Hamilton, ON, Oct. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There has been a resurgence in organizations questioning if vapour products truly reduce a smoker’s harm, despite ample evidence and all major health organizations stating vaping is less harmful than smoking. A study led by Dr. David Levy at Georgetown University Medical Centre demonstrates the profound harm reduction of smokers switching to vaping. The study found that 6.6 million premature deaths in the United States could be avoided by smokers switching to vaping.
The study modelled the impact of switching to vaping under two scenarios, an Optimistic Scenario with smoking rates falling to 5% over a 10 year period, and a Pessimistic Scenario with smoking rates at 10%. The Optimistic Scenario modelling used current vaping patterns and use and found that 6.6 million premature deaths could be avoided over a 10 year period and 87.6 million collective years of life could be saved.
The Pessimistic Scenario modelling took into account the worst case projection of harms from vaping and used a 10% total smoking rate. Even in the worst case scenario, researchers predict 1.6 million premature deaths would be avoided and 20.8 million life years saved.
“The new continuum of nicotine products presents an opportunity to end the exceptionalism of combustible tobacco, and allow the most dangerous end of the nicotine product continuum to be rapidly, and completely, phased out,” said Dr. Marita Hefler in response to the study.
“This study is a great reminder that when the vape industry describes it’s product as life saving it is not being hyperbolic. There are real life consequences to poor regulation. When a province bans flavours or implements excessive taxation based on faulty studies or misrepresented data, public health suffers great harm,” said Darryl Tempest, Executive Director of the CVA.
Georgetown University’s research was conducted in 2017, in the almost 4 years since, we can presume that a minimum of 250,000 premature deaths have been avoided. Vaping has given us a tool to dismantle the tobacco industry and put an end to illnesses caused by tobacco.