In 2020, The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), a Bloomberg partner for ‘The Initiative to reduce tobacco use’, published its fourth position statement on e-cigarettes.
In it, The Union called for a blanket ban on all electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and heated tobacco products (HTPs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
INNCO has developed a report in response to The Union, titled 10 reasons why blanket bans of e-cigarettes and HTPs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are not fit for purpose.
Smoking prevalence remains high, with around 1.3 billion people who smoke and/or use high-risk forms of tobacco. More than 80% of those people live in LMICs.
Our sincere desire is to spark conversation about the right to reduce harm as a human rights issue and to highlight the inherent injustice associated with denying people access to safer alternatives simply because of where they live.
International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organisations (INNCO) – March 20, 2021.