TODAY, 30 May 2020, is World Vape Day. World Vape Day aims to raise awareness of vaping and encourage smokers who are unable to quit on their own or with currently available smoking cessation tools to switch to safer nicotine products such as vaping.

World Vape Day has been organised by consumer advocacy groups from all around the world, including CAPHRA, the Coalition of Asia-Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates which covers Australasia.

Today is a cause for great celebration. There are over 40 million vapers worldwide and many others who have quit smoking and vaping altogether.

Vaping has helped millions to achieve a healthier smoke-free lifestyle, live longer lives and save a packet of money

Sadly, Australia has not had a consumer advocacy group since the collapse of the New Nicotine Alliance and this drastically reduces progress for vaping and other tobacco harm reduction strategies in Australia.

What you can do on World Vape Day

Some things you can do to raise awareness of vaping and how it can help smokers to quit:

• Join the Twitter campaign: tweet with #WorldVapeDay and #SayYesToTHR to talk about your quit journey and also speak up against vape bans and restrictions
• Complete the CAPHRA smokefree4lifeonline survey
• Could you help form an Australian consumer advocacy group? Contact us at ATHRA to be linked to others who are willing to be involved
• Email your local MP and explain how vaping has helped you
• There are still 3 million smokers in Australia and most are misinformed about vaping. Help a non-smoker to switch and you could be saving a life. See here for more
• Sign the Legalise Vaping petition
• Make a tax-deductible donation to ATHRA to help to educate the community about vaping and advocate for the legalisation of nicotine for vaping

Resources

World Vape Day website

World Vape Day twitter account

Posted by Colin Mendelsohn, colin @athra.org.au

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