The Editor-in-Chief goes on to refer to countries such as the UK, where the products are highly recommended for smoking cessation, and are promoted as being more effective than nicotine patches, gums and lozenges. He underlines the fact that anti-vaping entities keep fixating on the fact that teen vaping rates increased in the last decade. However they ignore the fact that this increase has led to a drop in teen smoking rates.
Misinformation about vapes is damaging to public health
Forbes goes on to highlight that the spread of this misinformation is doing public health a huge disservice. In line with this argument, a new study published in BMC Public Health examining data from the US PATH Surveys (2014-2019), found that ‘risk misperceptions’ about vaping are still on the rise. Despite all the scientific evidence indicating the relative safety of the products, sadly in 2019, 83% of US smokers incorrectly believed that vaping was as harmful, if not more harmful, than smoking.
Unsurprisingly the smokers who have these inaccurate beliefs about vapes were less likely to try and/or switch to the products and to keep on smoking. While smokers who correctly know that the products are safer, were 134% more likely to try vaping, 127% more likely to stop smoking, less likely to dual use vapes and cigarettes and less likely to relapse to smoking.
Two Former U.S. FDA Officials Take on Key Roles at Tobacco Giant PMI
