Vaping is not without risk, even though studies may show that it is less harmless than smoking and should be regulated the same way as traditional cigarettes, a lung health expert says.
A Bhekisisa report points out that in South Africa, the new Tobacco Bill proposes that the rules for selling vapes and tobacco products should be the same.
In Australia, the government recently tabled a Bill banning the sale of e-cigarettes in public shops, and allowing vapes only on prescriptions from health workers to help smokers quit tobacco, and in an about-turn from its 2015 stance, Britain has now banned disposable vapes.
The UK’s announcement comes off the back an earlier announcement by that government that vaping is “around 95% safer than smoking”.
In Bhekisisa’s TV programme Health Beat, Richard van Zyl-Smith from the University fof Cape Town's Lung Institute told Mia Malan that vaping was not without risk.
“It may be safer than smoking tobacco, but it’s not safe compared with (inhaling) fresh air,” said Van Zyl-Smith.
MM: Supporters often quote a statistic that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than tobacco, from the British Government’s review of evidence. How did they come to this conclusion?
RvZ-S: “The 95% safer” was in a paper published in a reasonably obscure journal and put together by a group of individuals who don’t have the cleanest record, from a scientific point of view, in relation to their affiliations with tobacco industries and harm reduction industries. So, there are red flags in terms of how the study was done and who was involved.
What they did was, essentially, sit in a room, look at the evidence and come up with a conclusion that vaping appears to be 95% safer. There’s only one paper, and it’s only that paper. Many of us in the (research) space say 95% is not the correct number. Just given the number of chemicals and the dangers of tobacco, it is likely to be safer (than smoking). But 95% is a very tenuous estimation. (Such reduced harm) also applies only to people who are smoking and have a 50% chance of dying from smoking-related illness.
MM: Why would a government take that information and base an entire policy on that, as in the UK?
RvZ-S: The UK is an outlier. Most other countries consider smoking cessation to be fresh air, whereas the UK considered it to be vaping. But it has recently announced it will ban disposable vaping devices, because of the alarming rise in vaping among adolescents.
MM: Are there any data to show that (tobacco) smokers who want to quit turn to vapes?
RvZ-S: There is a Cochrane Review that looks at evidence and makes recommendations, and the analysis shows it’s not a good option. It doesn’t mean vaping doesn’t work for the individual. The best way to stop smoking … vaping wouldn’t be top of my list.
MM: Is vaping a safe option if you want to quit smoking? Are there any harms involved?
RvZ-S: It would be considered a safe option to use, but we would always advocate it as a stepping stone. You’re still exposing yourself to chemicals, and remaining addicted to nicotine. So, the best option is fresh air.
Nicotine is not a harmless substance. Taken in large doses it causes a significant problem. In addition to being addictive, it has impacts on the immune system, blood pressure and the lining of your arteries. It can also affect the growth of blood vessels. There’s some discussion around whether it’s a cancer-causing drug itself — most people would agree it doesn’t cause cancer, but it may promote the growth of cancers because it promotes the growth of blood vessels.
Bhekisisa article – What’s 95% safer than tobacco? Not vapes, say experts (Creative Commons Licence)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Australia bans ‘public health threat’ vapes
Nicotine vapes help smokers quit, but long-term effects still unclear – Cochrane Review
What is the evidence on e-cigarettes helping you quit smoking?
Confusing science, disparate international responses to e-cigarettes