According to a report by The Libertarian Republic, the American Heart Association (AHA) has expressed concern about the trend of young people in the United States switching from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes. However, medical experts argue that there is a contradiction in AHA's statement, as they believe that vaping e-cigarettes is not necessarily a form of tobacco use.
The AHA stated in a press release that while the decreasing trend of adolescent smoking is a gratifying victory, the success is overshadowed by the alarming trend of young Americans turning to e-cigarettes and cigars, moving away from traditional cigarettes.
Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the School of Public Health at Boston University, noticed contradictions in the statement issued by the American Heart Association. He wrote, "The American Heart Association first expressed pleasure at the decrease in youth smoking rates, but then in the same sentence, expressed dissatisfaction with youth staying away from smoking.
Dr. Siegel first corrected the American Heart Association's statement that e-cigarettes are tobacco products. " 'Using e-cigarettes' is not a form of tobacco use. E-liquid does not contain any tobacco, and using e-cigarettes does not involve the heating or burning of tobacco. Therefore, youth using e-cigarettes should not be considered youth using tobacco. 'Using e-cigarettes' is definitely not a form of tobacco use," Dr. Siegel said.
He further pointed out: "Even when given the opportunity to clarify their conflicting statements, the American Heart Association chooses to stand by their view that the transition of teenagers from tobacco cigarettes to non-tobacco cigarettes (e-cigarettes) is concerning. Essentially, they are saying that the trend of significantly reducing smoking by keeping kids away from the most toxic consumer product is alarming, because there are teenagers occasionally vaping e-cigarettes (we know, very few kids regularly vape e-cigarettes, much less than those who smoke).
Dr. Siegel, who has worked in the field of tobacco control for 25 years, feels saddened by his former colleagues' dogmatic resistance to e-cigarettes.
I am troubled and disappointed by the recent trend from the organization I have been working with for many years, which is to urge children to stay away from smoking. What is truly disturbing is that, due to the anti-smoking campaigns, they have come to believe that smoking is no more dangerous than vaping e-cigarettes, causing teenagers to start smoking again.
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