Across Asia Pacific, an estimated 5 million adults vape, with most of them being former smokers who have either quit smoking completely or have cut down significantly using their preferred devices and liquids. In almost every case, they did so against the advice and in defiance of the highly restrictive, disproportionate regulations and bans that continue to be imposed on safer products.
The smoking and unsafe tobacco use pandemic has been going on for at least 50 years, and claims 20,000 people per day globally. It rages on despite being something that can be easily addressed through effective public health policy. The cause is the use of toxic tobacco products as a way of obtaining nicotine. The enormous harm associated with nicotine is almost entirely due to the way people get it rather than the nicotine itself.
Meanwhile, the world is battling another pandemic, COVID 19, which has ravaged economies, destroyed lives and compromised health agencies and systems across the globe. The Covid-19 pandemic has focused global attention on the need for rational measures to reduce risks, effectively treat those afflicted and develop vaccines. This is entirely consistent with longstanding public health goals of reducing risks wherever they are found, and the importance of empowering people to improve their health.
The Question: “If governments trust the science on COVID, why are they not trusting the science of THR?”
Our latest webinar provided an overview of the current status of tobacco harm reduction across Asia Pacific, and provided testimonials from those who dared to follow their own lead to be smokefree. The panel discussion on the handling of the smoking pandemic that kills over 8 million people a year globally and how it differs from the way governments have been dealing with the COVID pandemic, was also a great success.
Note: Videos may be age-restricted.
We need to unite globally as one, in order to let our voices be heard. As consenting adults, we have every right to choose the way we live our lives, including alternatives to tobacco. WHO, we’re not invisible. If you think we are, you’re dead wrong about it!
Vaping and other forms of smoking alternatives, which have been scientifically proven to be less harmful, are a godsend for those who find it impossible to quit. As consenting adults, we have every right to choose the way we live our lives, including choosing alternatives to quit smoking.
A solution to the world’s smoking problem is already here, we just need the WHO to listen.
We understand that going against a global body such as the WHO may seem daunting, but take a look at their history and tell us if that’s an organisation that should be in charge of worldwide health guidelines, such as tobacco harm reduction efforts.
We need to unite globally as one and let our voices be heard.
Our right to health is recognized as a fundamental international human right. Realise that smoking causes the vast majority of tobacco‐related death and disease. #HarmReductionisAHumanRight
We, the people, demand that regulators and policymakers –