The UK Vaping Industry Association has written to new Public Health Minister Ashley Dalton MP, inviting her to a meeting to discuss how vaping can best support the nation’s smokefree ambitions.
Her appointment comes at a time when 5.2 million adults have used vaping to cut down on or stop smoking in Great Britain alone and follows news that half of all successful quit attempts over the past five years involved a vape. It also comes as misperceptions about the reduced risk alternative are at an all-time high and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill passes through parliament.
The full letter can be viewed here or read below:
Dear Ashley,
On behalf of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the UK’s largest vaping industry body, we would like to congratulate you on your appointment as Minister for Public Health.
Given that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is currently passing through the House of Commons, critical state of our NHS, and the decreasing likelihood of the UK reaching its smokefree ambitions, we would welcome a meeting with you to discuss how vaping can be more effectively harnessed as a tool to help adult smokers quit and prevent them from requiring future treatment for preventable illnesses stemming from long-term smoking.
As you may be aware, there is conclusive evidence that vaping is the most effective way to help adult smokers quit. Yet while millions of former smokers have made the switch already, there remains a significant opportunity for the country to get its smokefree goals back on track. With this in mind, we would welcome the opportunity to meet in the coming weeks to discuss the way forward for vaping with a focus on significantly strengthening enforcement frameworks tackling the issue of youth vaping.
The UK’s vaping industry is already playing a key role in drastically reducing the number of smokers seeking medical attention for their related conditions, and we would be grateful for the opportunity to work with you to support your mission of creating an NHS fit for the future.
We would like to reiterate that the UKVIA has no members from the tobacco industry, nor does it receive any funding from the tobacco industry. Furthermore, we do not consult with or meet with any tobacco companies on any matter, nor are any of our members owned by tobacco industry participants (partially or otherwise).
The UKVIA has been glad to be able to work with Department of Health officials over the past few months, and we look forward to working with you and your team in the future.
Best wishes,
John Dunne Director-General
UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA)