In a world rampant with fake news, the CDC should be better than pundits and deliver the facts. In its failure to report the true cause of vaping-related lung injuries, the agency has balked at its mission statement and rather than saving lives, may very well have caused more deaths among THC vape users.

May 31, 2021, is the 34th anniversary of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). This year, the WHO’s WNTD theme is “Commit to Quit.” It is not surprising that the anti-tobacco zealots at WHO would emphasize “quitting.” The world has entered a new era in which millions of adult smokers have quit combustible cigarettes by switching to tobacco harm reduction products, including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, smokeless, and snus. Unfortunately, as long as no tobacco holiday is celebrated, there is a concern that many (including the WHO) will continue to not acknowledge tobacco harm reduction, and ultimately fail adult smokers around the world.

Although the US does provide valuable insight into possible regulations of vapor products, the UK should not endorse any policies that are more restrictive than the US’s PMTA. Although many manufactures in the United States have made it past acceptance, the process of testing each individual product, including thousands of different flavored e-liquids, may be too expensive for most small manufacturers. Any and all policies must take into consideration the cost and burden on small businesses.