Brussels, 16th March 2023 – Three experts from King’s College London and the public
health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have recently addressed health
professionals, focusing on “myths about e-cigarettes and vaping”. [2]
“E-cigarettes (vapes) are currently the most popular aid used to quit smoking in England
and are used by around 4.3 million adults in Great Britain, the majority of whom are ex-
smokers,” the authors state, emphasising that ” … vaping poses only a small fraction of
the health risks of smoking and that smokers should be encouraged to use vaping
products … for stopping.” The experts fear that myths about vaping “risk undermining the
use of these products as cessation aids.”
IEVA president Dustin Dahlmann agrees: “The facts about harm reduction are on the
table. If many more smokers who cannot quit by other means were to switch to e-
cigarettes, millions of people worldwide could live better and longer lives. Health policy in
the UK should be a shining example to all policy makers.”
The UK government advises that vaping is at least 95 percent less harmful than smoking.
The risk of developing cancer is considered to be 99.5 percent lower for vapers than for
smokers. These findings have been substantiated in multiple publications over recent
years. [3]
But too many smokers misjudge the comparative harm of vaping. Only 28 percent of smokers in Europe know that vaping is less harmful than smoking. [4]
“It is critical that smokers are given the facts about harm reduction. Health professionals
have responsibility as clinicians in direct contact with people who want to quit smoking”,
says Dustin Dahlmann.
[1] Public Health overview, European Commission. Link
[2] “There are many myths about e-cigarettes and vaping”, Nursing Times 22/02/2023.
Link
[3] Evidence review of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products 2018, Public Health
England. Link
[4] European adult smokers’ perceptions of the harmfulness of e-cigarettes relative to
combustible cigarettes, European Journal of Public Health 2020. Link
About IEVA
The Independent European Vape Alliance (IEVA) is the only pan-European association
aimed at uniting national associations, companies, manufacturers and wholesalers in the
vaping industry and providing them with responsible representation at the European
level. IEVA’s founding principle is to contribute to harm reduction and public health. E-
cigarettes have a significant positive impact and should be recognized as a harm
reduction tool because vaping is not smoking.
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