The evidence is clear: vaping is less dangerous than smoking and can help many people quit their deadly smoking habit. No public data can refute these two conclusions, but tobacco control researchers, activists, and federal regulatory agencies often deny or downplay these observations. This contaminates the public's understanding of electronic cigarettes and prevents smokers from trying out alternative solutions that could potentially save their lives.
Using electronic cigarettes helped me successfully quit smoking, according to a recent conclusion published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Medscape reported on June 20 that "an increasing number of American adults believe that electronic cigarettes are more harmful than traditional cigarettes.
Why are the public afraid of electronic cigarettes?
The author analyzed data collected as part of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), which is a nationally representative survey conducted through mail that asks American adults about their attitudes towards cancer and other health-related information. The data was collected over five cycles between January 2018 and May 2020, with over 3000 respondents included in the final analysis each year (3360 in 2018, 3217 in 2019, and 3677 in 2020). The author reports that...
The relative perceived harm of electronic cigarettes versus traditional cigarettes was assessed through the following question with six possible answers: Compared to smoking, would you say that electronic cigarettes are... Respondents were categorized as perceiving electronic cigarettes to be less harmful (less harmful or much less harmful) than traditional cigarettes, equally harmful, or more harmful (more harmful or much more harmful) than traditional cigarettes.
The author suggests that the negative shift in perception may have been driven by the media's coverage of the so-called "EVALI outbreak". From 2019 to 2020, over 2,000 individuals were hospitalized due to e-cigarette related lung injuries and 68 people died.
These cases were not caused by electronic cigarettes themselves, which were mistakenly maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a few months, but by devices purchased illegally for vaping THC or CBD. These chemicals, derived from cannabis rather than tobacco, were mixed with vitamin E acetate which may have contributed to the reported lung injuries. Dr. Josh Bloom provided a helpful explanation of the chemical reaction behind this phenomenon in the story, which subsequent research has confirmed.
During the outbreak of EVALI, journalists did what they often do without having all the facts: they amplified the risk, with the tacit approval of the Centers for Disease Control, but were not interested in reporting on the controversy surrounding the decision. According to the study authors:
In March and April of 2020, there was a high level of harmful relative opinions. This suggests that misunderstandings have persisted since the initial discovery of the connection to vitamin E acetate in September 2019, possibly due to media coverage not remaining at the same level after the source of the epidemic was determined.
The trend is still continuing.
EVALI is no longer a major public health concern, but controversial ideological radicalism and careless reporting continue to undermine electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction tool in today's society. Researchers have published low-quality studies alleging serious health consequences from using e-cigarettes, and the media dutifully reported on these findings. The ACSH and other scientifically-minded media outlets have corrected the propaganda, but unfortunately, this good news has not garnered as much attention as sensational and scary headlines.
Experts recognize the issue and acknowledge the need for a solution. According to a doctor, we are effective at communicating the harmful effects of smoking and the dangers of tobacco in public health. Ashley Brooks-Russell, associate professor at the Colorado School of Public Health, stated to Medscape Medical News that we struggle to discuss smaller choices, such as the lesser harm of e-cigarettes compared to smoking.
Dr. Russell is correct, but I will go even further. Even though researchers have documented the harm caused by common anti-vaping metaphors, tobacco researchers cannot abandon their skepticism of e-cigarettes. As the authors of the study themselves have written,
Electronic cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine and appealing flavors that may lead to addiction and the use of combustible tobacco products among adolescents and young adults.
The sentence is at least partially false. Many electronic cigarettes contain little to no nicotine. Flavored electronic cigarettes do not encourage youth to use any tobacco products, and there is no concrete evidence to support this speculation. The author also reiterated the anti-electronic cigarette stance, which has become a staunch article among tobacco researchers: "The risks associated with long-term use are still unclear." This is undoubtedly true, as no one has a crystal ball, but public health researchers often use such language to suggest that we will discover some serious risks associated with electronic cigarettes in the future.
The American Cancer Society claims that the long-term risks of only using electronic cigarettes are not yet fully clear. However, there is increasing evidence that using e-cigarettes has negative effects on the cardiovascular system and lungs. If immediate action is not taken to stop the widespread use of these products, the long-term adverse health effects will increase.
Can you imagine a large medical institution issuing a statement similar to this regarding the use of COVID-19 vaccines or puberty blockers for treating gender dysphoria? After all, we do not know the potential long-term effects of these powerful drugs on those who take them. Of course, until we have a better understanding of these products, we must halt their "popular use," shouldn't we?
If these issues are frustrating you, then maybe you're starting to understand why the popular rhetoric surrounding e-cigarettes is so absurd. Properly evaluating any product requires accurately balancing its risks and benefits. No one is claiming that e-cigarettes are risk-free; they are an effective intervention aimed at reducing the harm of smoking, which is killing people all over the world.
Given this standard, speculating about potential hazards we may discover one day is a foolish thought exercise. Let the public know what we know today: for adult smokers who want to quit smoking, electronic cigarettes are a low-risk option.
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