US Study on the Health Impact of Vaping and E-Cig Regulations

The report “Are E-Cigarette Regulations Jeopardizing the Public Health?” reviewed evidence from policy and health studies, and analyzed the impact of recent legislative and regulatory decisions to curtail, ban and tax vaping products.

“Overzealous or poorly designed restrictions on vaping, combined with misleading information about e-cigarettes’ true health risks, are deterring smokers from pursuing a potentially life-saving alternative. This report debunks common misunderstandings about e-cigarettes and highlights e-cigarettes’ untapped potential to mitigate the harm done by combustible tobacco products,” reads the report introduction.

The paper highlights the untapped potential that the devices have in mitigating the harm done by smoking. It points out that there is in fact overwhelming evidence indicating that e-cigarettes are significantly safer than combustible cigarettes and that they are one of the most effective smoking cessation aids available to date.

Claims of a teen vaping epidemic are unfounded

Moreover, adds the report, there is empirical evidence indicating that claims of a teen vaping epidemic are unfounded as underage vaping by nonsmokers is infrequent, supporting the correlation between the rise in vaping and the decline smoking. To this effect, blanket bans on e-cigarettes and misinformation about their true health risks, are doing a lot of damage.

In line with what public health experts have been incessantly stating, the report shows that while appropriate teen vaping regulations are justified, the demonization of e-cigarettes across the U.S. is counterproductive to public health. This stance does nothing but discourage the use of the devices as a smoking cessation aid by millions of adults.

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