Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, criticized the European Commission for disregarding science and consumers’ voices. He emphasized that reducing harm from tobacco must be a key element in all of the EU’s health policies since smoking causes the death of 700,000 people annually. Meanwhile, the Commission is battling against less harmful alternatives. The scientific evidence is clear: vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and one of the most effective ways to quit smoking. Landl urged the Commission to acknowledge this reality as consumers demand it.
The World Vapers' Alliance has submitted a petition, signed by over 4,000 citizens of the European Union, to members of the parliament expressing concerns over the negative stance toward e-cigarettes within EU institutions. The petition calls for the EU to support harm reduction and avoid flavor bans and increased taxation on vaping products.
European Parliament member Giannia Gancia has stated that "the committee's goal is to ensure a high level of health protection, but they have failed to provide practicable solutions. A health strategy that does not decrease tobacco harm is likely to fail from the outset. The committee must focus on solutions that benefit public health by adopting reduced-risk alternatives such as e-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, while avoiding the development of the black market.
Consumers have expressed concerns over the European Commission's leaked plan to increase taxation on electronic cigarettes, with fears that this could have a negative impact on public health. The European Commission intends to "harmonize taxation of new tobacco products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products with the taxation of cigarettes.
The committee claims that raising taxes will improve public health, but the opposite is true. For regular smokers trying to quit, affordable alternatives like e-cigarettes with less harm are a necessity. The global health strategy missed a chance to make the EU a leader in reducing tobacco harm, and the leaked tax plan further confirms this," added Landl.
The World Electronic Cigarette Users Alliance is urging the European Commission and its member states to follow scientific evidence and avoid imposing higher taxes on electronic cigarette products, instead taking measures to reduce the harm caused by tobacco.
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