On December 14, the World Health Organization issued a statement urging action to prevent e-cigarette use and combat nicotine addiction. On the same day, it published a technical note detailing the evidence and factors underpinning its guidance. “E-cigarettes, as a consumer product, have not been shown to be effective in smoking cessation in the population. On the contrary, alarming evidence of adverse effects on population health has emerged,” the WHO wrote.
In response, the general manager of the German Tobacco Industry and New Products Association (BVTE) retorted: “WHO adheres to wrong health policy dogma and ignores the growing amount of independent scientific evidence about e-cigarettes.” He said that WHO’s accusation that e-cigarettes are not a suitable alternative to reduce tobacco consumption is a disregard for a large amount of scientific evidence and also exacerbates existing uncertainty among consumers.
Michael Randall, director of the World Federation of Vaping Enthusiasts, wrote in a statement: “The World Health Organization’s latest position on e-cigarette flavors is not only misleading, but dangerously divorced from scientific reality. It has been proven that the same as flavor-free e-cigarette flavors Flavored e-cigarettes increase the chances of successfully quitting smoking by 230% compared to alternatives. It is shocking to see such an important public health tool being ignored by an organization that should be at the forefront of harm reduction.”
The British E-Cigarette Industry Association said the WHO’s statement was based on discredited research and predicted the measures would cause catastrophic harm to public health. Association director general John Dunn said: “The WHO’s attack on e-cigarettes is both inaccurate and misleading and will further deter smokers from making the life-changing decision to quit smoking. E-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than cigarettes. , is responsible for the accelerated decline in smoking rates in the UK over the past decade.”
