Surely no major industry in the history of the civilized world has faced anything as severe as these proposals. Basically, WHO is telling Big Tobacco to commission and pay for expensive studies that will be used against them to undermine their product sales, without allowing the study results to be used to defend litigation against them. Furether, the documents effectively ban this business from doing business -- and place unconstitutional limits on free speech and free press.
The bottom line is "if we can't make tobacco use illegal, we'll make tobacco products invisible and difficult to obtain." That's one step from prohibition. Fortunately, the U.S. doesn't seem to have signed on to this narrow-minded madness.
But do note this phrase buried in the report. At first, you'll think WHO wants to ban candy cigarettes, bubble gum cigars and chocolate sticks, but look closely and you'll see legal language that could apply to electronic smoking devices as presently sold.
There would be a ban on:
Production and distribution of items such as sweets and toys or other products that resemble cigarettes or other tobacco products.
That's us, folks. E-cigs, e-cigars, e-pipes. If these proposals are adopted and countries put them into effect, the legal grounds to ban e-smoking devices will be in place. That means devices, not just our questionable liquids.
This kind of nonsense makes me so mad that I want to go back to smoking cigarettes, just to spite them. But how can I lash back at WHO, when the only one paying a penalty for smoking would be me? Grrrrr.
