Biden’s Cancer Plan Misses the Mark by Overlooking Tobacco Harm Reduction

The administration plans to invest $15 million in smoking cessation programs targeting menthol and flavored tobacco use.

As President Joe Biden unveils an ambitious plan to cut the cancer death rate in half over the next 25 years, the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) calls on the Biden Administration to join countries like the United Kingdom and Sweden in prioritize tobacco harm reduction. The President’s cancer moonshot initiative aims to reduce smoking rates, but the WVA argues that it could be far more effective by embracing less harmful alternatives to smoking, such as vaping.

Michael Landl, Director of the WVA, states, “If President Biden is serious about beating cancer, then embracing tobacco harm reduction is not just an option, it’s a necessity. Sweden and the United Kingdom are leading examples that have proven the effectiveness of vaping and other less harmful products in reducing smoking rates. Instead of fighting less harmful alternatives, the Biden Administration needs to embrace vaping as a smoking cessation aid.”

The administration plans to invest $15 million in smoking cessation programs targeting menthol and flavored tobacco use. Landl suggests, “While these funds aim to reduce smoking among marginalized groups, their impact would be more significant if it included harm-reducing alternatives.“

“To achieve the desired outcomes in cutting cancer-related deaths, it’s imperative that the United States foster a comprehensive harm reduction strategy that acknowledges vaping’s potential to save lives. Many smokers fail to quit, so to beat cancer we need to get real about that and encourage the use of less harmful alternatives such as vaping ,” adds Landl.

WVA argues that the Biden administration needs an inclusive strategy that incorporates a range of less harmful alternatives to smoking. “Flavour bans, high taxation on safer nicotine products, and the overly bureaucratic FDA approval process must end immediately,” says Landl.

More information about how other countries successfully reduced smoking rates can be found here.

• The World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA) amplifies the voices of vapers worldwide and empowers them to make a difference for their communities. Our members are vapers associations as well as individual vapers from all over the world. More information on www.worldvapersalliance.com
• Michael Landl is the director of the World Vapers’ Alliance. He is from Austria and is based in Vienna. He is an experienced policy professional and a passionate vaper. He studied at the University of St. Gallen and worked for several public policy outlets and as well in the German Parliament.