Vaping advocates caution against COP9 Agenda in November 2021
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Auckland, September 20, 2021
Countries applying progressive Tobacco Harm Reduction policies are enjoying a significant fall in smoking rates, according to the Manila-based Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA)
But those following the guidance of the World Health Organisation (WHO) continue to experience excessive smoking-related illnesses and deaths, it said.
White Paper on Vaping
CAPHRA’s comments follow a 59-page white paper titled ‘Vaping Works. International Best Practices: United Kingdom, New Zealand, France and Canada,’ published by the US-based Property Rights Alliance.
The four respective case studies are the work of Christopher Snowdon (Institute of Economic Affairs, United Kingdom), Louis Houlbrooke (New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union, New Zealand), Patrick Coquart (Institute for Research in Economic and Fiscal Issues, France), and Professor Ian Irvine (Concordia University, Canada).
CAPHRA Executive Coordinator Nancy Loucas said that the significant research and analysis is timely with the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) hosting its Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP9) Session in November 2021.
Supportive approach
“Ultimately, this Paper proves that countries that embrace vaping, such as France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada, have witnessed a decrease in smoking rates that is twice as fast as the global average,” she said.
Ms Loucas said that a supportive approach to vaping, including the absence of taxes but the presence and promotion of publicly funded ‘vape to quit smoking’ programmes, continue to deliver positive results for those countries.
“There is still plenty of room for legislative and regulatory improvement in the likes of New Zealand, for example, where the most popular adult vape flavours are no longer widely available. However, overall, countries that have regulated access have legitimised safer nicotine products. Subsequently, they continue to see more smokers making the switch,” she said and added that disappointingly, since the White Paper’s research was conducted, the Canadian government has taken some regressive steps, including Health Canada’s proposed flavour ban.
According to CAPHRA, public health outcomes continue to widen between countries that have adopted a harm reduction approach and those that refuse to back the Science, listening to the WHO instead.
Undue interference alleged
“Asia Pacific countries such as Australia, Hong Kong, India and Thailand have been led down completely the wrong path. The advice of WHO is seriously poisoned with the eye watering money trails from American billionaires and their so-called philanthropic causes now totally exposed,” Ms Loucas said.
New research has revealed that the anti-tobacco Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates foundations have funnelled millions of dollars into Asia Pacific NGOs to lobby their governments to ban vaping and discredit consumer advocacy groups.
The explosive research, proving unbelievable undue foreign interference and showing exorbitant amounts of money exchanging hands, has since been reported around the world.
Please visit https://www.24shareupdates.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Clarisse-Virgino-Research-with-IRS-returns-98.pdf
Ms Loucas said that instead of only listening to its own advice, WHO should closely examine the recently released ‘Vaping Works. International Best Practices’ White Paper, available via: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/taxpayers/pages/1792/attachments/original/1631078786/PRA_VapingWorks.pdf?1631078786
“If WHO was genuinely interested in what actually works, it would invite the United Kingdom, New Zealand and France to present their country’s story on how they are successfully beating smoking. Impressively, the UK’s liberal approach to vaping has seen a 25% drop in smoking since 2012, yet November’s COP9 will not be interested. WHO’s ‘head in the sand’ attitude to vaping is being increasingly criticised internationally. People can now plainly see that they are motivated by money, not science,” she said.
Call to recount experience
Now live and boasting over 14,000 testimonials, CAPHRA is calling on those who have quit cigarettes through smoke-free nicotine alternatives to tell their story on www.righttovape.org
Consumer groups in the Asia Pacific region have also launched a petition at change.org/v4v-petition that urges WHO to respect consumer rights and to stop demonising Tobacco Harm Reduction options ahead of November’s meeting of the WHO FCTC.
About CAPHRA
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates (CAPHRA) is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. Its mission is to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.
https://caphraorg.net/
