French Vapers and Addictions struggling Associations interpellate governement & president

[Leio]

French Vapers Association "AIDUCE", and 3 big associations fighting against addictions ("RESPAD", "Federation Addiction" and "SOS addiction) are calling the french governement and the president Hollande to follow the UK way.
Please feel free to use the press release (Link below) and spread the news as much as you can

communiqué de presse - Cigarette électronique : Les associations française de lutte contre les addictions demandent au gouvernement de suivre l’exemple anglais

 

[Jman8]

Is there an English version?

 

[Leio]

Not yet

 

[Leio]

But I think at least a quick translation will come soon (AIDUCE vice-president has English as mother language)

 

[AndriaD]

You could get a quick-n-dirty translation with Chrome browser... it might be somewhat garbled, since direct translation can be very difficult, but maybe good enough to get the gist.

Andria

 

[NoFumus]

This gist of it (from Google Translate).

"The British government has published a report http://www.24presse.com/sante_cigar...ple_anglais-search-9917918-1-Sante.html#_edn1 strongly supports the electronic cigarette he had asked the Public Health England (PHE - August 19, 2015). Based on the fact that today the e-cigarette has become the means most used by smokers to quit smoking, and it helps to lower tobacco use among both long-term smokers than in young adult smokers, this report very pragmatic, proposes to consider the electronic cigarette as a key tool in the fight against smoking, and therefore, promote appropriately with smokers and in medical practice."

 

[Leio]

Here is the full text (also with google translate and it's not so bad) :

Electronic Cigarette:
The French associations fighting against addictions asking the government to follow the English example

After the opinion of the British public health service, the French associations fighting against addictions and users of the electronic cigarette want the government to review and complete the fight against tobacco program.


The British government has published a report strongly supports the electronic cigarette he had asked the Public Health England (PHE - August 19, 2015).
Noting that today the e-cigarette has become the most used means by smokers to quit smoking, and it helps to lower tobacco consumption among smokers as long as youth adult smokers, this report very pragmatic, proposes to consider the electronic cigarette to be a key tool in the fight against smoking, and therefore, promote it appropriately with smokers and medical practices.Britain is thus becoming the lowest smoking countries in the world.

It uses three levers recognized tobacco control:
- Higher prices of tobacco policy
- Denormalizing tobacco
- Validation of the e-cigarette in weaning solutions (information public, recommendations by doctors and specialized centers, strong nicotine strengths available, not restricted depending on the location).

Note that this report confirms the very low dangerousness of the e-cigarette, the same as nicotine replacement, the negligible risk vapotage liabilities, and non-influence of e-cigarette in the initiation of smoking (binding use for non-smoking and addictive little). Finally, it notes that the confusion tobacco / e-cigarette smoking has led many to fear as much as tobacco, he recommends tend to reverse.

The report of the Public Health England on the electronic cigarette strengthens the positions supported by the associations signatories to this text: it must be associated and registered in the fight against tobacco and its place in the Smoking Reduction National Plan (PNRT).

The associations call on the government, MPs and senators to follow the English example, the most effective against smoking for decades, and to review the draft texts on the electronic cigarette which measures came too clamped use [ ii].

While AFNOR standards come into application, allowing security both hardware as e-liquid, we regret distrust with respect to this tool. She ignored the lessons of the Harm Reduction that has learned to value the tools created and developed by users from their expectations. They help to facilitate their involvement in a process of risk reduction and to make possible changes in behavior. Tobacco prevention actions must be multiple, neutral package, electronic cigarette, substitutes, etc., valuing and thus emphasizing their complementarity. They must be involved to ensure the objective of decreasing tobacco use by increasing the choice of "entries" by prescription, for the support of user associations, a wide availability to the general public, etc.

The signatory organizations hope that this publication will be an opportunity to complete the open range in France!

Brice Lepoutre, President of the Aiduce - Jean-Pierre Couteron, President of the Federation Addiction - Anne Borgne, President of RESPADD - William Lowenstein, president of SOS Addictions - Philippe Presles, member of the Scientific Committee of SOS Addictions and Aiduce .


The reading of the short version of the report: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...on_for_evidence_based_policy_and_practice.pdf
[ii] 1) Health Bill - Amendment No. AS1404 to the prohibition on advertising for vape: it is counterproductive, the use of the electronic cigarette should instead be encouraged in a real determination to reduce smoking .2) Health Bill - Amendment No. AS1413 vapoter to ban in public places: it is established that to give a chance to a successful smoking cessation with the electronic cigarette, vapoteur must use all throughout the day to achieve constant doses of nicotine as with patches. Prevent such use is equivalent to taking the risk of relapse to tobacco by nicotine withdrawal. Vapotage liabilities do not exist, there is no health reason to ban it in public places.3) Bill of Health - Article 53: The application of the Directive for tobacco products: its binding and unfounded requirements give way as electronic cigarettes manufactured by the tobacco industry and ineffective in the context of a withdrawal. Working together to ensure that the application of this Directive is done in a risk reduction target and not to a continuation of smoking in tobacco.

