The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has brought together experts across science, public health and tobacco harm reduction to launch VapeVerify, an independent panel which aims to “put flawed vape science under the microscope”.
UKVIA said that the panel would flag everything from poor methodology to misinterpretation of data and a lack of transparency to ensure policy and public understanding about vaping is being shaped by sound evidence.
VapeVerify was launched in tandem with VapeWatch – a first-of-its-kind media watchdog campaign which will monitor for and challenge inaccurate headlines and flawed reporting about vaping. Under the initiative, any misleading articles will be flagged to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), which regulates the UK news industry to uphold the highest editorial standards. The campaign will also run an ongoing ‘league table’ of the worst offending publications.
The VapeVerify panel includes:
• Dr Marina Murphy – a PhD chemist, science communication specialist and Senior Director of Scientific Affairs at Haypp Group
• Sairah Salim-Sartoni – a chartered health psychologist and stop smoking expert
• David Lawson – a leading regulatory and compliance expert, qualified medical toxicologist and founder of Inter Scientific
• Dr Ian Fearon – a tobacco harm reduction specialist and Director of whatIF? Consulting
• Damien Bové – Member of the Institute for Clinical Research and Chief Regulatory Officer for ADACT Medical
• Dr Garrett McGovern – a GP specialising in addiction, clinical lead for the HSE Addiction Services and Director of Priority Medical Clinic
Dr Murphy said: “Vaping has already helped millions of adults switch away from smoking – which needlessly claims 80,000 lives every year in the UK and remains a leading cause of preventable death.
“Sadly, there are potentially millions more who are unwilling to make the switch because they have been misinformed about the relative risk of smoking versus vaping. Guarding against bad science and unreliable research is the first step in correcting the narrative so vaping can have the strongest positive impact.”
She added: “The VapeVerify panel wants to create an environment where people are armed with the facts so they can make informed decisions – because there is no public health without public knowledge.”
John Dunne, Director General of UK VIA, said: “We are at a crossroads. Vaping can either go down in the history books as a seismic force for public health good or a tragically missed opportunity, and the factor that will tip the scale is public perception.
“Millions of adults have already kicked the habit thanks to vaping, which has been instrumental in securing record low smoking rates in the UK, but so many more still smoke – in part because they’ve been scared off making the switch.
“These two campaigns are designed to hold those who inform – or rather misinform – to account; because there’s too much at stake to let bad science and misleading news go unchecked.”
The independent VapeVerify panel members are volunteers; they do not receive any funding from the UK Vaping Industry Association for their participation and contribution to the initiative.
