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How dangerous is vaping compared with smoking?
Concerns about e-cigarettes have led to bans in at least 34 countries, with the UK becoming the latest to announce that it intends to impose restrictions last month, axing the sale of disposable vapes like Juuls and Elf Bars.
But despite the fact that many of these countries continue to sell cigarettes, including Britain, research shows that vapes are far less harmful and lead to less severe health effects.
Experts in Germany analysed over 600 studies - though honed in on 11 - on the effects of traditional cigarette and e-cigarette use to determine how the two compare.
The researchers found some links between e-cigarette use and lung health, such as exacerbating asthma and links to some cases of bronchitis.
Meanwhile, smoking has long been associated with deadly conditions like lung cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke - for which the survival rates are much lower.
The researchers also wrote that e-cigarettes “reduced exposure to harmful toxins compared to traditional cigarettes” - with studies showing the typical e-cigarette contains 2,000 chemicals compared to more than 7,000 in traditional cigarettes.
They also found in their review that vapes contained less nicotine than cigarettes per puff, which could make them less addictive and therefore damaging because the user uses them less often.
Dr Michael Steinberg, director of the Rutgers University Tobacco Dependence Program, who was not involved in the study, told DailyMail.com: “At this point in our understanding, the evidence is fairly undisputable that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than combusted tobacco products.”
“Although varying depending on many factors, the risk for some conditions is very small, like COPD. However, for some conditions, there could still be some health effects, such as asthma and cardiovascular disease.”
Dr Panagis Galiatsatos, director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic at Johns Hopkins University, told DailyMail.com that the “outcomes of vaping represent more acute issues” rather than chronic conditions.
However, he said it's crucial to remember that “persons who vape have not done yet so for decades” - meaning their true health harms may not be known for some time.
“The reviewed studies consistently suggest that e-cigarettes may offer a less harmful alternative for adult smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking”, they said.
Source: Daily Mail, 8 February 2024
Editorial note: The study and Daily Mail story state that vaping is linked to conditions including EVALI and popcorn lung (bronchiolitis obliterans). EVALI (E-cigarette, or Vaping, Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) refers to an outbreak of lung injuries, primarily in the US, in 2019 which has subsequently been linked to cannabis vapes containing vitamin E acetate. The idea that vaping can cause popcorn lung is frequently repeated, but there are no proven cases linked to vaping. While cigarette smokers are exposed to over ten times as much diacetyl as people who vape, smoking has not been shown to cause popcorn lung either. See the ASH vaping mythbuster for more info.
Source: Daily Mail, 8 February 2024
See also: Comparative systematic review on the safety of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes, Journal of Food and Toxicology, March 2024
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Podcast: Why does the UK lag behind on cancer care?
The Guardian’s health editor, Andrew Gregory, and international correspondent Michael Safi discuss the state of cancer care and long waiting lists for treatment in the UK. While survival rates have never been higher, the numbers of people coming forward with symptoms have also never been higher. It means that up to a third of people face deadly delays to their care with early detection and treatment so vital.
Source: Today in Focus, 12 February 2024
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COP10 adopted historic decisions on the impact of tobacco on the environment, in advertising, promotion and in the media
The Tenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has concluded with a far-reaching decision that will protect the environment and the health of people throughout the world from the ravages of tobacco.
“We have taken an historic decision on Article 18,” said Dr Adriana Blanco Marquizo, Head of the WHO FCTC Secretariat, describing action to strengthen the article of WHO FCTC focused on the protection of the environment and the health of all people.
"The decision urges Parties to take account of the environmental impacts from the cultivation, manufacture, consumption and waste disposal of tobacco products, and to strengthen the implementation of this article, including through national policies related to tobacco and protection of the environment,” Dr Blanco Marquizo said.
Globally, some 200 000 hectares of land are cleared every year for tobacco cultivation, accounting for up to 20% of the annual increase in greenhouse gases.
Another important decision was taken at COP10 to strengthen guidelines on cross-border tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and the depiction of tobacco in the entertainment media.
COP10 also adopted the Panama Declaration, which draws attention to the fundamental and irreconcilable conflict between the interests of the tobacco industry and the interests of public health. The Declaration also makes clear the need for policy coherence within governments to comply with the requirements of Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC, which aims to protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.
Source: FCTC, 10 February 2024
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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