Clearing the Air

EXCLUSIVE: EU won’t push for bans at WHO Tobacco Control summit in blow for Commission – full document EU Member States have today agreed not to push for bans on safer nicotine products at the WHO’s bi-annual tobacco control summit, COP 11, after a large group of countries refused to accept the…

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: EU Member States have blocked the Commission’s push for bans on safer nicotine products at COP11. The word “ban”… has itself been banned. Huge win for harm reduction. clearingtheair.eu/post/exclusi... #HarmReduction #COP11 #Vaping

Putin backs plan for total vape ban in Russia Russian President and noted germaphobe Vladimir Putin has backed a proposal to outlaw vapes nationwide. During a visit to a sports and education center in Samara on Thursday, Putin responded…

Paternalist Putin has added another corker to his ever-growing list of poor decisions, signalling support for a national vape ban. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/puti...

UK engineer powers home using 500 recycled vapes A UK engineer and YouTuber has repurposed 500 disposable vapes into a working powerwall capable of running both his home and workshop. The project, created by Chris Doel, uses lithium-ion batteries…

From vape bin to powerwall ⚡️ A UK engineer has turned 500 disposable vapes into a working home battery that powers his house and workshop. Waste to watts, literally. clearingtheair.eu/post/uk-engi...

French MPs challenge nicotine pouch ban in new budget battle France’s planned ban on nicotine pouches from next spring could be in jeopardy after a series of amendments were tabled in the National Assembly aimed at softening or replacing the measure. The…

Criminalising nicotine pouches with tougher penalties than cocaine was always absurd. French MPs now agree — proposing regulation, not repression. #HarmReduction #NicotinePouches #PublicHealth clearingtheair.eu/post/french-...

Expert debunks claims that vaping slowed smoking declines down under A new expert analysis has challenged claims that vaping has slowed progress in cutting youth smoking rates in Australia and New Zealand. Recent academic papers from the University of Sydney’s…

Correlation isn’t causation. One researcher says claims that vaping slowed youth smoking rely on fragile assumptions, not real-world evidence. #TobaccoControl #HarmReduction
clearingtheair.eu/post/expert-...

COP11 agenda dismisses harm reduction as ‘tobacco industry narrative’ The World Health Organisation’s upcoming tobacco control summit, COP11, is under fire for framing harm reduction as a “tobacco industry narrative” - a move that critics say sidelines evidence and…

The @WHO’s own treaty defines tobacco control as including harm reduction. Yet COP11’s agenda leaves it out, reframing it as “industry narrative.” Science shouldn’t be rewritten to fit ideology. #TobaccoControl #HarmReduction clearingtheair.eu/en/post/cop1...

UK smoking rates fall to record low as vapes overtake cigarettes The share of UK adults who smoke has fallen to 10.6 per cent, the lowest since records began in 2011. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, smoking has dropped dramatically from 25.7 per cent in 2011 to 8.1 per…

🇬🇧 Smoking hits a record low: just 10.6% of UK adults now smoke. For the first time ever, more Brits vape than smoke. Evidence that harm reduction works in real time. #HarmReduction #Vaping clearingtheair.eu/post/uk-smok...

Vapes more effective than other quit smoking aids, landmark Cochrane review finds Nicotine vapes help more people quit smoking than nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum People using nicotine vapes are also more likely to quit than those using non-nicotine vapes or…

🚨 Landmark Cochrane Review: Nicotine vapes help more smokers quit than patches, gum, or lozenges, with no evidence of serious harm from regulated products. #HarmReduction #Vaping clearingtheair.eu/post/vapes-m...

FDA shift opens door to flavoured vapes In a major turnaround, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has signalled support for tobacco harm reduction - and suggested that more flavoured vapes could soon be authorised for sale.…

The FDA’s new tone on harm reduction could reshape nicotine policy worldwide. A move toward legal, flavoured, reduced-risk products — and away from prohibition. #TobaccoControl #HarmReduction clearingtheair.eu/en/post/fda-...

Nicorette maker wants more tax on vapes Nicorette maker Kenvue’s Vice President Hannah French has called for a “tobacco and nicotine free generation” in a speech to EU policy makers at the Parliament Magazine’s Healthcare summit. In a soft…

🚨 Nicorette maker Kenvue’s VP calls for a “tobacco & nicotine-free generation” - at an EU health summit sponsored by Kenvue. The irony writes itself. #HarmReduction #EUHealth clearingtheair.eu/post/nicoret...

