Authorities: "Vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking"
E-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes and one of the most effective methods of quitting smoking. This is according to the UK Department of Health's annual report on vejpning. At the same time, the report shows that smokers increasingly believe that e-cigarettes are more harmful than cigarettes.
For the sixth year running, Public Health of England updates the report "Vaping in England - an evidence update". The report analyzes the risks and opportunities of e-cigarettes to reduce the harm from smoking in the UK.
"Smoking kills 220 people every day. E-cigarettes are significantly less harmful. Our advice is that smokers should quit smoking and that e-cigarettes are an effective method to succeed" says John Newton, Public Health of England (British Health Authority).
Educating doctors about e-cigs
The recurrent report has had a major impact on e-cigarette legislation in the UK. The analyses also influence healthcare in the country. Doctors, nurses and midwives are now trained on how e-cigarettes work and how they can help patients quit smoking.
The general advice from the UK Department of Health is that smokers should switch to e-cigarettes. But that non-smokers should not start using them.
The report also includes analysis on how vejpning works for pregnant women and strategies to reduce smoking among the mentally ill. Pregnant smokers can benefit from using e-cigarettes, preferably together with other nicotine products, says Public Health England. The aim is to keep them away from analog cigarettes, as the smoke, but not the vapor, seriously harms the fetus.
Smokers hesitate - out of fear
But despite Public Health England's clear emphasis on the relatively low risk of e-cigarettes, the public perception has gone in the opposite direction.
According to the report every third smoker to e-cigarettes is as harmful as regular cigarettes. A strong contributing factor to this is the media coverage of the lung damage that affected vejpare in the US in the fall of 2019, says John Newton.
Lung damage, of which two cases were detected in Sweden, was traced to the substance e-acetate. E-acetate is sometimes used in illegal production to dilute cannabis oil (THC) in e-liquid. The e-juices in question were sold illegally in the United States in 2019. In the fall, the e-liquid caused several deaths after e-acetate clogged the pores of users' lungs. E-acetate is not found in regular e-juices. However, news coverage of the events often confused regular e-cigarettes with the harmful variant.
Regular e-cigarettes with nicotine could not ultimately be linked to a single lung injury, notes John Newton.
"It is worrying that so many smokers in the UK have been negatively affected by what has happened in the US. An unfounded fear of e-cigarettes may be preventing them from taking the plunge and replacing their cigarette with a vejp. It's a choice that will lead to a premature death," says John Newton to the Times.
Helping thousands to quit smoking
He is supported by the British anti-smoking organization Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
"Vaping has already helped thousands of smokers quit. Thousands more could do so. But right now, smokers are hesitant because of a fear of risk that is not scientifically supported. Hopefully, this clear reports increase the trust in our legislation. The message is that e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to cigarettes" says Deborah Arnott, CEO of ASH.
Sources:
Public Health England: Vaping in England - An evidence update 2020
It would be exciting if similar studies were done here in Sweden. I think it could be a decisive factor in how to look at ecigs vs analog cigs. Can not vejpkollen do a study on it all?