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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 5h

🚨 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...

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…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 9h

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-...

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…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 1d

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...

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…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 5d

🚨 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-...

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…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 5d

🔎 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...

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…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 6d

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-...

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…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 6d

Prison officers in NI are still exposed to second-hand smoke because inmates can light up in their cells. Now, the justice minister plans a vape pilot to protect staff and cut smoking inside. 🚭➡️💨 clearingtheair.eu/post/ni-back...

NI backs vaping to cut prison smoking as Republic drives up vape costs

Northern Ireland’s justice minister has floated a pilot vaping scheme for prisoners - as the Republic of Ireland doubles vape prices with a new tax from November. Prison smoking exemption under…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 7d

🚨 Exclusive: EU’s leaked COP11 playbook reveals the goal - erase harm reduction, ban safer nicotine, leave cigarettes untouched. A win for ideology, a loss for lives. #HarmReduction @WHO #COP11 clearingtheair.eu/en/post/excl...

Exclusive: EU’s Leaked COP11 Position Signals Harsh Crackdown on Safer Nicotine Products

A leaked European Union draft position for next month’s WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) meeting reveals a sweeping push to extend tobacco-style restrictions, and even possible…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 8d

EU Health Commissioner @OliverVarhelyi says vapes should be taxed the same as cigarettes because of “health impact.” Reality check: smoking kills 700,000 Europeans a year. Vaping? Zero. #FollowTheScience clearingtheair.eu/post/eu-vows...

EU vows vape tax hike as officials liken vapes to cigarettes

The European Union (EU) is preparing to hike taxes on vapes to the same level as cigarettes, as top commissioners draw direct comparisons between the two products - a move critics say ignores…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 8d

Forget water bottles, Vicky Pattison just added her vape to her Strictly “training essentials” kit 💃✨ clearingtheair.eu/post/vicky-p...

Vicky Pattison reveals her vape is a Strictly ‘training essential’

Vicky Pattison has revealed that her vape has become a Strictly Come Dancing “training essential.” The TV personality, 37, who is paired with professional dancer Kai Widdrington on this year’s BBC…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 9d

🚨 Ahead of #COP11, we sat down with Dr Derek Yach, former WHO Director for NCDs and one of the most influential voices in global health. In Part 1 of our exclusive interview, he traces his journey from apartheid-era South Africa to the frontline of tobacco policy. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/voic...

Voices of Harm Reduction Pt 9: Derek Yach

As we count down to the WHO’s bi-annual summit on tobacco control - which is increasingly used to spread misinformation about harm reduction, we sat down with former WHO Director for Non-Communicable…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 12d

First Hoekstra said “vaping kills.” Now Várhelyi says “nicotine causes cancer.” Both flat-out wrong. Both contradicted by the EU’s own science. Why are EU Commissioners spreading disinformation? 🤔 #HarmReduction clearingtheair.eu/en/post/excl...

EXCLUSIVE: Varheyli tweets, then deletes, false claim that nicotine causes cancer

A European Commissioner has come under fire for spreading misinformation about nicotine, just months after another senior EU official made similarly inaccurate claims about vaping. On September 30,…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 12d

Most smokers now believe the lie 🚬➡️💨 A new study finds 71% of US smokers and 34% in the UK think vaping is as harmful as smoking, despite overwhelming evidence it’s far safer. Misinformation kills. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/most...

Most UK and U.S. smokers now believe vaping is as harmful as smoking, new study finds

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 13d

600,000 vapes seized. 90% US-made. Trump said he’d save small vape businesses, now his DOJ is destroying them. clearingtheair.eu/post/trump-p...

Trump promised to ‘save vaping’ – now industry says DOJ raids could wipe it out

Donald Trump’s pledge to save vaping is under scrutiny after federal authorities seized hundreds of thousands of products in what industry leaders say could devastate U.S. manufacturers. Two weeks…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 14d

Imagine a country where 41% of men smoke and the government decides the real problem is… vaping. Welcome to Malaysia 2026. 🤦 clearingtheair.eu/post/malaysi...

Malaysia plans nationwide vape ban by mid-2026

Malaysia is set to roll out a nationwide ban on vaping by the middle of next year, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad has confirmed. The prohibition will apply to both the sale and use of vapes and…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 15d

FREEDOM… from smoked tobacco. ⚽️🔥 Mel Gibson ditches the cigarettes and double pockets the pouches. 🚭 clearingtheair.eu/en/post/mel-...

