Despite the weight of the years and the number of studies favorable to vaping, the WHO (World Health Organization) still seems to want to pay the price of the electronic cigarette. This Thursday, the WHO is urging governments to treat vaping in the same way as tobacco and to ban all flavors... A dismaying position as smoking continues to kill thousands of people each year.
“CHILDREN ARE TRAPPED BY VAPE”
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday urged governments to treat vaping in the same way as tobacco and to ban all flavors, thus threatening tobacco companies' bets on alternatives to tobacco.
Some researchers, activists and governments view e-cigarettes, or vapes, as a critical tool for reducing death and disease caused by smoking. But the UN agency said “urgent measures” were needed to control them.
Citing studies, she said there was insufficient evidence that e-cigarettes helped smokers quit, that they were harmful to health and that they could lead to nicotine dependence in people. non-smokers, especially among children and young people.
Across all WHO regions, more young people aged 13 to 15 use vapes than adults, aided by aggressive marketing.
« Children are recruited and tricked into using e-cigarettes at an early age and can become addicted to nicotine" , said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, urging countries to implement strict measures.
The WHO has called for changes, including a ban on all flavoring agents like menthol, and the application of tobacco control measures to e-cigarettes. These measures include high taxes and banning the use of vapes in public places.
The WHO has no authority over national regulations and only provides advice. But its recommendations are often adopted voluntarily.
The WHO and other anti-tobacco organizations are pushing for tighter regulation of new nicotine products, tackling substitute products that some cigarette giants, such as Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, are basing their future strategies.
Big tobacco companies hope to gain new revenue streams from substitute products as increasingly strict rules and falling smoking rates weigh on their traditional businesses in some markets.
The industry says vaping products pose significantly lower health risks than tobacco and can help reduce harm, with certain flavors and lower prices important in encouraging smokers to switch. consumption pattern – a position shared by some anti-smoking advocates.
The WHO says vaping generates substances, some of which are known to be carcinogenic, and poses risks to heart and lung health. They can also harm brain development in young people, according to the WHO, which cites studies.