Banned disposable vapes still sold as UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill faces scrutiny Disposable vapes are still being sold openly in the UK despite a nationwide ban, a new investigation has found. The findings come as the government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill faces detailed scrutiny in…

Months after the UK’s disposable vape ban, ITV finds 7 of 25 Brighton stores still selling them. When enforcement fails, black markets fill the gap. #TobaccoControl #HarmReduction clearingtheair.eu/post/banned-...

EXCLUSIVE: “Rethink the status quo” – two former WHO directors call for radical overhaul of global nicotine policy Two former Directors at the World Health Organisation have called for a radical overhaul of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control - the WHO’s International Treaty on tobacco control policy - in…

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Two former WHO Directors have called for a radical overhaul of global nicotine policy, warning that ideology is costing lives. “This is a moment that requires courage.” Full piece → clearingtheair.eu/en/post/excl... #HarmReduction #WHO #COP11

Flawed lab methods may exaggerate vaping risks, major new review finds Most laboratory studies using a popular vaping exposure system likely overheated vape aerosol, producing unrealistic toxin levels. Only 14 of 40 studies gave enough detail to reproduce how the…

New review: 40 lab studies using the InExpose system may have overstated vaping risks. Most ran high power with low airflow, conditions that overheat devices and distort results. #Vaping #HarmReduction clearingtheair.eu/en/post/flaw...

Smokers who vape quit more often across all flavours and devices, new PATH study finds Cigarette quit rates among vapers rose sharply between 2014 and 2021. The increase was seen across all vape flavours - menthol, fruit, and mixed - except tobacco flavour. Quit rates rose for every…

📊 New PATH study: smokers who vape quit more often, across all flavours, all devices, all ages. Vaping works. Full stop. #HarmReduction #Vaping clearingtheair.eu/post/smokers...

When science fails: 3 anti-vape studies that didn’t survive scrutiny Several studies making dramatic claims about the dangers of vaping have made headlines in recent years - only to be withdrawn after serious questions were raised about their methods and conclusions.…

Bad science makes big headlines. Retractions whisper. 3 anti-vape studies collapsed under scrutiny, but not before shaping policy & public opinion. >>> clearingtheair.eu/post/when-sc... #Vaping #Science

Sweden is Europe’s first smoke-free nation as Scotland’s progress stalls Sweden has become the first country in Europe to achieve smoke-free status, while smoking rates in Scotland have stalled amid restrictions on vaping and a decline in cessation funding. Sweden reaches…

🇸🇪 Sweden just became Europe’s first smoke-free nation. Scotland hasn’t budged in years. Same goal, very different results → clearingtheair.eu/post/sweden-... #HarmReduction #SmokeFree

The UK government’s push to create a “smoke-free generation” is facing major challenges – both in the courts and on the streets. A potential legal clash in Northern Ireland threatens to derail new nationwide tobacco laws, while new data shows that disposable vape use remains widespread despite it being banned. A new report…

🚭 UK ban backfires: 62.5% of vapers still on disposables, 82% of 25–34s, and 35% still buying them today. Black market wins, public health loses. #HarmReduction #Vaping clearingtheair.eu/en/post/the-...

100,000 + sign French petition against crushing vape tax Over 100.000  people have signed a French petition calling for the government to rethink its proposed vape tax in just three days. The petition has over 127.000 signatures at the time of writing. The…

🚨 127,000 French vapers say non merci to a crushing vape tax, and that’s in just 3 days. Lawmakers want to call vaping “tobacco” and slap huge levies on it. Common sense says: don’t. #HarmReduction #Vaping Read more → clearingtheair.eu/en/post/1000...

SCOOP: Italian Government scathing opposition to EU nicotine tax The Italian Government fears a significant shift to the black market if the EU tax is approved, according to a “Reasoned Opinion” published by the Italian Government and reproduced here by Clearing…

🚨 SCOOP: Italy warns EU nicotine tax will fuel organised crime & black markets. Rome calls Brussels’ plan “damaging to public health” & a gift to smugglers. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/scoo...

EXCLUSIVE: Belgian Deputy Prime Minister to host public anti-nicotine seminar during COP 11 Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and former Health Minister Franck Vandenbroucke will host a livestreamed seminar on novel nicotine products, with a focus on vaping, during the WHO’s biannual…

EXCLUSIVE: Belgium bans pouches. Belgium bans disposables. Smoking rate? Still stuck at 21%. Now Deputy PM Vandenbroucke wants to lecture the world on vaping at WHO’s tobacco summit. 🚬➡️💨 clearingtheair.eu/en/post/excl...

