Dear vapers,

It’s time for another weekly wrap-up – I hope you’re ready. Here are some updates from the past week.

First, it’s worth mentioning again that the WVA has joined a pan-European coalition of consumer groups in an open letter calling on the Swedish government to veto the latest draft of the EU Tobacco Excise Directive (TED) recast. The proposed 50% tax hike risks jeopardising ex-smokers by pushing them back towards combustible cigarettes. Read more on this story here.

However, it’s not all bad news on this front. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), while calling for a revision of the Tobacco Taxation Directive, has urged the EU to adopt a risk-based approach and clearly differentiate between combustible and non-combustible products. Could this be a signal that there is room for optimism within the EU as well? I highly suggest you read on to see what Michael has to say.

Meanwhile, I’m back with another podcast episode recorded with our THR supporter friends from the Consumer Choice Center, Elizabeth Hayes and Sabine Benoit. We covered what’s currently happening in their part of the world, discussing policy developments in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Be sure to tune in – there’s a lot to catch up on.

Moving on to some must-read content: Joseph Magero published an in-depth piece explaining why evidence-based policymaking is crucial globally when it comes to tobacco harm reduction, and why Africa is missing a significant opportunity in this regard. The fact that harm reduction strategies are not being considered is reflected in South Africa’s recent decision to increase excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco, including vapes, without applying any risk-based differentiation for less harmful nicotine products.

That’s it for this week, dear vapers.

Keep the fight on!