20.10.2021 – Brussels: The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) announced today two additional members of its Advisory Board. Former Georgian Minister Andrew Urushadze and President of ANPVU Italy, Carmine Canino, will help strengthen the voice of the Alliance and bring additional expertise, ensuring that the WVA continues to fulfill its important mission of representing the voices of vapers’ around the globe.

Former Health Minister Andrew Urushadze commented: “It is crucial that consumers are heard and the WVA enables them to raise their voices. Vaping can help many people to quit smoking, saving millions of lives, so it is time that policymakers start to listen to them and to science. That is why I hope I can contribute to this important work. It is a great pleasure to support the WVA.”

WVA Director Michael Landl said: “I am delighted that our efforts to defend vaping and vapers will be supported by these extremely capable Advisory Board members who have joined us this month. They come with a wealth of political and consumer experience, and I am looking forward to working with both of them. They will make us even stronger.”

Carmine Canino, who will add vast experience of activism in Europe to the advisory board, added: “In the coming months, decisive challenges to the future of vaping await us, including the European Beating Cancer Plan, the revision of the European Directive on Tobacco Products (TPD) – which regulates vaping – as well as the discussion on the Tobacco Taxation Directive. This is why it is so important to make our voice heard. It is my pleasure to contribute to the great work of the WVA in this role especially in Europe.”

ENDS

Notes to the editor:

Biographies of new WVA Advisory Board Members

Andrew Urushadze
Andrew Urushadze is a former Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia (2010-2012) and health and social policy expert with more than 25 years’ experience in this field. During the last eight years he has been working with international and governmental institutions in more than ten countries, including Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Albania and Tajikistan. Andrew is a leading expert in the healthcare sector in emerging economies, with extensive in-country experience advising governments and multilateral organizations, in CIS countries Eastern Europe, central Asia. Andrew worked at the forefront of implementing Georgian healthcare reforms in 2006-2012.

Carmine Canino
Carmine Canino has been the President of ANPVU (National Association of Italian E-cig Consumers) since 2018. Aside from his work advocating for vapers’ rights, since 1999 he has been working for a public-private joint-stock company, where he specialises in the management of purchases and tenders.

Besides Michael Landl, Carmine Canino and Andrew Urushadze the Advisory board members include:

Prof Bernd Mayer Scientific Advisor

Bernhard Mayer is a professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Graz in Austria.

Brian Marlow, Legalise Vaping Australia 

Brian Marlow is the Executive Director for the Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance, and the Director of Legalise Vaping Australia, where he heads the campaign to legalise life-saving vaping technology in Australia.

Francisco Ordoñez, ARDT Iberoamerica

Francisco is the founder of the first Latin American association for vape users: ASOVAPE Colombia.

Media inquiries

Michael Landl, Director, World Vapers’ Alliance

Email: Michael@worldvapersalliance.com

ABOUT THE WORLD VAPERS’ ALLIANCE

The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) amplifies the voice of passionate vapers around the world and empowers them to make a difference for their communities. The alliance partners with 26 groups representing vapers worldwide and represents individual vapers. Michael Landl, the WVA’s Director, is an experienced policy professional and a passionate vaper.

More information can be found here: https://www.worldvapersalliance.com/advisory-board