As reported by the Graphic Online, these comments came at the national commemoration of the 34th World No Tobacco Day at Nsawam in the Eastern Region earlier this year. On the day, the local FDA organised a variety of activities with the aim of educating the public about the risks of using tobacco and associated products, such as shisha and electronic cigarettes.
World No Tobacco Day which is held every year on May 31st, has sadly been used by the World Health Organisation (WHO) not only to highlight the harmful effects of smoking, but also to spread misinformation on safer nicotine alternative products that have helped millions of smokers quit.
In total contrast with other health entities such as Public Health England (PHE), the WHO has repeatedly claimed that ENDS and smokeless alternatives do not help smokers quit smoking; are more harmful than combustible tobacco; and that nicotine is equivalent to heroin in terms of addictiveness.
The WHO’s misguided stance
In a recent press release titled “Quit tobacco to be a winner,” the WHO has also said that the tobacco industry has “promoted e-cigarettes as cessation aids under the guises of contributing to global tobacco control.” The agency insists on referring to the vaping industry as the tobacco industry, adding that it has employed “strategic marketing tactics to hook children on this same portfolio of products, making them available in over 15,000 attractive flavors.”
