Ban flavoured vapes, WHO says, urging tobacco-style controls By Reuters

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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Elf Bar vapes, made by China producer Heaven Items, are pictured on a wall of flavored e-cigarettes in a retailer in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Arriana Mclymore//File Picture

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LONDON (Reuters) – The World Well being Group (WHO) on Thursday urged governments to deal with e-cigarettes equally to tobacco and ban all flavours, threatening cigarette firms’ bets on smoking options.

Some researchers, campaigners and governments see e-cigarettes, or vapes, as a key device in decreasing the demise and illness attributable to smoking. However the U.N. company mentioned “pressing measures” had been wanted to regulate them.

Citing research, it mentioned there was inadequate proof that vapes helped people who smoke stop, that they had been dangerous to well being and that they may drive nicotine dependancy amongst non-smokers, particularly kids and younger folks.

Extra 13-15 yr olds are utilizing vapes than adults in all WHO areas helped by aggressive advertising, it continued.

“Children are being recruited and trapped at an early age to make use of e-cigarettes and will get hooked to nicotine,” mentioned Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-Normal, urging international locations to implement strict measures.

The WHO referred to as for adjustments, together with bans on all flavouring brokers like menthol, and the applying of tobacco management measures to vapes. These embrace excessive taxes and bans on use in public locations.

The WHO has no authority over nationwide laws, and solely gives steerage. However its suggestions are sometimes adopted voluntarily.

The WHO and another anti-tobacco organisations are pushing for stricter laws on newer nicotine merchandise, taking purpose on the options on which some cigarette giants like Philip Morris Worldwide (NYSE:) and British American Tobacco (NYSE:) are basing their future methods.

Main tobacco firms are hoping to construct new income streams from cigarette options as ever-stricter guidelines and falling smoking charges squeeze their conventional companies in some markets.

The trade says vapes pose considerably decrease well being dangers than tobacco and may also help scale back its harms, with some flavours and decrease costs vital to encouraging people who smoke to change – a place shared by some tobacco management advocates.

The WHO mentioned vapes generate substances, a few of that are recognized to trigger most cancers, and pose dangers to coronary heart and lung well being. They will additionally hurt mind growth in younger folks, it mentioned, citing research.