New science review on vape ingredients criticised for unrealistic testing A new paper claims vape liquids can release harmful chemicals when overheated. Experts say the tests used in the study don’t match how people actually vape. Human studies show no measurable breathing…

“Harm-searching” is the new playbook: test vapes in unrealistic ways, exaggerate byproducts, ignore 15 years of real-world safety data. #THR clearingtheair.eu/post/new-sci...

Have your say: UK government seeks evidence on vape licensing and product rules Members of the public, retailers and experts can respond to the government’s call for evidence here by 11:59pm on 3 December 2025. Retailers, health experts and the public are being urged to respond…

📢 🇬🇧 Deadline alert: The UK Gov is asking for evidence on vape flavours, nicotine limits, device design + retailer licensing. Submissions close 11:59pm, 3 Dec. This is your chance to influence the future of harm reduction. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/have...

Big Brother star claims contestants can vape – but it’s deducted from their pay A former Big Brother housemate has lifted the lid on the show’s behind-the-scenes rules for smoking and vaping - and the details are more surprising than your average reality show twist. Lily Benson,…

👀 “As many vapes as you want — but it goes off your allowance.” Big Brother 2024 alum Lily Benson spills the tea on how nicotine rules really work behind the scenes. clearingtheair.eu/post/big-bro...

WHO’s harm reduction stance ‘contradicts science,’ says former agency director A former World Health Organisation (WHO) director has accused the agency of ignoring science and blocking progress on tobacco harm reduction. Professor Tikki Pang warns that the WHO’s current…

🌍 Asia-Pacific has 781M tobacco users, 63% of the global total. Instead of backing safer alternatives, @WHO is shutting them down. Ex-WHO director Tikki Pang calls it “contradicting science.” clearingtheair.eu/post/whos-ha...

EXCLUSIVE: EU to launch review of EU Tobacco Control law next year The European Commission is to unveil its “evaluation report” on the EU’s Tobacco Control policy framework, according to a draft of the Commission’s work plan seen by Clearing the Air. The package…

🚨 BREAKING: The European Commission will unveil its long-awaited evaluation of EU tobacco laws, led by Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, who has falsely claimed nicotine causes cancer. New rules expected by 2027. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/excl...

Sweden warns France and Spain over ‘absurd’ pouch bans Sweden has stepped up its opposition to proposed nicotine pouch bans in France and Spain, sending formal letters to both governments and calling the measures “absurd.” The correspondence, signed by…

Sweden to France: banning nicotine pouches is “as absurd as banning baguettes.” 🥖🇸🇪 This fight over harm reduction is about to heat up. #SmokeFree clearingtheair.eu/post/sweden-...

Canadian province targets vape companies with new cost recovery law British Columbia has become the first province in Canada to table legislation that would allow it to recover healthcare costs from vape companies accused of misleading the public. Attorney General…

Vaping has helped 1.9M Canadians move away from cigarettes. Yet BC is gearing up to sue the very companies behind it, echoing old anti-tobacco playbooks in search of a payday. Wrong target, wrong century. clearingtheair.eu/post/canadia...

Vaping carries far lower risk of wheezing than smoking, new CoEHAR study finds Smokers were nearly twice as likely to develop wheezing compared with vapers. The risk of respiratory symptoms rose sharply according to the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Exclusive vape use…

🚨 Fresh data from CoEHAR: heavy smokers face 2x higher odds of wheezing. Vapers? No extra risk compared with never-smokers. Switching makes a real difference. clearingtheair.eu/post/vaping-...

Five WHO blunders that exposed its failures on vaping The World Health Organisation portrays itself as the ultimate health authority. But its approach to vaping and other safer nicotine products has faced growing criticism for contradictions and…

🔎 New: Five WHO blunders on vaping that have set back global harm reduction. From fearmongering to bad policy, here’s how the world’s “health authority” keeps failing smokers. clearingtheair.eu/post/five-wh...

FDA inflates teen vaping figures as small firms fight for survival FDA Commissioner Dr Marty Makary has claimed that “up to a quarter or more” of U.S. children are “regularly using” vapes - but the agency’s own data puts the figure at just 5.9 per cent. The inflated…

Marty Makary: “25% of kids vape.” FDA survey: 5.9%. Either the Commissioner doesn’t know his own agency’s data, or he’s fuelling moral panic to justify draconian actions. Neither is acceptable. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/fda-...