WHO Condemned on WVD25
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates condemned the World Health Organization’s anti-science agenda on World Vape Day 2025
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by Dave Cross
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The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) today challenged the World Health Organization’s (WHO) anti-vaping stance as “scientifically bankrupt,” accusing it of endangering public health by ignoring evidence that safer nicotine products save lives. The rebuke coincides with the upcoming WHO’s World No Tobacco Day (30 May), which CAPHRA claims weaponizes misinformation to justify prohibitionist policies.
“The World Health Organization’s ‘Health for All’ mantra rings hollow when it dismisses vaping’s life-saving potential,” said Nancy Loucas, CAPHRA’s Executive Coordinator. “Their 2025 theme masks a dangerous agenda: protecting cigarette markets by vilifying harm reduction.”
Loucas condemned World Health Organization’s exclusion of consumer advocates from COP10 talks, noting: “Silencing experts while citing debunked ‘gateway’ theories exposes their fear of facts.” She highlighted stark contrasts: UK youth smoking halved to 3.6% since 2012 under regulated vaping, while Maldives’ vaping ban saw youth smoking rise 12%.”
Loucas stated: "Vaping is 95% safer than smoking - a fact repeatedly proven and has contributed to a fast-declining smoking rate in countries where it is regulated - that World Health Organization ignores to appease anti-nicotine ideologues. This isn’t public health. It’s prohibitionist theatre that sacrifices smokers’ lives.”
CAPHRA cited Malaysia’s 2024 vaping legalisation, which cut adult smoking 4% in six months, versus Australia’s $2.3billion black market under prescription-only rules.
Nancy Loucas went on to conclude: “The World Health Organization equates vaping with smoking, yet 82 million ex-smokers globally prove otherwise. Their 1980s-style fearmongering helps nobody but cigarette traders.
“This World Vape Day, we demand the World Health Organization stop lying. Regulate vaping strictly, educate honestly, and watch smoking collapse. The UK model works. Ideological bans kill.”
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. It states that it is not related to or funded by any commercial interests. It is composed of volunteer consumer advocates from the Asia Pacific Region.
The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates adds: “We hope putting forward this information would clarify any doubt as to our interests and intentions. CAPHRA stays committed to its mission to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use. We advocate for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.”
References:
- The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/
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Author
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.
