The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) has expressed its significant concern over calls by the British Medical Association (BMA), the Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME) and the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) to ban disposables and non-tobacco flavours. These measures, the WVA says, are aimed at curbing vaping among youth but ignore the experience of tens of thousands of Europeans and risk compromising the broader public health achievements made possible by the use of vaping as a harm reduction tool.
Alberto Gómez Hernández, Policy Manager at the World Vapers’ Alliance, stated: “The EU’s approach to smoking is failing, and further restrictions on safer alternatives will only delay the achievement of smoke-free targets. 80,000 Europeans have already signed the ‘Every Life Counts’ petition to protect safer nicotine products, and European politicians must take them into consideration when legislating.”
While the intention to protect young people from nicotine addiction is commendable, the WVA believes that such stringent measures could inadvertently drive adult vapers back to more harmful traditional cigarettes and prevent adult smokers from quitting.
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