 

[Leio]

here is the "official" translation :
http://www.aiduce.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/CP-interasso-E-cig_EN.pdf
"
Following publication of formal advice from England’s public health service, French associations campaigning against addiction, together with electronic cigarette users, hereby request the government to revise and complement its anti-tobacco programme.

The British government has just published a report (i) commissioned from Public Health England that is very favourable towards electronic cigarettes (PHE 19 Aug 2015).

Acknowledging the fact that e-cigarettes have become the means most used by smokers to quit tobacco and that they contribute to reduce tobacco consumption both amongst long-term and young adult smokers, this practical report recommends that they be considered a key tool in the fight against smoking and should, therefore, be appropriately promoted towards smokers and in medical practices.

Great Britain is thus on the way to become the country with the lowest prevalence of smoking in the world. It uses 3 levers that are considered efficient in the campaign against tobacco:

– A policy of high tobacco pricing

– Tobacco denormalisation

– Endorsement of the e-cigarette as a means to quit tobacco (by informing public opinion, through advice from doctors and Stop Smoking centres, the availability of high nicotine concentrations, unlimited usage depending on location).



In particular the report confirms that the e-cigarette carries a similar very low level of risk as nicotine replacement products; that the risk of passive vaping is negligible; and that it does not encourage initiation into tobacco smoking (its use is awkward for non-smokers and only marginally addictive). The report also notes that the confusion between tobacco and e-cigarettes has caused many smokers to fear the latter as much as the former; a tendency which it recommends should be reversed.

This report from Public Health England on e-cigarettes reinforces the views held by the Associations who have signed this letter. E-cigarettes should be included in and promoted by the campaign against tobacco and should have its place in the National Plan to Reduce Tobacco Smoking (le Plan National de Réduction du Tabagisme or PNRT).

The Associations call on the government, the members of the National Assembly and Senators to follow England’s example that over decades has proven the most successful in reducing smoking prevalence. They should revisit the draft laws on e-cigarettes which, by imposing too many restrictions, will discourage their use (ii).

Now that AFNOR’s product standards are coming into effect, enabling the provision of safe devices and e-liquid, we regret the distrust expressed about this tool. Such suspicion ignores the lessons learnt about Risk Reduction which recognise the value of tools created and developed by users to meet their needs. Such tools facilitate the involvement of their users in a risk reduction process and thereby encourage behaviour change. The actions required to combat smoking should be multiple and include such elements as plain packaging, e-cigarettes and nicotine substitutes; valuing and insisting upon their complementarity. They should be associated with each other to achieve the paramount objective of reducing tobacco consumption, by multiplying the entry routes through medical prescriptions, the support of user associations, ensuring the availability as a consumer product, and by other means.

The signatory associations hope that publication of this report will provide the opportunity to complement the policies being envisaged for France.

Brice Lepoutre, President of AIDUCE – Jean-Pierre Couteron, President of Fédération Addiction – Anne Borgne, President of RESPADD – William Lowenstein, President of SOS Addictions – Philippe Presles, member of SOS Addictions’ Scientific Committee and of AIDUCE

Contacts:

Nicolas Bonnet, Director of RESPADD – nicolas.bonnet@respadd.org

Brice Lepoutre, President of AIDUCE – contact@aiduce.org

William Lowenstein, President of SOS Addictions – docteurwl@gmail.com

_________________________

(i) The report’s short version (6 pages plus graphs) is very clear:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...on_for_evidence_based_policy_and_practice.pdf



(ii) 1. Health Bill: Amendment AS1404 to ban all e-cigarette publicity. This amendment is counter-productive because use of the e-cigarette should instead be promoted to achieve a real reduction in smoking prevalence.

1. Health Bill: Amendment AS1413 to ban vaping from public areas. To succeed in quitting tobacco, vapers need to use their e-cigarettes throughout the day so as to achieve consistent nicotine doses as with patches. To prevent such use encourages a relapse back to tobacco because of nicotine privation. Since passive vaping does not exist, there is no reason to ban vaping in public areas.
2. Health Bill: Article 53 to transpose the Tobacco Products Directive. The Directive’s unjustified restrictions will serve only to offer the market place to the kind of e-cigarettes sold by the tobacco industry. These products are inefficient within the context of a policy to quit smoking. Let us work together to ensure that this Directive is transposed in such way as to promote risk reduction objectives and not to keep smokers in the clutches of tobacco.