Light Show Illuminates the Voiceless

The campaign, “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter!”, was launched by the World Vapers’ Alliance to challenge the ongoing exclusion of consumer perspectives from tobacco control debates.

Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, said: “While policymakers debate behind closed doors, millions of consumers are left in the dark. Our voices matter and cannot be ignored. Powerful interests, like those of Michael Bloomberg, continue to push for bans that remove safer alternatives from the market. This approach disregards scientific evidence and the real-world experiences of millions of adults who have successfully quit smoking with the help of reduced-risk products. Policymakers must listen to consumers and base their decisions on facts, not ideology or the influence of wealthy donors.”

With the upcoming COP11 in Geneva later this year, the WVA says it is more important than ever that the voices of those most affected by tobacco and nicotine policies are included in the decision-making process. While hundreds of decision-makers gather to discuss tobacco control, consumers - those most affected by policies - find themselves sidelined, it added.

The WVA says their lightshow symbolises the silencing, casting a powerful message: “We are here, but you are not listening.”

The campaign calls for genuine inclusion and a seat at the table for those who live with the consequences of policy decisions every day.

The campaign launch comes amid renewed attacks from the World Health Organization (WHO) on harm reduction, with a recent call for bans on all flavoured nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.

Alberto Gómez Hernández, Policy and Advocacy Manager for the WVA, commented: “Banning flavours is not about protection, it’s about denying adults the tools they need to quit smoking. The WHO’s approach is out of touch and putting lives at risk. Science and consumers must be unsilenced.”

The campaign will continue throughout the year, advocating for evidence-based harm reduction policies and challenging the status quo that leaves consumers without a voice as the world prepares for COP11 in Geneva.

Following the opening lightshow, the World Vapers’ Alliance continued its “Voices Unheard – Consumers Matter!” campaign with a silent protest at the WCTC.

Demonstrators, their mouths taped, stood in solidarity outside the conference centre, representing the ongoing exclusion of nicotine consumers from crucial policy discussions.

While delegates and experts debated the future of tobacco control inside, consumers remained on the margins, their experiences and voices ignored, the WVA added.

Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, stated: “It is a symbol of how consumers are silenced in these discussions. We are here, our stories matter, and it’s time policymakers started listening. Instead of banning flavours and safer alternatives, we need policies that protect both youth and adult smokers who want to quit. Silencing consumers is not the answer.”

Alberto Gómez Hernández, Policy and Advocacy Manager for the WVA, concluded: “Safer nicotine alternatives save lives, but only with sensible, evidence-based regulation. Consumers must be included in the conversation. Outdated, dogmatic tobacco control policies, which stubbornly ignore the potential of harm reduction, are holding back public health progress.”

Photo Credit:

• Images from the World Vapers’ Alliance

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

View Articles

Dave 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.