Consumer body writes to MPs over ‘inaccurate’ statements at evidence session on youth vaping

The New Nicotine Alliance (NNA) UK has written to the parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee following an oral evidence session on youth vaping held on 28 June.

The consumer advocacy body said they were ‘disappointed that much of the discussion was inaccurate and often ill-informed’, highlighting ‘the many inaccurate, misleading, or false statements and remarks during the hearing’ in the letter.

“We hope committee members will recognise these areas of concern and take them into account when considering their future recommendations,” NNA said in a communication.

The letter tackles incorrect statements made on addictiveness of vaping compared to smoking, relative risk of vaping compared to smoking, absence of long term data, popcorn lung, Big Tobacco links and vaping flavours, among others.

The evidence session consisted of two panels of witnesses, with the first including Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, Dr Helen Stewart, officer for health improvement at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and Laranya Caslin, Principal, St George’s Academy, Sleaford. Vaping industry representatives - John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association and Marcus Saxton, chairman of the Independent British Vape Trade Association - formed the second panel.