Campaign for harm reduction in Strasbourg
To kick off the #BackVapingBeatSmoking campaign, representatives of the World Vapers Alliance (WVA) presented Members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg with a ‘vaping product directive’ to show how e-cigarettes should be treated to realize their potential for harm. tobacco. reduction tools.
The campaign is launched as European lawmakers revise the Tobacco Products Directive. Responding to the European Commission’s public call for evidence, the WVA spoke out against flavor bans and over-regulation.
“By supporting vaping, we can defeat smoking and save 19 million lives through sensible regulation,” said WVA Director Michael Landl. “The EU’s call for evidence received a record 24,000 responses, showing that consumers want to embrace tobacco harm reduction, and vaping has proven to be one of the most successful to date.
“The EU must end the ongoing discussions on flavor bans, and vaping must remain affordable and accessible. It is time for the EU to fully endorse tobacco harm reduction and make vaping a centerpiece of it.
The #BackVapingBeatSmoking campaign kicked off in Strasbourg, France with a protest art installation “Don’t drop 19 million lives” and will expand to 10 cities in six countries from October 2022 to November 2022.
“We will be hosting community events and protests in France, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal and Belgium to bring attention to one of the most crucial pieces of legislation for the future of vaping. It’s time for politicians to listen to consumers and science,” Landl said in a statement.
The WVA has also started a petition against harmful regulation of vaping, such as flavor bans or high taxation of vaping products. Signatures will be delivered to Members of the European Parliament at the end of the tour in November.