The UKVIA has joined calls for the government to cut the World Health Organization’s funding (WHO) if it continues to attack vaping.
A group of influential politicians wants the UK to consider ‘dramatically scaling back’ the WHO’s funding unless it acknowledges the science and changes its ‘antagonistic approach’ to e-cigarettes.
While the UK is set to give the WHO £340 Million over the next four years, critics are urging policymakers to reconsider.
Mark Pawsey MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Vaping, questioned why the UK should give so much money to an organisation which fundamentally disagreed with our ‘progressive approach’ to harm reduction.
The UKVIA has joined ‘a chorus of voices’ condemning the WHO for its ‘aggressive anti-vaping stance’ ahead of a crucial health summit later this year.
According to leaked documents reported in the Daily Express, the WHO will tell a meeting of international health figures in November that e-cigarettes “are as dangerous as smoking tobacco.”
John Dunne, Director General of the UKVIA, called the World Health Organization’s stance on vaping ‘extremely concerning.’
He said:
“Vaping is a great British success story, enabling millions of people to switch from smoking.
“The APPG is right to call for the UK Government to reconsider the level of its funding to the World Health Organization in light of these reports.
“Thankfully, now that the UK has left the EU, it is no longer bound by the ridiculous and quite frankly dangerous WHO messaging urging the bloc to treat vaping in the same way as smoking.”
John Dunne, UKVIA
The UKVIA stressed that ‘this action flies in the face of the scientific reality’, with evidence from Public Health England showing that vaping is 95 percent less harmful than cigarettes.
It also highlighted that 3.2 million UK smokers have already made the switch to vaping, and that the industry needs to be supported if it can help the remaining 6.9 million Brits kick the habit.
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