‘Let Bloomberg run the WHO’

‘LET BLOOMBERG RUN THE WHO’

World Vape Show London heard that the United Nations health body was failing smokers when it came to tobacco control.

Words: Patrick Griffin

The World Health Organization represents a ‘real and present danger’ to public health according to Christopher Snowdon from the Institute of Economic Affairs.

Snowdon, the IEA’s Head of Lifestyle Economics, said the global health body had never been keen on vaping, but had ramped up its attacks in recent years.

Speaking at the World Vape Show London, he said: “The WHO is very influential around the world, particularly in developing countries, who rely on it for research.

“In many countries, when the WHO says something, that message is taken quite seriously.

“But unfortunately, insofar as it’s defined by its tobacco control efforts, it has been infiltrated by zealots, with the biggest of them all being Michael Bloomberg.

“It is now a real and present danger to public health because of its enormous, fanatical, antivaping attitude.”

He said the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control treaty was being used to ‘fight a war on vaping’ adding: “Every two years, the member states get together to thrash out new policies and that is becoming increasingly antie-cigarette.

“We should care about this because the majority of people in most countries now believe that vaping is at least as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than smoking and this comes in part from the WHO.”

Snowdon was highly critical of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whom he described as a ‘fanatical anti-smoking, anti-vaping and antinicotine zealot.’

He told the WVS audience at London’s ExCeL: “The World Health Organization is very largely funded by Michael Bloomberg and…it is increasingly difficult to separate these two entities.

“Bloomberg has already spent in the region of $116 million trying to get e-cigarette flavours banned.

“He is essentially spending a very large part of his fortune before he dies on ill-conceived paternalistic ventures including his anti-vaping crusade.”

He said the UK government should consider withdrawing its WHO funding if the organisation continued its anti-vaping campaign.

The economics expert continued: “It is adding insult to injury to be paying for this organisation to act in direct contrary to the policies of this country.

“If WHO is not open to persuasion on this one, I think we should just let Mike Bloomberg run the thing.”

Insofar as it’s defined by its tobacco control efforts, WHO has been infiltrated by zealots, with the biggest of them all being Michael Bloomberg.