Some of the biggest supporters and pro-campaigners of Britain's ever-emerging vape industry have been honoured at the prestigious Vaping Industry Recognition Awards 2022.
Hosted by the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), the ceremony saw members from all sectors of the industry, including politicians and representatives from the NHS and Trading Standards, celebrated for their hard work and support.
Dr Anita Sharma, a local GP from Oldham who has been campaigning for smokers, including pregnant women, to switch to vaping to improve their health, was awarded Most Supportive Public Health Professional.
While Mike Pawsey MP, who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Vaping which explores appropriate legislative responses and reports into e-cigarettes as a harm reduction tool was handed the accolade for Most Supportive Parliamentarian.
The Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA) meanwhile won the International Vaping Award for their tireless work representing and uniting those companies within the vaping sector which are independent of big tobacco firms.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, a government agency which is the competent authority for a notification scheme for e-cigarettes and refill containers in the UK, scooped The Vaping Regulations Enforcement Award.
The notable event held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster, London on Friday (November 18) coincided with the release of the latest edition of a prestigious scientific report which spelt further good news for the industry.
The latest Cochrane Review by researchers at the University of Oxford found "the strongest evidence yet" that vaping is a more effective harm reduction tool over other nicotine replacement therapies.
It reported there was "high certainty evidence" that smokers were more likely to stop for at least six months using nicotine e-cigarettes, or vapes, than using nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches and gums
It also highlighted how more needed to be done to encourage smokers to make the switch.
Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, Editor of the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, and an author of the new publication, highlighted the damage that misunderstandings about vaping has caused.
He said: "Electronic cigarettes have generated a lot of misunderstanding in both the public health community and the popular press since their introduction over a decade ago."
"These misunderstandings discourage some people from using e-cigarettes as a stop smoking too but fortunately, more and more evidence is emerging and provides further clarity."
"With support from Cancer Research UK, we search for new evidence every month as part of a living systematic review."
"For the first time, this has given us high-certainty evidence that e-cigarettes are even more effective at helping people to quit smoking than traditional nicotine replacement therapies, like patches or gums."
John Dunne, Director General of the UKVIA, who won the Outstanding Industry Service Award at the ceremony, said of the review: "While the findings will come as no surprise to any of our members, it is important that research like this is made available to adult smokers so that they can discover just how effective vaping can be in helping people quit cigarettes."
"Research like this is vital to help counter the swathes of false, highly damaging and irresponsible reporting about vaping which puts smokers off switching what has been shown to be the best quitting aid ever developed."
The UKVIA forum and awards came ahead of the prestigious E-Cigarette Summit, which is holding its 10th-anniversary annual event at the Royal College of Physicians in London on December 9th.
Launched by the founders of Vaping.com and the world's largest vaping-specific website, E-Cigarette Forum (ECF) in 2013, the summit has become an important date in the vaping calendar as one of the most influential public health meetings on e-cigarettes.
Notable international speakers, scientists and experts will again come together to promote open and scientific debates about vaping and e-cigarette technology, legislation and healthcare advancements, which has been crucial in advancing the vaping industry as a harm-reduction tool for smokers.
For more information on The E-Cigarette Summit visit https://www.e-cigarette-summit.co.uk/
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