Interest, insight, and intrigue around ‘World Vape Day’ on 30 May and ‘World No Tobacco Day’ on 31 May are set to be boosted with sCOPe’s two-day global broadcast. sCOPe22 will see Asia Pacific, African, European, North American and Latin American Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) consumer advocates livestream for eight hours each day from 0700 CDT / 1300 BST.
sCOPe’s return on #WVD22 and #WNTD22 follows its around-the-clock five-day livestream in November last year during COP9 – the 9th Conference of Parties for the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Nancy Loucas, of CAPHRA (Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates), says sCOPe22 will add to the growing international pressure on WHO to embrace safer nicotine products, not demonize them.
“The global evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of vaping, yet hundreds of millions of smokers are blocked from accessing harm reduced alternatives. sCOPe22 will reveal what exactly is going on here,” says Ms Loucas.
In the Asia Pacific region alone, The Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand are set to join nearly 70 countries worldwide which have ignored WHO’s anti-vaping campaign and have instead regulated safer nicotine products. Each country has since reported dramatic declines in their overall smoking rates.
“We are the evidence! Not only is vaping an incredibly effective smoking cessation tool, but it’s deemed 95% less harmful than combustible tobacco. It’s utter madness for WHO to keep directing huge public health resource into bullying countries to ban these life-saving products. sCOPe22 will explore the motivation and money behind WHO’s actions,” says Ms Loucas.
On WVD22 on 30 May, sCOPe22 will broadcast via https://bit.ly/3GlEvn9
On WNTD22 on 31 May, sCOPe22 will broadcast via https://bit.ly/3wMKyg1
THR organizations set to feature include European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA), Campaign for Safer Alternatives in Africa (CASA), Vaping Saved My Life South Africa (VSML) Association of Vapers India (AVI), the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA).
The Americas are also well represented with Latin American-based ARDT Iberoamerica, Rights For Vapers Canada (R4V), the Tobacco Harm Reduction Association of Canada (THRA), and United States-based Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives Association (CASAA).
“sCOPe22 is a global collaboration and our simple message is THR works,” says Ms Loucas. “We’re encouraging people from around the world to watch, listen and learn, as well as join the conversation. We have some wonderful advocates and experts lined up.
“COP10 will take place in 2023 with harm reduced products set to be a key discussion for delegates. Our work now is critical to achieving success next year. In fact, this year’s World Vape Day and World No Tobacco Day have never been more important,” says Nancy Loucas.
A global collaboration of THR consumer groups, sCOPe, has launched a comprehensive library of online panel discussions and presentations. To access sCOPe’s online library, visit https://bit.ly/3PG9lel
For a free digital media repository on tobacco harm reduction in Asia Pacific – including media releases, images and graphics – please visit https://apthrmedia.org