ETHRA’s monthly roundup of news: BECA debate ‘controversial’ issue of flavours - ETHRA, Sovape & Aiduce letters to BECA - ACPAN joins ETHRA - Vape shop support increases smoking cessation - Nicotine pouch ban - sCOPe Livestream Library - Country updates. Read on for more.
Contents:
BECA draft report: second consideration of amendments
On Monday 8 November the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer met to debate amendments to the Rapporteur’s draft report. This was the second and final public consideration of amendments before a vote in Committee, which is scheduled for 6 December. Flavoured vaping products were described as controversial and featured throughout the meeting.
Read more here:
https://ethra.co/news/93-beca-draft-report-second-consideration-of-amendments
Check out Philippe Poirson’s analysis of the meeting (French):
https://vapolitique.blogspot.com/2021/11/plan-cancer-de-lue-des-negociations.html
ETHRA letter to BECA
ETHRA has written to all members of the BECA committee to highlight the important role flavours play in smoking cessation, and to draw attention to the potential unintended consequences of a vape flavour ban. The letter was prompted by the 8 November BECA meeting where a compromise amendment around e-liquid flavours was debated.
Read our letter here:
https://ethra.co/news/94-the-preservation-of-flavours-is-essential-ethra-letter-to-beca
See also the excellent letter from ETHRA partners Sovape and Aiduce (French):
https://www.sovape.fr/urgent-plan-cancer-beca-interdiction-des-aromes-dans-le-vapotage/
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan roadmap
The European Commission has published an implementation roadmap and progress indicators for Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan to monitor developments on the ten flagship initiatives as well as its other actions.
Roadmap:
https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/default/files/non_communicable_diseases/docs/2021-2025_cancer-roadmap_en.pdf
Press release:
https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/sante/newsletter-archives/35593
COPWATCH
From 8 - 13 November COPWATCH went live to provide daily updates, commentary and analysis from the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Check the links for updates from each day of #COP9.
Day 1: https://copwatch.info/cop9-day-1/
Day 2: https://copwatch.info/cop9-day-2/
Day 3: https://copwatch.info/cop9-day-3/
Day 4: https://copwatch.info/cop9-day-4/
Day 5: https://copwatch.info/cop9-day-5/
INNCO dossier
A new report published by the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations highlights nine reasons why serious questions need to be asked about the anti-vaping stance of the World Health Organisation and the influence of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Download the dossier here:
https://innco.org/vapingmisinfodemic/
France
Support and advice from a vape shop has been shown to significantly increase the chances of smoking cessation, according to a survey from the University of Rennes.
Read more here:
https://vapolitique.blogspot.com/2021/11/en-france-etre-accompagne-par-un-vape.html
Ireland
NNA Ireland have issued a response to Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould’s call for a ban on flavoured vaping products.
Read more here:
https://nnai510701598.wordpress.com/2021/11/04/sinn-fein-call-for-flavor-ban/
Netherlands
Nicotine pouches are to be banned in the Netherlands with immediate effect. The move is in addition to an e-liquid flavour ban which was announced earlier this year, and ensures that legally available low-risk alternatives to smoking will be almost non-existent in the Netherlands.
Read more here:
https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/news/vaping-news/2021-11-22_netherlands-bans-nicotine-pouches.html
Norway
Deputy Chair of the Health Committee, Bård Hoksrud, has called for a reduction in the price of low-risk alternatives to smoking, saying: "It is smarter to create a policy that allows the population to ingest products that are less harmful"
Read more here:
https://borsen.dagbladet.no/nyheter/ut-mot-snusprisene---provoserende/74686074
UK
A new study has found that workplace vaping restrictions have led to vapers feeling bullied, discriminated against, and in a few cases fired, because of vaping at work.
Read more here:
https://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/ashtray-blog/2021/11/vaping-at-work.html
More from the UK
Flavoured vapes are much less harmful to young people than smoking, and could help teen smokers quit smoking, according to new research from the University of East Anglia. The research also found no evidence linking flavoured vaping with subsequent smoking among young people.
Read more here:
https://www.uea.ac.uk/news/-/article/flavoured-vapes-less-harmful-to-young-people-than-smoking-and-could-help-teen-smokers-quit
ETHRA welcomes a new partner association
We are delighted to announce Romanian consumer association Asociatia Consumatorilor de Produse Alternative cu Nicotina (ACPAN) as ETHRA’s newest partner. ACPAN are passionate tobacco harm reduction advocates who work tirelessly to raise awareness about THR among consumers and regulatory authorities. It’s an honour to welcome ACPAN as our 24th partner.
Website link:
https://acpan.ro/
ETHRA NGO partners:
https://ethra.co/partners/ngo-partners
Prohibitionists at work
Clive Bates provides an in-depth analysis of the prohibitionist policies favoured by the World Health Organisation, and the likely effects such policies will have on public health.
“It’s a reckless policy, built on misplaced righteousness, defended by bureaucratic inertia, sustained by group-think, and cultivated by elitist billionaire foundation money. It’s a curse and a blight on public health, and government representatives should apply real-world policy disciplines and reject it.”
Read more here:
https://clivebates.com/prohibitionists-at-work-how-the-who-damages-public-health-through-hostility-to-tobacco-harm-reduction/
Lots to watch:
sCOPe Livestream Library
sCOPe, or ‘streaming Consumers On Point everywhere’ has launched an extensive library of videos from their round the clock broadcasting event which took place during COP9. The event featured world leading tobacco harm reduction experts and consumer advocates and provides an invaluable resource to inform the public and media, as well as the millions of ex-smokers who now use safer nicotine products.
Watch the videos here:
https://caphraorg.net/scope-livestream-library-2021/
Regulator Watch
Watch the full series of interviews from the launch of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction report; “Fighting the Last War: the WHO and International Tobacco Control.”
Watch the videos here:
https://regulatorwatch.com/news/gsthr/
Flavours are intrinsic to the success of vaping products as a harm reduction tool. This is the vital piece of information that was missing from the 8 November meeting of the Special Committee on Beating Cancer. Debate at the meeting was focussed on compromise amendments to the Rapporteur’s Draft report, which could include banning certain flavours, see our article here. This has prompted ETHRA to write to all BECA members to outline the importance of flavours in smoking cessation, and to urge BECA to give serious consideration to the unintended consequences a ban on flavours would have. Our letter is below.
Read more: The preservation of flavours is essential - ETHRA letter to BECA
On Monday 8 November the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer met to debate amendments to the Rapporteur’s draft report. This was the second and final consideration of amendments before a vote in Committee, which is scheduled for 6 December. A recurring theme throughout the meeting was the need for compromise in addressing amendments, particularly in the area of prevention. Worryingly for vapers, the topic of e-cigarettes and flavours featured prominently.
Read more: BECA draft report: second consideration of amendments
ETHRA’s monthly roundup of news: Expert letter to FCTC delegates calls for change – COP9 goes online – BECA updates – COPWatch: a consumer guide to FCTC COP - sCOPe Livestream Event - Fighting the last war: The WHO and international tobacco control – country updates. Read on for more.