Mel Gibson spotted with nicotine pouches at AS Roma match

AS Roma fans at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday were joined by Hollywood actor Mel Gibson, who was photographed with two tins of what appear to be nicotine pouches in his pockets. The photos were…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 15d

Labour’s “Pride in Place” plan puts vape shops in the same category as betting shops and dodgy barbers. Meanwhile, cigarettes remain everywhere. That’s not health policy, that’s hypocrisy. 🚬🙃 clearingtheair.eu/post/licensi...

Licensing shake-up could block access to vapes, warn retailers

Access to vapes could be cut off for thousands of smokers under new government licensing rules. Retailers and the vaping industry warn the move risks fuelling smoking rates and boosting the black…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 16d

80% of WHO Foundation funding now comes from dark money. At the same time, WHO pushes harder against vaping & pouches. Just bad timing… or something else? 🤔 👀 #COP11 clearingtheair.eu/post/dark-mo...

Dark money at WHO raises fresh concerns for vaping policy

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is facing renewed scrutiny after a new report revealed its foundation has taken tens of millions in undisclosed corporate donations. Experts say the rise of “dark…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 16d

Millions of Americans quit smoking with vapes. Trump promised to defend them. Instead, he’s overseeing prohibition-lite while pretending it’s protection. 🧐 #Vaping #HarmReduction clearingtheair.eu/post/trumps-...

Trump’s vow to protect vaping sparks backlash after inaction

President Donald Trump’s pledge to “save vaping” is drawing criticism from vapers and harm-reduction advocates, who say his administration has instead overseen a crackdown on the very products he…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 19d

Harm reduction isn’t a slogan; it’s measurable. Another new review adds to the body of evidence. So why do Brussels & the @WHO keep pretending it doesn’t exist? 🧐 clearingtheair.eu/post/health-...

Health risk markers improve when smokers switch to HTPs, new review reveals

A new review of randomised controlled trials found some health risk markers improved when smokers switched to heated tobacco products (HTPs). One cancer biomarker and two cardiovascular biomarkers…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 19d

🚭➡️💨 Four countries are proving harm reduction works: 🇸🇪 Sweden is almost smoke-free 🇯🇵 Japan halved cigarette sales in a decade 🇬🇧 UK slashed smoking with NHS vaping 🇳🇿 NZ cut smoking in HALF in just 6 years. Evidence doesn’t lie: safer alternatives save lives. clearingtheair.eu/en/post/four...

Four countries leading the way in harm reduction

New evidence shows that four countries are proving safer nicotine alternatives can cut smoking rates, prevent disease and save lives. The findings come from The Safer Nicotine Revolution: Global…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 20d

🌍 New report ahead of #COP11: Sweden, UK, Japan & NZ prove it, safer nicotine alternatives slash smoking, cut disease & save lives. Time for the WHO to stop denying harm reduction. 👉 clearingtheair.eu/post/safer-n...

Safer nicotine products saving lives, experts say in call to WHO

International health experts are calling on governments to embrace safer nicotine alternatives as proven tools to cut smoking, prevent disease and save lives. The appeal comes in The Safer Nicotine…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 21d

🚭 From cigar lounges to café terraces, Belgium is outlawing smoking + vaping outdoors in 2027. Even ashtrays could mean fines. Details 👉 clearingtheair.eu/post/belgium...

Belgium confirms outdoor smoking and vaping ban from 2027

Belgium will ban smoking and vaping on public terraces and in designated smoking rooms from 1 January 2027. The federal government says the measure covers restaurant and café terraces as well as…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 22d

🇮🇪 Ireland’s long-delayed vape tax is finally on the way, 50c per ml will hit by year’s end. Disposable prices set to jump. More restrictions coming too 👉 clearingtheair.eu/post/ireland...

Ireland’s delayed vape tax set to take effect by end of year

Ireland’s delayed tax on vape liquid is now “likely” to be introduced by the end of this year, with preparations to implement it described as “well advanced.” In the Budget 2025, then finance…

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Clearing the Air @clearingtheair.bsky.social · 23d

For years, we’ve been told vaping leads teens to smoking. New research says the models don’t work, literally no better than chance. The gateway myth falls apart 👉 clearingtheair.eu/en/post/vapi...

Vaping is not a reliable predictor of smoking initiation, new analysis shows

Reanalysis of gateway studies shows their models predict smoking no better than chance when tested properly. Most papers never reported how accurate their models were, and many authors refused to…

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