GUIDES, HEALTH, REVIEWS

Electronic cigarette, a better alternative

Although smoking is one of the most common causes of mortality worldwide – 7 million deaths annually – it remains a taboo subject and very “white or black”, both at the level of the authorities, the scientific community, the media or the space. public. But the famous “quit or die” policy does not seem to be the most inspiring, statistics show that, currently, there are 1 billion smokers in the world, and in 5 years their number will remain about the same. But what if we tried to show smokers and other, less harmful alternatives, instead of putting their fist in their mouths and saying “give up or die”? Or if we try, as authorities, to inform ourselves as much as possible about these alternatives and not to throw them there, at “tobacco”, because we do not understand the phenomenon? Or if I did not suppose that behind any article in the media on this subject there are interests, money, advertising? Maybe some lives would be saved … or at least they support a multitude of studies and authorities in countries such as Great Britain, New Zealand or the United States.

The figures say that, currently, only 3 in 10 smokers manage to quit smoking simply (5%) or using approved smoking methods (20-25%). There are 7 people who do not succeed and for whom the electronic cigarette could be a solution. And a first clinical study with 900 participants, funded by the New England Journal of Medicine, showed that vaping devices are twice as effective in helping smokers quit smoking as compared to standard smoking cessation methods. (nicotine replacement therapy – NRT). This result was supported by another research, conducted by Cancer Research UK, which collected the data of over 19,000 people who tried to quit smoking over a 12-month period, between 2006-2018. Those who used vaping had a 95% higher incidence of smoking cessation compared to those who did not use any anti-smoking method.

15 million Europeans have given up or reduced smoking with electronic cigarettes. In Europe, electronic cigarettes have helped more than 15 million people quit or reduce smoking. Of these, 6.1 million even quit smoking due to vaping products, and 9.2 million reduced their cigarette use, according to Journal of Addiction-Electronic cigarette use in the European Union: analysis of a representative sample of 27 460 Europeans from 28 countries. And the risk to their health is considerably lower.

“Vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking, because vaping products contain only a fraction of the more than 7,000 (many harmful) chemicals that are contained in cigarettes,” says Public Health England in an E-analysis. cigarettes: an evidence update ”. And the British have taken this alternative very seriously, organizing, annually, an information campaign on the alternatives of classic smoking.

“In the last 3-4 years, the British authorities have been aware of and encouraged the electronic cigarette as a less innovative option for classic smoking, and the rate of smokers has decreased much more than in other European countries. For example, in the UK there are billboards that say they are 95% less harmful than the classic ones, “said Dustin Dahlmann, President and Co-Founder of the Independent European Vape Alliance, for Wall-Street.

New Zealand is another recent example of encouraging classic smoking harm. Thus, the New Zealand Ministry of Health has recently launched a new website that encourages smokers to make the transition to vaping as a way to quit smoking. The launch of the website will be followed by a TV and online campaign.

“In New Zealand, 5,000 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses. Even though vaping products are not harmless to health, they are far less harmful than smoking,” New Zealand authorities say.

Electronic cigarettes eliminate the danger of passive smoking

Unlike cigarettes, which emit smoke through both ends, both to the consumer and to those around them, vaping devices only emit towards the end used by the vaper. As such, the aerosol expired by it reaches the ones near a vaper. Scientific research in this regard has not identified any harmful effect of the inhalation by other people of the vapor coming from the electronic cigarettes, which removes the need to prohibit their use in public spaces. This is explained in the strategy document on vaping published by Cancer Research UK in 2016: “There is no justification for banning the use of vaping devices indoors or in public spaces, as there is no basis to claim that it is harmful. for people around by using it or claiming that it normalizes smoking. These vapors may contain traces of intoxicants, but they are at levels much lower than those of cigarettes and there is no evidence to indicate passive smoking. Such bans are unnecessary and risk transmitting the message that vaping is just as harmful as smoking and this may discourage some people from trying to quit smoking. ”

Vaping does not increase the number of smokers

The popularity of vaping products has not led to an increase in the number of minors who start smoking. According to “Action on Smoking and Health UK” research, the electronic cigarette is used by only 0.2% of non-smokers. Another study, published in early April 2019, by a consortium led by Cardiff University and funded by the National Institute for Health Research, involving 250,000 young people between the ages of 13 and 15, shows that vaping has not led to an increase in the number of smokers and that the number of minors who smoke is constantly decreasing. The findings of the study show that fears of increased tobacco use in young people due to vaping are unfounded.

In Romania, the electronic cigarette is rather discouraged

According to Cipri Boboi, President and Co-founder of the Vaping Industry Association, in Romania there are about 200,000 electronic cigarette users.

“The local vaping market is estimated at 25-30 million euros per year, but it is decreasing because the very high excise duty – 5 lei / 10 ml of liquid – has greatly increased the prices and discourages many smokers who would like to try this “, he explained, for Wall-Street, which adds that over 35% of the price of liquids for electronic cigarettes goes to the state budget.

He also said that, at present, the association he represents – which accounts for about 80% of the vaping market – intends to initiate discussions with the Romanian authorities to collaborate in order to educate consumers in Romania.

The boating industry in Romania is regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40 / EU), which is applicable in the EU Member States from May 20, 2016. This Directive sets safety, quality and notification requirements.

SOURCE: https://www.wall-street.ro/articol/Social/242167/cat-de-mai-sanatoasa-este-tigara-electronica-nu-e-aer-de-munte-poate-doar-o-alternativa-mai-buna.html