Thread by @ASI

🥇The Golden Opportunity: How Britain can embrace tobacco harm reduction

🗣️ @JTI_global, @NNAlliance, @MOates_ & @cjsnowdon, and @DanielPryorr

@DanielPryorr says this is a pivotal year in tobacco harm reduction with the UK leaving the European Union and the COP9 — the UN’s tobacco control conference.

The UK can play a role in a more liberal and effective tobacco harm reduction approach.

adamsmith.org/research/the-g…

@MOates_ says the government shouldn’t use bullying and cohesion to discourage tobacco use.

Free consumer choice is essential: vaping, Swedish snus, nicotine patches and ‘heat not burn’. They need to be safely regulated, allowed to be advertised and not banned.

@MOates_ says the UK must lead globally on reduced risk products and use international aid to promote alternatives.

It’s also important for levelling up and leaving the EU.

@NNAlliance’s Louise Ross says still many smokers are too afraid to try alternatives because of misinformation including from the World Health Organisation.

When people stop using alternative products they go back to cigarettes — such as after banning flavours in California.

@iealondon’s @cjsnowdon says the rate of smoking has flat lined since 2017 meanwhile one-third of smokers haven’t even tried vaping.

The WHO and Bloomberg have spread false information about vaping.

@JTI_global’s Nicky Small says it is crucial that adults are given full information to make informed choices about alternative products.

The govt needs to ensure appropriate regulations for reduced risk products including vaping, heated tobacco and nicotine patches.

@MOates_: Consumers need choice about tobacco and reduced risk products.

@JTI_global’s Nicky Small raises concerns that COP9 is a virtual conference that reduces opportunities to have a proper discussion about reduced risk products. The proposals should be shelved for further consideration.

@iealondon’s @cjsnowdon questions why the UK keeps funding the World Health Organisation that is putting forward policies on vaping that are directly contradictory to health and UK Government policy.

Louise Ross of the @NNAlliance points out that data collection on underage use of vaping isn’t accurate and over calculates the incidence of vaping amongst children

Our @DanielPryorr points out that there are a lot of opportunities for reform within the Tobacco Products Directive, including more transparency on relative risk communication

On a medical market for vaping, @NNAlliance’s Louise Ross points out that GPs being able to prescribe vaping might increase uptake

@DanielPryorr worries it might crowd our consumer markets

@JTI_global’s Nicky Small says we need to boost consumer confidence across the board

On the topic of tobacco industry in the vaping space, @cjsnowdon says if the market is transitioning towards vaping, the big companies should be involved and innovating

@DanielPryorr points out the big companies are the most likely to actually create successful RRPs

On the feasibility of hitting Smoke Free 2030, @cjsnowdon doesn’t think it can happen unless we give smokers a lot of very tempting alternatives - he agrees that not everyone will switch away from combustible cigarettes but more choice will entice smokers to make the switch