Opposition to Safer Nicotine Alternatives Leads to Smoking Increase

In a blog post on the website of the Consumer Choice Center (CCC), Deputy Director Yaël Ossowski suggests that the persistent opposition to safer nicotine alternatives may be contributing to recent increases in smoking rates. Ossowski argues that "in our era, nothing is more shocking and harmful than public health advocacy groups continuously denying the reduced harm value of nicotine electronic cigarette products and other cigarette alternatives.

According to the Federal Trade Commission's 2020 cigarette report, cigarette sales in the United States were the highest in 20 years. In 2020, the total number of cigarettes sold by major manufacturers increased by 0.4%, amounting to 203.7 billion more cigarettes sold than in 2019. "This is the first increase in reported cigarette sales in 20 years, with public health lobbying groups being blamed," said Ossowski.

The damage caused by misinformation about safer alternatives.

The Consumer Choice Center (CCC) has criticized public campaigns that demonize electronic cigarette devices, misinformation surrounding lung diseases caused by contaminated cannabis cartridges, bans, restrictions and taxes on flavored nicotine products. "Regardless of what conclusions you draw, the trend of reducing the percentage of smokers in the United States to 14% by the time the final comprehensive national survey was completed in 2019 is slowing down, and this should concern all of us," the CCC said.

The organization added, "These public health agencies, anti-smoking groups, and relevant journalists, regardless of their intentions, are attempting to convince the public that smoking is not only harmful and dangerous, but also that substitute nicotine devices such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco products are just as risky as smoking a pack of cigarettes, if not more so.

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