Media Statement By Nicopure Labs On The U.S. Surgeon General's Report On E-Cigarettes
TAMPA, Florida, Dec. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicopure Labs, LLC, the leading manufacturer of premium American-made e-liquid brands Halo, eVo, and Purity has strongly criticised the U.S. Surgeon General's advice regarding the relative risk of vaping and smoking.
In his report into e-cigarette use among young people published on Thursday, the U.S. Surgeon General made no mention of the potential tobacco harm reduction benefits of e-cigarettes in adult smokers. Conversely, UK public health bodies including Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England have heralded the proven contribution of vaping to smoking cessation, harm reduction and therefore reduced mortality.
Nicopure's Head of Corporate & Legal Affairs for Europe, Charles Hamshaw-Thomas, commented:
"The U.S. Surgeon General is at serious risk of acting neglectfully. Just look at the reactions of the Royal College of Physicians and Public Health England regarding vaping. He's shooting at the wrong target. The comparison is between smoking which is lethal and vaping which is orders of magnitude safer, not between vaping and not vaping."
"We have a situation where U.S. and UK health authorities are seemingly pursuing totally different approaches. The UK is following the evidence and supporting what's actually happening, i.e. smokers stopping or reducing their smoking and using reduced risk alternatives instead. The U.S. Surgeon General is chasing shadows: he's framing policy on unproven risks and sacrificing the health of millions of smokers in the process."
The British campaigning organisation Action on Smoking and Health also questioned the Surgeon General's concerns, commenting that vaping has not been associated with an increase in smoking, which the Surgeon General's report fails to mention, and in the U.S., smoking rates have been decreasing.
Leading UK nicotine and smoking expert, Professor John Britton of Nottingham University, attributed a drop in the UK smoking rate, down three percentage points in three years, to people taking up e-cigarettes to quit.
Jeff Stamler, Chief Executive Officer at Nicopure Labs added to the chorus of industry voices condemning the U.S. Surgeon General's report, explaining:
"We expect much more of appointed health officials and we will continue to support reasonable regulation that reflects the potential for harm reduction that vaping products offer to many adult smokers who otherwise would not have a viable alternative to escape the deadly grip of conventional cigarettes."
"The public would be better served if U.S. Government officials focused their energy and attention on irresponsible manufacturers, and eliminate those who use inappropriate flavour names and employ marketing strategies that appeal to the youth. The FDA Deeming Rule that went into effect on August 8, 2016 to regulate vaping products does not address this issue, nor the good manufacturing practices and the safety of certain flavourings that most irresponsible manufacturers are using in their e-liquids."
Patricia Kovacevic, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Nicopure Labs, said:
"We are extremely disappointed that the U.S. Surgeon General Report makes no mention of the UK Royal College of Physicians comprehensive report published earlier this year, which arrived at different conclusions about the vaping products' potential to reduce harm in various populations, including youth, while duly acknowledging potential risks. Generally, we believe the government's repeated failure to proactively communicate comparative reduced risk of vaping versus smoking is detrimental to public health and does not meet the HHS public health mandate."
About Nicopure Labs, LLC
Operating since 2009, Tampa-based Nicopure Labs, LLC is an industry leading e-liquid manufacturer with operations in the U.S. and Europe. Nicopure Labs has recently upgraded its 110,000-sq. ft. manufacturing and distribution operations in Gainesville, Florida to include a 10,000-sq. ft. ISO 7 cleanroom. Distributing to over 90 countries worldwide, including the UK and France, Nicopure Labs has also expanded its presence with the recent addition of a European headquarters in the Netherlands and offices in England.
For more information about Nicopure Labs, distribution or reseller information, please visit nicopure.com. For additional information regarding their premium American-made e-liquids and innovative line of vaporizer devices, please visit halocigs.com.
Media Contact
Jessica Wyland
1-888-270-2449 ext. 7777
jwyland@nicopure.com
Charles Hamshaw-Thomas
chamshaw@nicopure.com
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