"Unfounded fear of e-cigarettes leads to more lives being lost"
British health authoritiesthe authority criticizes the forskers and media that do not clearly inform about e-cigarettes and their health risks.
- We are concerned that the public increasingly believes that using approved e-cigarettes can be acutely dangerous. This prevents smokers from quitting with the help of vejpning," says John Newton Head of Public Health at Public Health of England, to the Pharmathutical Journal.
The US CDC has recently published one more study on the outbreak of lung diseases linked to e-cigarettes in fall 2019. The CDC notes that the harms have not affected those who use e-cigarettes with nicotine. It is mainly young men who used uncontrolled cannabis oil in their vejpdon who became ill.
"Most, if not all, known cases are linked to these illegal THC products. This must be compared to the 9 million Americans and more than 3 million Britons who use e-cigarettes daily. There we have not seen any comparable cases" says John Newton to the Pharmacutical Journal.
Sales drop dramatically
The statement comes as worldwide sales of e-cigarettes plummet in the shadow of the lung damage in the US. Although it was recognized early on that THC (cannabis) was involved in most cases, news coverage has often focused on other health risks of e-cigarettes. The decline in sales also applies in Sweden.
"Monthly sales have fallen sharply. And the proportion of smokers choosing to switch to e-cigarettes has fallen". Sade said Niklas Linder who runs Swedish mixology and is active in the industry association for electronic cigarettes to Vejpkollen earlier in October.
Calling for other methods
Swedish media are also using the tragic events in the US to point to suspected health risks of regular e-cigarettes. Both TV4 and Swedish Radio, two of our largest media outlets, have had features on vejpning in recent weeks.
"We know too little about e-cigarettes and research is not keeping up" said the doctor Magnus Lundbäck i P1 program Body and Soul, most recently last week.
Swedish Public Health Agency of Sweden says that no single substance can be linked to the diseases in the US, but that several cases are related to THC products. At the same time, the agency encourages smokers to use other substances to quit smoking.
Relatively much lower risk
According to Public Health of England, it is unfortunate that authorities are not taking more responsibility in their information about the lung damage in the US. The events have caused great concern, not only among vejp users, but also among smokers.
"This reinforces the need for authorities to be clear and consistent in informing the population about the relatively much lower risks posed by e-cigarettes compared to cigarettes. If the fear of e-cigarettes increases, it means that many lives will be lost" says John Newton to the Pharmacutical Journal.
Significantly less harmful
Public Health England has been urging smokers to switch to e-cigarettes for years. They cite broad independent research showing that e-cigarettes reduce health risks compared to smoking by 95% (or more).
"Of course, it is not possible to put an absolute figure on health risks and safety. But the figure is useful as it reinforces the message - that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than conventional cigarettes. When you smoke, you inhale thousands of chemicals that come from combustion, several carcinogenic, others affecting the nervous system, blood vessels and heart. So it's not hard to be 95 less harmful than cigarettes," John Newton told the TV channel CNBC earlier this year. (follow the link to see the full interview via CNBC's YouTube)
