Happy Birthday NNA
The New Nicotine Alliance celebrates a decade of championing evidence, vapers and users of other alternative nicotine products
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by Dave Cross
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The New Nicotine Alliance (NNA) celebrates a decade of championing evidence, vapers and users of other alternative nicotine products. The original trustees formed the educational charity when they met while fighting against the European Union’s Tobacco Products Directive, alongside other European consumers. It remains the leading independent nicotine advocacy and education organisation.
The NNA looks back at the fight in Europe: “Thanks to the weight of consumer action, all of whom had quit smoking by using the new technology, and a few very brave and outspoken MEPs, the threat was avoided and the NNA formalised as a consumer association a short time later, only the second association of its kind in the world.
“Over the next decade, the NNA has consistently championed the cause of tobacco harm reduction both in this country and beyond, and has become a well-renowned voice in the harm reduction debate.”
The NNA highlights a list of “just some of the activities that NNA trustees, associates and supporters have engaged in during those years”:
- Advised government departments, politicians, parliamentary groups and committees on vaping and other reduced risk nicotine products from a consumer viewpoint
- Submitted comments and consultation responses to numerous government initiatives
- Provided commentary and explainer articles to consumers on public health policy developments.
- Regularly contributed to academic research on tobacco harm reduction projects
- Produced video guides on the role of e-cigarettes for tobacco harm reduction in supporting smoking relapse prevention.
- Taken part in virtual and in-person panel discussions and produced educational and instructional webinars
- Communicated with UK consumers, on our website and via email, to raise awareness of petitions, government consultation exercises, and public health reports
- Given expert consumer and advocacy briefings to a variety of print, TV, radio, and online media
- Developed policy proposals towards prospective government regulations
- Engaged with the British Standards Institute (BSI) to formulate standards for e-cigarettes and e-liquids
The NNA continues: “We are also proud to have been a founder member of European Tobacco Harm Reduction Associates (ETHRA) which formed in 2019 and now represents over 27 million consumers from 24 grassroots associations in 17 European countries, including sister organisations of the NNA based in Sweden and Estonia.
“Despite operating on a shoestring budget, the NNA is respected, active both nationally and internationally, and punching well above our weight. We are regularly reminded of this with the numerous Freedom of Information Requests that have been lodged to read our correspondence with government departments, each one just serving to highlight the quality of the information we present.
“Sadly, tobacco harm reduction has been beset during the past decade with dire misinformation which has frustrated not only consumers, but public health advocates and charities too, often by the same people and misguided agencies who should know better.
“However, as we move past our first decade, we will continue to advocate for the wide availability of low-risk products as a choice that consumers should be able to make for the good of public health. We know that this is the right path, as do the many millions who have benefitted from safer nicotine products, and that our actions are correct.”
As a truly independent organisation, the NNA has never received money from the tobacco, vape or pharmaceutical industries – which means it relies entirely on the support of consumers. All NNA Trustees are unpaid and volunteer their time, but there are administration costs that need to be covered. Vapers can help support the NNA’s work by contributing at the GoFundMe page here.
You can find out more detail about the NNA from its prospectus.
Happy birthday NNA from all of us at Planet of the Vapes!
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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 start-ups to develop content for their websites.
