It's not really something new, but the behavior of the World Health Organization (WHO) towards vaping seems increasingly unbearable to many scientists around the world. Many of them criticized the WHO position on the tobacco industry's search for less harmful and smoke-free alternatives. They warn that the United Nations agency charged with directing and coordinating global health could end up blocking innovation aimed at reducing the harmful effects of smoking.
"A BIG DIFFERENCE IF WHO SUPPORTS ALTERNATIVES"
If theWorld Health Organization (WHO) has never really been unanimous in its tobacco control policy, it seems that a point of crystallization is needed today with many recognized scientists. Coming from universities around the world and including former WHO officials, academics challenged the agency over what it called its 'backward approach' to innovation and new technologies.
" Without a doubt, we know that vaping and other smokeless nicotine products are much less dangerous than smoking and that those who change completely see rapid improvement in their health. However, the WHO continues to promote outright bans or extreme regulation of the use of these products. How can it make sense to ban a much safer product when cigarettes are available everywhere? Said the Professor David Abrams from the School of Global Public Health at New York University.
WHO's “give up or die” approach to smokers and its opposition to the harm reduction alternative makes no sense. - John Britton
Smoking has been linked to non-communicable diseases including cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Reducing one-third of deaths from these diseases is one of the Sustainable Development Goals.
"WHO will fall far short of the targets for reducing cancer, heart and lung disease unless it does so in another way and accepts innovation in tobacco control policy. Encouraging people to switch to low-risk alternatives to smoking could make a big difference in their disease burden by 2030 if WHO supported the idea instead of blocking it "Said Professor Emeritus Robert beaglehole from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and former Director of the WHO Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.
Experts even warned that the WHO approach to smoking was against the spirit of tobacco control efforts.
"When WHO began developing an international tobacco control treaty in 2000, the goal was clear: it was trying to tackle the global epidemic of tobacco-related illnesses. At some point during the process, WHO seemed to have lost its sense of purpose and opted for a mental closure which led it to adopt unrealistic, non-negotiable or counterproductive positions that are not based on rational science. She seemed to have neglected her major mission, which is "to ensure the highest possible standard of health for all", including the billion smokers worldwide, most of whom want to avoid illness and premature death"Said the Prof. Tikki Pangestu, professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, and former Director, Research Policy and Cooperation at WHO.
WHO treats vaping products as if they were part of a Big Tobacco scheme. But they are all wrong. - David Sweanor
For his part, the Professor John Britton, CBE, Professor of epidemiology at the University of Nottingham and Director of the UK Center for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, said: " WHO should be motivated by an overarching question: How can smoking be reduced the most for the greatest number of people? We know that WHO has accepted the option of harm reduction in other areas of public health, including illicit drugs and sexual health. If WHO even wants to meet its disease reduction targets, it needs a strategy for smokers who cannot or will not stop using nicotine, and the rise in smokeless products seen since 2010 has gives a practical option. WHO's “give up or die” approach to smokers and its opposition to the harm reduction alternative makes no sense."
David Sweanor from the Center for Law, Policy and Ethics in Health and Ethics of the University of Ottawa to add: “ WHO treats vaping products as if they were part of a Big Tobacco scheme. But they are wrong all the way. In fact, the new products are disrupting the profitable tobacco trade in the tobacco industry and driving down cigarette sales. This is exactly what to expect from innovation, but WHO and its private donors have joined forces to oppose it, with calls for the ban. Even if they don't seem to realize it, they side with Big Tobacco's cigarette interests, erect barriers to access to new technologies and protect the current cigarette oligopoly."
