Balanced debate on vaping needed as part of Leadership Summit on Tobacco Control 

Independent retailers are warning Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf that banning single use vapes will fuel illicit sales

Vape Business Ireland (VBI) says "it’s vital that a well-rounded approach is taken to inform health policy making on vaping products"

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As Government targets a Tobacco Free Ireland by 2025, the need for balanced and evidence-based debate on vaping as a harm reduction tool has never been more important. That’s the message from Vape Business Ireland (VBI) to Taoiseach Micheál Martin who today will open the Leadership Summit on Tobacco Control hosted by the advisory board of the World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH).

Vape Business Ireland (VBI) is a business alliance which states it is “committed to an open debate about vaping products in Ireland. The alliance was formed to ensure that our sector and the consumers we represent, are properly represented in the debate. VBI favours effective, evidence-based and balanced regulation by the Government of vaping products”.

Central to the Leadership Summit programme will be a discussion on the successes and challenges of regulating vaping products.

“Today’s event will act as the curtain raiser to the 18th World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH) rescheduled to take place in Dublin next year,” said VBI spokesperson, Eoin O’Boyle. “Ahead of both events, we once again reiterate to government the importance of not being obscured by one-sided commentary in relation to vaping products. Daily our members continue to see the significant role vaping is playing as a less harmful alternative in helping Irish people switch away from smoked tobacco products.

“We know from Healthy Ireland research that 41% of Irish people who successfully quit smoking over a twelve-month period did so using vaping products, making vaping the most successful quit tool after will power alone,” O’Boyle added. “This evidence is further supported by Public Health England’s (PHE) seventh independent report on vaping published earlier this year which found that quit rates involving a vaping product were higher than any other method in every region in England.”

The Leadership Summit on Tobacco Control is set to convene under the theme ‘Navigating Change’, and will address the changing political, economic and social landscape of tobacco control.

“In the context of today’s event and the forth coming pre-legislative scrutiny process of the Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill, we want to remind the Taoiseach and Ministers Stephen Donnelly and Frank Feighan why it’s vital that a well-rounded approach is taken to inform health policy making on vaping products,” O’Boyle added. “Failure to do so could have a potentially damaging effect on over 240,000 Irish vapers, the majority of whom have made the choice to switch to vaping to help reduce smoking as well as smokers who are currently trying to quit.”

For further information about Vape Business Ireland, visit: www.vapebusinessireland.ie

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