Geneva, 10.11.2021. The voices of vapers, and their personal stories about how vaping helped them quit smoking and change their lives for the better, were broadcast all through the streets of Geneva today to coincide with the meeting of COP 9, the global tobacco control conference.

Driving through Geneva in the iconic electric pink ‘Vape Bus’, the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA), representing vapers worldwide, displayed a powerful selection of quit stories from all over the world. (Aqui the full video can be found) The audience for the demonstration was the delegates to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s (FCTC) COP 9 meeting, taking place in Geneva and virtually. The WHO FCTC has excluded vapers from participating in the COP 9 discussions, and the WVA’s demonstration was quickly ejected from outside of the WHO building.

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

“Viemos aqui hoje para garantir que as vozes dos vapers sejam ouvidas e que o vaping esteja na vanguarda das políticas de cessação do tabagismo em todo o mundo. O vaping pode salvar 200 milhões de vidas globalmente, e é imperativo que os delegados da COP9 entendam as histórias da vida real de pessoas que conseguiram parar de fumar graças ao vaping. 

We have brought our message to the WHO’s front door and asked them to listen to our voice. COP9 delegates 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.

Nearly 200 million smokers worldwide could switch to vaping, an alternative that is 95% less harmful, if governments adopted regulations that facilitate and encourage vaping as a means to quit smoking. The governments and health authorities of the UK, France, Canada and New Zealand have already done this. Yet the WHO has waged a “war on vaping”, refusing to listen to the science. The World Vapers’ Alliance is calling this week for the WHO and global leaders to start taking tobacco harm reduction seriously.

“There is a risk that global leaders at COP 9 – under pressure from anti-vaping activists – will push for the introduction of 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.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

• The Back Vaping. Beat Smoking campaign hub is available aqui..
• More information on the Vape Bus can be found aqui.
• More detail on how 200 million lives can be saved is available aqui.
• The FCTC COP9 meeting was held 8–13 November 2021 in Geneva. Recommendations for further vaping regulations were discussed and despite not being binding, many countries will implement them.
• 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

Press contact: 

Michael Landl

Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance

michael@worldvapersalliance.com