World Vapers`s Alliance Call On Polish Politicians to Support E-cigarettes

Joymy Reports -- World Vapers' Alliance has launched the #BackVapingBeatSmoking campaign in Warsaw to encourage Polish policymakers to embrace harm reduction and e-cigarette use, according to a foreign report.

As part of the #BackVapingBeatSmoking campaign, WVA delivered a message to PIS representative Platforma Obywatelska that e-cigarettes could save one million lives in Poland and 19 million lives in Europe.

The World e-cigarette Alliance team in front of the Polish Parliament.

The WVA presented their e-cigarette product directive to demonstrate how e-cigarettes need to be addressed in order to realize their full potential for public health. In addition, WVA presented an art installation in the shape of a fallen domino that moved through the Polish capital to draw attention to the importance of reducing the harm caused by tobacco.

"In Poland alone, more than a million smokers could turn to e-cigarettes if the government supported harm reduction. This means that one million lives could be saved from tobacco-related diseases if politicians stopped banning flavors, raised taxes and lowered the nicotine content in e-cigarette oils. In Poland, more than 70,000 people die from smoking each year, and that number will continue to grow if politicians don't change their approach to harm reduction," said WVA Director Michael Randall.

A partner of the World E-Cigarette Users Alliance is the Polish organization People's Law, which addresses civil liberties issues and the dangers of over-regulating markets for goods and services.

"We are joining forces with the World E-Cigarette Users Alliance to demand change from Polish politicians as the harm reduction situation becomes very troubling for consumers, businesses and civil society. The current government has recently increased taxes on e-liquid without realizing the possible consequences for public health. We want a thorough analysis and extensive public debate before legislative actions that interfere with the daily lives of Poles." said Sara Lament-Hamodi, coordinator of the Prawo dla ludzi campaign.

The Polish event is part of the organization's broader #BackVapingBeatSmokin campaign launched last week in Strasbourg, where WVA staged a protest art installation with the message Don't Let 19 Million People Die in front of the European Parliament to draw the attention of EU policymakers to the need for Europe-wide harm reduction.

Over the next few weeks, WVA will host similar installations in the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal and Belgium. The organization has also launched a Europe-wide petition asking EU policymakers to recognize e-cigarettes as a mechanism to reduce tobacco harm and to avoid over-regulating the most successful cessation aids in the upcoming EU tobacco regulatory review. The petition will be presented to the European Parliament in Brussels in November.

"Earlier this year, more than 24,000 EU citizens made their views known in a public consultation on tobacco legislation held by the Commission, asking regulators not to ban the use of e-cigarettes. Public authorities must listen to consumers. 5% of Polish adults are e-cigarette users and it's time their voices were heard!" Randall added.