Over 100,000 EU citizens sign petition against bloc’s vaping crackdown
November 21, 2024
World Vapers’ Alliance protests before the European Parliament
In a powerful display of consumer advocacy, the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) on Thursday delivered over 100,000 signatures to the European Parliament, calling for a radical shift in the EU’s approach to vaping and harm reduction.
The petition delivery was accompanied by a protest featuring a banner and symbolic delivery boxes from all 27 EU member states, highlighting the pan-European nature of this consumer movement.
While Sweden demonstrates the effectiveness of embracing harm reduction strategies, the EU is contemplating measures such as flavour bans, restrictions on nicotine pouches, outdoor vaping prohibitions, and increased taxation on reduced-risk products, which the WVA said could derail progress across the entire continent.
These potential policies threaten to undermine years of advancement in tobacco harm reduction and could push millions of Europeans back towards more harmful traditional cigarettes, the organisation added.
“The EU’s misguided crusade against vaping and harm reduction is a public health disaster in the making,” Michael Landl, director of the WVA, said.
“Flavour bans, outdoor vaping restrictions, and increased taxation will only drive people back to cigarettes. The EU must urgently shift its focus to evidence-based policies that actually save lives and empower consumers to quit smoking for good. The voices of 100,000 consumers demanding this change must not be ignored.”
The contrast between Sweden’s progressive approach and the EU’s regressive policies is stark, he noted. Sweden’s openness to harm reduction strategies has resulted in a smoking rate of just over 5 per cent. Meanwhile, projections suggest the EU won’t reach its smoke-free goal until 2100 – a full 60 years behind schedule.
“Today’s action at the European Parliament is more than a petition delivery,” Landl added. “It’s a wake-up call. Each of these boxes represents thousands of voters from every corner of the EU who are saying ‘enough is enough’. We’re calling on MEPs to listen to their constituents and embrace policies that work.”
The WVA urged EU policymakers to prioritise consumer choice and public health by adopting evidence-based regulations that support safer alternatives to smoking. As discussions continue in Brussels, the alliance pledged to amplify the voices of vapers and harm reduction advocates across the continent.
