SCHEER REPORT: Failed to recognize the importance of vaping

A few weeks after the publication of the study by the Public Health England, which highlights vaping as the most effective method for smoking cessation, the European Commission is putting a "brake" on recognizing the significant contribution that vaping has in reducing smoking-related diseases.

The report by the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) of the EU, which was recently published and has caused a storm of reactions from a large part of the scientific community, omits the potential health benefits of replacing smoking with alternative products and deliberately ignores significant scientific evidence that supports them.

The SCHEER committee failed to compare the risks of using vaping products with the risks of traditional smoking. The report also lacks crucial information, such as the assessment of the impact vaping has had on European public health so far, as well as a wealth of scientific studies that have unequivocally proven that vaping is far less harmful than traditional smoking. These significant omissions render the report essential and useless for health policymakers and confirm that the Commission is biased against Harm Reduction policies.

It is worth noting that a draft of the report was made available for public consultation in September 2020, receiving strong criticism due to its lack of reliable data. Despite the reactions raised months ago, the final report included only a few deviations and improvements from the initial version, proving that the experts who drafted it did not take into account the testimonies of millions of people in Europe who have stated that they quit smoking thanks to alternative tobacco products.

The SCHEER report not only does not represent progress but actually takes a step back for the EU since it fails to recognize the importance of the role of vaping in a particularly critical period when the European Cancer Plan is being discussed in the Parliament.

As Konstantinos Farsalinos, a prominent researcher and cardiologist, stated to the European news portal Euractiv:

Dustin Dahlman, President of IEVA (Independent European Vape Alliance), commented on the issue: "The SCHEER committee failed to present the scientific data on vaping in a comprehensive and balanced manner. The result is the release of a report that includes a series of baseless claims. Another opportunity to turn smokers to less harmful alternative solutions seems to have been lost. And this alone has serious consequences for public health. We urge decision-makers in Brussels to incorporate Harm Reduction into their overall strategy".

The World Vapers Alliance characterized the report as a "regression for Europe." They stated, "Based on poor and scarce evidence, the report ignores significant scientific evidence, consumer experiences, and expert opinions." Michael Landl, the head of the World Vapers Alliance, called it a "tragedy for public health." He continued, "It will certainly have an impact on smokers and vapers. The SCHEER report ignores a large number of scientific pieces of evidence. They chose not to include them. It is a slap in the face for vapers and common sense".

Landl further emphasized:

"Countries like the United Kingdom and France are encouraging smokers to choose vaping and switch to potentially less harmful alternatives. If the European Union truly wants to address smoking and the diseases associated with it, they should carefully study all the data and studies. It seems that the primary goal, which is to reduce the number of smokers and address smoking-related diseases, has been lost. Vaping is not the same as smoking, and we should not equate the two."