Hamilton, ON, Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After months of misinformation and anti-vaping efforts, several US states have implemented unethical vaping regulations and, in some cases, banned vapour products outright. The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is very concerned over data recently released by the tobacco company Altria which shows that adult vapers are returning to combustible tobacco.
This resurgence in combustible tobacco use is largely the result of new regulations that have made the most globally successful harm reduction products inaccessible and the fear caused by misinformed media reports. “Over the last several months, we’ve observed an increase in the number of age 50 and older smokers in the cigarette category,” CEO Billy Gifford told investors. “We believe these smokers had previously switched to e-vapor products, but recently returned to cigarettes due to negative publicity and regulatory and legislative developments in the e-vapor category.”
Many states including, most recently, New York state have now banned the sale of all e-cigarette products. Consumers may still use vapour products, but it is illegal for stores to sell them. “The data is clear, vapour products are twice as effective as the next leading tobacco cessation product and have been proven time and again through verified studies to be at least 95% less harmful than tradition cigarettes,” said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA). “Allowing the sale of cigarettes, which are known to be the leading cause of death in North America, while banning the sale the most successful harm reduction products is both immoral and hypocritical,” concluded Tempest.
Harsh vaping regulations are in part a reaction to the EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) outbreak. Media and advocacy groups were quick to point the finger at nicotine vaping products yet, after thorough review, the CDC amongst other health organizations concluded the cause of these lung illnesses was vitamin E acetate, a thinning agent used in black-market THC products. “The latest national and state findings suggest products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g. friends, family members, illicit dealers), are linked to most of the cases and play a major role in the outbreak,” the CDC said in a statement. Despite nicotine vapour products being absolved of responsibility, anti-vaping organizations used the outbreak as proof vapour products were dangerous and required further regulation.
The UK has nearly 3 million vapers, and to date has seen no evidence of pulmonary lung illness caused by vaping products. In fact, Public Health England was so concerned by potential health impacts on their citizens of the misinformation coming out of North American that they released a series of statements to reassure the public that vapour products are still known to be much less harmful than cigarettes. “E-cigarettes are not completely risk free but when compared to smoking, evidence shows they carry just a fraction of the harm. The problem is people increasingly think they are at least as harmful and this may be keeping millions of smokers from quitting. Local stop smoking services should look to support e-cigarette users in their journey to quitting completely,” released Public Health England.
The data has repeatedly shown that misinformation and unbalanced vaping regulations leads vapers back to smoking. It is imperative that we remove personal biases from the harm reduction conversation and focus on the data. Vaping is not the only solution to the problem, but it is the most effective solution currently available. Regulations and media reports must embrace and reflect this in order to ensure that vapers do not return to combustible tobacco, a product that is known to kill one in every two users.