NNA Wants New Approach
The New Nicotine Alliance has decried the “warring factions” in public health for confusing the public and causing them to mistrust vaping
-
by Dave Cross
Share on:
“If the public’s health is to be properly served by state-funded organisations, accurate and impartial information is key,” says the organisation. “Misperceptions are harmful, breed intolerance, and are exacerbated by bans and restrictions on proven safer products.”
The NNA is a charity concerned with improving public health through a greater understanding of new, risk-reduced nicotine products and their uses. It was formed by a group of individuals who have worked tirelessly to present the truth about nicotine products to decision makers. As a consequence, its volunteers have been invited to give presentations to governments and conferences for researchers. Its achievements include:
- Speaking at national and international smoking cessation and public health conferences,
- Briefing media on new nicotine products on a reactive and proactive basis,
- Briefing national and European parliamentarians,
- Briefing members of national and international tobacco control organisations,
- Publishing commentaries in the mass media and in professional and scientific journals,
- Making submissions in response to public consultations (eg to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the Committee of Advertising Practice),
- Engaging with members of Royal Colleges of medicine,
- Advising local NHS public health bodies, NHS services and third sector health organisations,
- Advising travel and transport operators and managers and owners of public venues about the use of electronic cigarettes in public places
Over the last five years, the public has been bombarded with disingenuous statements and poor research from “ideologically-motivated sources”. Despite this, vaping has contributed to the lowest smoking rates in UK history while public misconceptions rise.
The NNA’s Sarah Jakes told the E-cigarette Summit: “The public need to be able to trust that the information given to us by public health authorities is accurate and complete. The vast majority of the public are not scientists, so they go with what they perceive to be a trustworthy source of information. But who can you trust when the authorities and experts are so divided?”
“As long as the apparent controversy continues, the public will trust only what they see with their own eyes, and what they see is bans, restrictions, warning labels and something that looks like smoking. Misperceptions are harmful in more ways than one. They breed intolerance, which supports restrictive policy, which in turn creates more misperceptions and more intolerance. Is it any wonder that many smokers don’t see the point of switching?”
She called on researchers to remember that every piece of data represents a real person and not a chess piece in a political power game: “We must never lose sight of the fact that behind every data point is a real person with strengths and weaknesses, desires and ambitions, and that every life is precious".
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous vape companies to develop content for their websites.
Join the discussion
Harm Reduction For The Rich
The United Kingdom risks becoming a harm reduction country only for the wealthy, according to Michael Landl of the World Vapers’ Alliance
-
by Dave Cross
CAPHRA Highlights Tobacco Control Flaws
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates highlights the flaws in tobacco control which has led to the rise of black market in Australia
-
by Dave Cross
A Missed Opportunity at COP10
The Smoke Free Sweden movement says that COP10 was a missed opportunity to save millions of lives
-
by Dave Cross
COP10: Promote Tobacco Harm Reduction
Experts with Smoke Free Sweden are emphasising the urgent need for a Tobacco Harm Reduction approach at COP10
-
by Dave Cross
