The harm reduction of vapes can be confirmed
The harm reduction of vapes has always been questioned. It is generally questioned that vapes are harmful. They generally avoid the harm of cigarettes or dilute the harm of cigarettes. They will also talk about the fact that cigarettes are recognized as carcinogens. and. Vape is a product that replaces cigarettes. If you put aside the harm of cigarettes to talk about the harm of vapes, it is a hooligan. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco causes more than 8 million deaths every year. Tobacco harm reduction is imperative. Yan will take on this important task in the future.
The UK is one of the best countries in the world for tobacco control, and it is also the first country to clearly officially support vapes as a smoking cessation tool. A survey by the Department of Public Health of the United Kingdom found that British people’s perceptions of the harm reduction of vapes are becoming increasingly inconsistent. Only 29% of people believe that vapes are less harmful than cigarettes. In addition, 38% of people believe that vapes are as harmful as cigarettes, 18% do not know which is more harmful, and 15% believe that vapes are more harmful than cigarettes. In other words, 71% of people have misunderstandings about vapes.
The Department of Public Health of the United Kingdom is undoubtedly a firm supporter of vapes. In 2015, the Department of Public Health of the United Kingdom issued an independent report stating that although vapes are not 100% safe, the content of harmful chemicals is almost negligible, and vapes are less harmful. There is no doubt.
Until 2019, the British government's smoke-free goal is progressing smoothly. Adult smoking rates continue to decline, and vape use rates are steadily increasing. However, in 2020, the use of vapes in the UK has declined for the first time (see the figure below for details). From 7.1% in 2019 to 6.3% in 2020, a year-on-year decline of 12%.
On February 24, 2021, the official website of the British government published the report "Vape Use in the UK: Evidence Update in 2021". This is an annual update report by the Department of Public Health (PHE). The main content is to update the latest data on the use of vapes in the UK and provide information and insights for policies and regulations. The core reason is that the UK wants to ensure the smooth progress of the 2030 smoke-free goal. According to the UK’s 2030 smoke-free goal, it is planned to phase out combustible cigarettes by 2030, allowing smokers to quit smoking completely or switch to a lower-risk nicotine delivery system, such as vapes.
The study published by University College London in "BMC Medicine" pointed out that for every 1% reduction in people's perception that vapes are less harmful than cigarettes, the use rate of vapes will drop by 0.48%. So the next question becomes, what caused the decline in the perception of harm reduction of vapes among British adults.
Another study published by University College London asked whether the outbreak of illegal vape-related lung injury (EVALI) in the U.S. in 2019 would cause smokers to change their perceptions of vapes and cigarettes. University College London surveyed 3,215 smokers. Before the EVALI outbreak, 37% of the respondents believed that vapes were less harmful than cigarettes. After the EVALI outbreak, this proportion was significantly reduced to 30.9%. Correspondingly, those who think vapes are equally harmful have increased from 39.9% to 43.8%. Vapes are more harmful than cigarettes, increasing from 12.7% to 17.2%. The outbreak of EVALI directly led to the deterioration of British smokers' perception of vapes.
In fact, after several months of investigations in 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has clearly stated on its official page: "Illegal vape products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) play a major role in cases. "The culprit is vitamin E acetate in illegal THC products, and regular nicotine e-liquid does not contain this substance.
It is also for the above reasons that the Department of Public Health of the United Kingdom emphasized in the 2021 report: “It is necessary to focus more on transmitting harm reduction evidence to smokers in a better way so that they can fully consider various options to help them quit smoking.” , Improving people’s correct understanding of vapes has become the key to the UK’s 2030 smoke-free goal.
It is not only the support of the British Ministry of Public Health. Recently, three researchers from the University of Pittsburgh in the United States pointed out in their research papers that vapes are far less harmful than cigarettes, and the availability of vapes should be used as a tobacco harm reduction strategy.
The author of the paper pointed out that the availability of vapes is supported by the two ethical frameworks of public health ethics and biomedical ethics. The usable performance of vapes helps smokers reduce health risks and hazards, and allows smokers to make health decisions by themselves. This conforms to the principle of respecting individual rights and autonomy, and promotes social fairness and justice. At the same time, the availability of vapes to achieve public health goals is less restrictive than traditional tobacco control practices.
In addition, providing smokers with vape products and vape harm reduction information can also provide cheaper harm reduction programs for disadvantaged groups, reduce social health gaps, and promote social justice. A large amount of evidence shows that vapes are much less harmful than cigarettes. Both the public health ethics framework and the biomedical ethics framework prove that the availability of vapes is ethical and is a beneficial measure. Therefore, smokers should be encouraged to switch to vapes.
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