"Three major pharmaceutical companies have joined this partnership: Glaxo Wellcome, Novartis, and Pharmacia & Upjohn. They all manufacture treatment products against tobacco dependence... And I am happy to welcome other stakeholders - and that includes industry - to join us - because investing in health yields high returns."
Information Daily, 2013:
Despite electronic cigarettes still being in their international infancy, they are now thought to be the UK's most popular smoking cessation aid with 1.3 million users.According to the latest available figures, over 25 per cent of attempts to stop smoking in the UK are now supported by e-cigarettes, overtaking longstanding cessation aids such as throat sprays, patches and nicotine gum.
BBC, 2014:
The Smoking Toolkit Study, which covers England, has found that electronic cigarettes are overtaking the use of nicotine products such as patches and gum as an aid to quitting smoking.
The Guardian, 2014:
E-cigarettes are more effective than nicotine patches and gum in helping people to quit smoking, according to a study that challenges the negative views of some public health experts.
... Pharmaceutical companies such as GSK and Pfizer, which make smoking cessation drugs, are among the opponents of e-cigarettes. "They are losing sales hand over fist to e-cigarettes and are incentivised to make it appear they are not effective," said West.
BBC, 2014:
The World Health Organization says there should be a ban on the use of e-cigarettes indoors and that sales to children should stop.In a report the health body says there must be no more claims that the devices can help smokers quit - until there is firm evidence to support this.
WHO experts warn the products might pose a threat to adolescents and the foetuses of pregnant women.
World Health Organisation, 2014:
The countries agreed on a set of goals in line with the WHO recommendations. These seek to prevent non-smokers and young people ever starting to use ENDS; to protect bystanders from ENDS’ emissions; to minimize the potential health risks posed by ENDS and to challenge unproven health claims used to market these products. To achieve their goals, the countries said that they would deploy any regulatory measures they see fit to limit the use of ENDS or ban their use altogether.
World Health Organisation, 2015:
Ecigarette use in UK fell in '14 amid concerns over health effects and doubts whether they match the real experience http://t.co/ptrPSMbRBf
— WHO FCTC (@FCTCofficial) February 5, 2015
Job done. I hope Big Pharma has the courtesy to leave a tip.
* Oddly, the WHO have taken this speech off their website, but it can still be viewed here.
