RELX INTERNATIONAL CALLS FOR NEW GLOBAL VAPING REGULATIONS TO HELP ADULT SMOKERS SWITCH TO BETTER ALTERNATIVES
THE RELX INTERNATIONAL ROADMAP WAS UNVEILED AT VOXPO – THE VIRTUAL VAPING EXHIBITION
Global leading e-cigarette company RELX International has called for agreement on global vaping regulations in order to provide better alternatives to adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke cigarettes.
The company addressed the issue during its ‘How Harm Reduction in the Nicotine Industry Can Complement Existing Public Health Policies’ presentation, unveiled at this week’s VOXPO virtual vaping exhibition.
The company’s mission has always been to establish itself as a trusted brand for adult smokers through state-of-the-art products, industry-leading technologies and scientific advances in collaboration with talented and committed people around the globe.
And today (Thursday 29th April 2021) Mr. Robert Naouss, External Affairs Director for RELX International MENA & Europe, called for a more joined up regulatory plan in the UK and across other territories.
He said: “It is critical that we look seriously at the huge potential harm-reduction benefits that can be obtained by putting in place a global product regulatory system that will give millions of adult smokers science-based options that serve as better alternatives to cigarette smoking.”
“Across the world in 2019, more than 8 million smokers passed away prematurely from smoking cigarettes, and not from nicotine itself.
Naouss added: “Regulators around the world are scrambling to keep up with the pace of change. Balancing the need for innovation and other societal benefits with concerns around safety is a difficult task. And this is where novel nicotine products such as e-vapor have a role to play in public health.”
Mr. John Dunne, UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) Director General, weighed in: “Society needs the right regulation to support those better choices. What is important here is to challenge misconceptions and misinformation while opening minds to the science, technology and design which have been made available to adult smokers looking for better alternatives. Such new products have enormous potential should they receive the support needed from governments and regulatory bodies.”
RELX International’s stance is borne out by current UK statistics. According to the scientific journal ‘Addiction’, the success rate for people quitting smoking rose as the use of e-cigarettes increased from 2011 onwards and in 2017, e-vapor products helped between 50,000 to 70,000 smokers in England quit smoking.
At the same time, there is little evidence that e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking cigarettes, or attracting a new generation of nicotine users. In a report by ASH (Action on Smoking & Health) UK in October 2020, it was reported that, for the first time, current e-cigarette use has declined year-on-year, from 7.1% to 6.3% of the adult population in Great Britain, amounting to 3.2 million people.
Over half (58.9%) of current vapers are ex-smokers and the proportion has grown year-on-year, while the proportion of vapers who also smoke (known as dual users) has fallen to 38.3% in 2020.
Only 0.3% of never-smokers are current vapers (amounting to 2.9% of vapers), down from 0.8% in 2019. As in previous years the main reason given by ex-smokers for vaping is to help them quit (41%) and prevent relapse (20%). The main reason given by current smokers for vaping is to cut down (24%) followed by to help them quit (14%) and to prevent relapse (14%).
Panelists proposed a roadmap calling for fair and balanced regulations to encourage adult smokers to use vaping as an exit door from cigarettes.
Inspired by the UKVIA’s ‘Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR)’s A Blueprint for Better Regulation’ policy proposal, the six-point plan outlines a range of measures RELX International believes will help more adult smokers quit cigarettes by switching to harm-reduction e-vapor products, including:
- Allow online vape retailers to communicate and offer services to adult smokers looking to switch
- Allow for substantiated switching messaging to be placed on vaping products’ packaging/inserts
- Use switching messages to communicate the relative benefits of switching from smoking to vaping
- Distinguish between vaping and smoking in public places
- Support a targeted communications campaign that explains the harm reduction potential of vapes
- Support e-liquids’ flavor component as a key enabler of adult smoker switching to harm-reduction e-cigarette products
About RELX International:
RELX International is a multinational e-cigarette company that markets and sells RELX, Asia’s leading e-cigarette brand. RELX branded products are designed at a cutting-edge research and development center and produced in one of the world’s largest e-cigarette factories. Furthermore, RELX International is a member of the UK Vaping Industry Association’s Youth Access Prevention Committee, which in turn works towards ensuring age verification checks are rigorous while doing everything possible to prevent underage sales.
Website: https://relxnow.co.uk
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