WE-ARE-INNOVATION
The global network We Are Innovation has today published the results of a poll showing a staggering three-quarters of smokers wrongly believe vaping is just as harmful as smoking.
Recent research conducted by Ipsos reveals that 74 percent of smokers worldwide believe that vaping is at least as harmful as smoking. This alarming Misperception Epidemic perpetuates a cycle of preventable illness and death, as individuals are deterred from switching to safer alternatives. The potential consequences of this are dire.
Countries that have successfully reduced smoking prevalence have empowered smokers to access alternative products, such as vapes and nicotine pouches, accompanied by accurate information about their relative risks.
Sweden has lowered smoking rates to 5.6 percent, just above the threshold at which a country becomes officially “smoke-free.” At the same time, New Zealand, which has more recently adopted smoke-free alternative products, has slashed smoking prevalence to 6.5 percent in just a few years.
Suppose a significant portion of smokers remain under the false impression that vaping is as harmful as cigarette smoking. In that case, smokers will be deterred from switching and condemned to a life of ill health and premature death despite robust evidence showing that vaping is 95 percent less harmful and effective at helping smokers quit.
Marking World Vape Day and calling for a sea change in the way public health agencies talk about vaping, We Are Innovation CEO Federico Fernandez said:
“Vaping is one of the public health success stories of the 21st century. Innovation has given us a product that is proven to be 95 percent less harmful than smoking. But misinformation is rife and threatens to undermine our progress. Public health authorities can’t ignore this any longer – smokers must have access to acceptable and affordable vapes to help them switch.”
ABOUT WE ARE INNOVATION
We Are Innovation is a network of individuals and institutions who fervently believe in the power of innovation to drive progress and solve the world’s most pressing problems. With a global presence encompassing over 40 think tanks, foundations, and NGOs, WAI represents the diverse voices of a global civil society committed to advancing human creativity, embracing new technologies, and promoting innovative solutions. Through our collaborative approach and cutting-edge expertise, we are spearheading transformative change globally. Visit us at https://weareinnovation.global/.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240529523553/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Alpaca Raises $150 Million at a $1.15B Valuation to Build the Global Standard for Brokerage Infrastructure14.1.2026 13:00:00 CET | Press release
Alpaca appoints lead investor Drive Capital’s Co-Founder and Partner Chris Olsen to its board Alpaca, a global leader in brokerage infrastructure whose APIs empower partners like Kraken, SBI Securities, and Dime!, today announced it has raised a $150 million Series D led by Drive Capital that values the company at $1.15 billion. Drive Capital’s Co-Founder and Partner, Chris Olsen, will join Alpaca’s Board of Directors as part of the investment. The company also secured a $40 million line of credit, further strengthening its balance sheet as it continues to expand globally. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114225657/en/ Alpaca Raises $150 Million at a $1.15B Valuation to Build the Global Standard for Brokerage Infrastructure “Our mission is to open financial services to everyone on the planet,” said Yoshi Yokokawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Alpaca. “We are building the global standard for brokerage infrastructure
Sixth Street Raises €3.75 Billion for Third European Direct Lending Fund14.1.2026 12:30:00 CET | Press release
Sixth Street SLE III Hits Hard Cap, Reflecting Long-Term Strength as One of Europe’s Leading Private Capital Platforms Sixth Street, a leading global investment firm, today announced the final close of Sixth Street Specialty Lending Europe III (“SLE III” or “the Fund”), at its hard cap with €3.75 billion in total equity commitments. SLE III is Sixth Street’s third and largest dedicated fund focused on providing financing solutions for companies across Europe. The total investable capital for SLE III is expected to be approximately €7 billion, including anticipated leverage. “We are grateful to our long-term capital partners for their trust and commitment to our strategy as we continue to support European businesses at any point in their lifecycle, offering customized capital solutions delivered with speed and certainty,” said Michael Griffin, Co-Head of Sixth Street Global Direct Lending and Head of Europe Direct Lending. “This is a significant milestone for our European Direct Lending
500 Global Announces Promotion of Mei Chel Tan to Global Managing Partner14.1.2026 12:00:00 CET | Press release
Appointment reflects expanding demand for entrepreneurial ecosystem development and AI readiness across emerging markets. 500 Global, one of the world’s most active venture capital firms1, today announced the promotion of Mei Chel Tan to Global Managing Partner. Her appointment reflects both her leadership in expanding 500 Global’s footprint across high-growth regions and the accelerating AI transformation that is positioning nascent and emerging markets as central drivers of the next era of global growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114209489/en/ 500 Global announces promotion of Mei Chel Tan Mei Chel joined 500 Global in 2016 and was appointed Partner in 2023. Over the past decade, she has helped shape the firm’s expansion across Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa — architecting the launch of early Asian investment funds and vehicles, leading market-entry strategies, developing national ecosystem di
Usercentrics Acquires MCP Manager to Bring Consent and Trust to AI14.1.2026 11:15:00 CET | Press release
Extending Privacy‑Led Marketing from websites and apps into AI workflows, so businesses can scale AI with much-needed oversight, auditability, and control Usercentrics, the global leader in Privacy-Led Marketing solutions, announced today it has acquired MCP Manager, a next-generation governance platform for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), built by a team with deep expertise in AI infrastructure. The acquisition makes Usercentrics the first major global market leader in data privacy solutions to extend consent and data guardrails into AI-driven workflows. The combined platform will deliver a unified Privacy-Led Marketing Suite that manages consent, preferences, and data governance across websites, apps, internal systems, and consumer-facing AI agents. Because these agents increasingly shape personalization and customer engagement, extending consent into real-time, model-driven interactions applies the same rigor that exists at data collection. This keeps experiences transparent, trus
Blue Shift Report Highlights Systemic Vulnerabilities Caused by the Hidden Cost of AI14.1.2026 10:00:00 CET | Press release
Arthur D. Little’s Blue Shift institute has published its latest report, AI’s Hidden Dependencies. This in-depth report, involving more than 50 experts, explores AI’s resource dependencies and the consequent direct systemic vulnerabilities for businesses and lays out strategic actions in response. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260114966898/en/ Arthur D. Little’s Blue Shift Institute has published its latest report, AI’s Hidden Dependencies With AI’s adoption and usage expected to remain on its growth trajectory, so is its strain on resources. The report notably identifies three main areas of dependency: Environmental impacts, including emissions due to AI’s heavy energy usage and the manufacture of related hardware Energy supply, including increased electricity demand and strain on the grid Compute infrastructure, including supply chain choke points and dependencies on dominant providers As AI is now becomin
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom