The French consumer vaping organization SOVAPE, a well-known advocate for harm reduction through vaping, has announced that it is closing its doors after years of service. The organization, founded in 2016, has been a prominent voice in promoting vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. While the news comes as a surprise, it reflects the growing challenges faced by vaping advocacy groups in the face of increasing scrutiny, misinformation, and political pressures.
Let’s dive into the reasons behind SOVAPE’s closure, its contributions to the vaping community, and what this means for the future of vaping advocacy.
SOVAPE’s Key Contributions to the Vaping Industry
SOVAPE has been instrumental in shaping the conversation around vaping and nicotine use in France. Here are some of the highlights of its impactful work:
- Vape Summits: From 2016 to 2019, SOVAPE organized three Vape Summits in France, bringing together experts, researchers, and policymakers to discuss tobacco harm reduction and vaping’s role in reducing smoking-related illnesses.
- Co-founding ETHRA: SOVAPE co-founded the European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (ETHRA), an umbrella organization that brings together various European consumer advocacy groups to push for policies supporting safer nicotine alternatives.
- Annual Public Surveys: One of the organization’s most significant contributions was its annual surveys on French public opinion regarding vaping and nicotine. These surveys, conducted in partnership with major market research firm BVA, provided valuable insights into shifting public attitudes.
Why Is SOVAPE Closing?
The decision to dissolve SOVAPE stems from a combination of factors, including:
- Survey Cancellation: In 2023, BVA informed SOVAPE that it could no longer conduct the annual survey due to a contractual conflict with one of BVA’s health industry clients. This client barred the firm from working with nicotine-related organizations, which dealt a major blow to SOVAPE’s ability to gather crucial data.
- Attacks on Credibility: Recent media reports accused SOVAPE, along with other consumer vaping groups, of having ties to the tobacco industry. These allegations, although unproven, created a hostile environment for the organization, leading to increasing public and political skepticism about its mission.
- Censorship and Misinformation: According to an October 6th post on SOVAPE’s website, the group faced a “climate of censorship, threats, lies, denigration, and slander,” making it nearly impossible to continue their work. The organization cited the widespread dissemination of fake news and the denial of scientific data as further obstacles in promoting harm reduction.
The Fallout: What Happens Next?
While SOVAPE is closing, it leaves behind a significant legacy in the vaping world. The organization’s final act will be to donate its remaining funds equally to the Pasteur Institute, AIDUCE, and La Vape du Cœur, ensuring that its mission of harm reduction will continue in some capacity through these organizations. Additionally, SOVAPE has paid to keep its website running for the next 10 years and will maintain videos of its Vape Summits on YouTube, preserving its body of work for future generations.
Final Thoughts: A Sad Day for Vaping Advocacy
It’s disheartening to see an organization like SOVAPE, which has fought tirelessly to promote vaping as a safer alternative to smoking, forced to close its doors. In a world where misinformation often clouds the truth, SOVAPE’s struggle to foster open dialogue highlights the growing challenges vaping advocates face globally.
However, we can’t help but wonder—how will the vaping community fill this gap? Will new groups rise to continue the fight for harm reduction? Only time will tell. In the meantime, we encourage you to share your thoughts on this news and engage with the community by commenting below.
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