaign, which travelled across Europe throughout 2021.

The demonstration brought these messages from across Europe directly to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), who are currently debating the Beating Cancer plan which may set the direction for anti-smoking policies across Europe.

Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, said:

“The next few weeks will be crucial for smokers, vapers and public health in general with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan being finalised. We came here today to make sure that vapers’ voices are heard and that the MEPs understand the real-life stories of people who have been able to quit smoking thanks to vaping.

European policymakers have the opportunity to make history and save lives if they back vaping as a tool to beat smoking. Our message to them is clear: choose science and save lives,” he added.

19 million smokers in Europe could switch to vaping, an alternative that is 95% less harmful, if the European Parliament would support harm reduction tools, such as vaping, in all their future legislation, including Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

“There is a risk that European lawmakers – under pressure from anti-vaping activists – will introduce laws that would treat vaping the exact same as smoking. This would spell disaster for vapers, for smokers and for global public health. The best way we can beat smoking is to promote vaping as part of public health policies,” Michael Landl concluded.

Notes to editor:

• The Back Vaping. Beat Smoking campaign hub is available here.
• More information on the Vape Bus can be found here.
• More detail on how 19 million lives can be saved is available here.
• The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) amplifies the voice of vapers around the world and empowers them to make a difference for their communities. Our members are 26 vapers associations as well as over 15,000 individual vapers from all over the world. More information on www.worldvapersalliance.com
• Juan from Barcelona said: ‘Four years ago I stopped smoking thanks to vaping. I improved my quality of life, I no longer have fatigue, my nose is not running in the morning and the food tastes amazing.’  Nicolas from Paris said: ‘I switched to vaping with the specific aim to quit smoking. So, gradually I decreased the level of nicotine and now I am on the verge of quitting completely. Vaping is a very good method to stop smoking’. More testimonials from vapers can be found here.

Originally published here.