Farsalinos’ report, “The Case for Flavours,” highlights that ultimately flavour bans are a form of prohibition, which only serve to fuel the growth of massive black markets and increases in smoking rates, as they lead many vapers to turn back to smoking.
Why considering an increase in vaping an epidemic, is a flawed premise
In the episode, Dr. Farsalinos discussed his multidimensional review on the use of flavours in nicotine vapes and offers his recommendations to regulators. In the past the researcher has spoken against the alleged teen vaping epidemic explaining why considering an increase in vaping an epidemic, is a flawed premise.
He had explained that the risk of dependence on nicotine and the risks associated with e-cigarette use cannot and shouldn’t be compared to the risks from smoking. He added that the duty of public health officials is to weigh the benefits and adverse effects of any intervention and check where the balance lies. Farsalinos has consistently highlighted that in the case of e-cigarettes, the benefits outweigh any adverse effects, and this needs to be taken into account.
“Even if e-cigarettes are causally linked to subsequent smoking (which has not been proven to be the case, the common liability phenomenon is a much more plausible explanation), the contribution of e-cigarettes to smoking prevalence is minimal. We should not forget that all these years that e-cigarette use (mainly experimentation) was increasing among youth, the smoking prevalence has substantially declined. This is why I mentioned above that the smoking rates should be mentioned when the data are presented,” he explained.
Farsalinos Explains Why Vape Flavours Are Important to Adults
