ADPHNE Comes Out For Vaping

The Association of Directors of Public Health North East (ADPHNE) has released a position statement in support of vaping, joining the vast majority of UK public health organisations. The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH UK) briefings and the publishing of the Nicotine Vaping in England 2022 evidence update both contributed to ADPHNE’s decision.

Position of ADPHNE about nicotine vaping:

• Up to 2 out of 3 long-term smokers will pass away from tobacco usage. With almost 5,000 individuals in the North East dying each year from smoking-related diseases and deaths, tobacco use continues to be the leading preventable cause of sickness and death.
• Health disparities are significantly influenced by cigarette use. Reducing the number of people who smoke a recognised uniquely harmful product must be our top aim for tobacco control.
• According to the available data, vaping is a much less dangerous option for smokers and only carries a small portion of the long- and short-term dangers associated with smoking. For smokers who want to lower their chance of dying from a smoking-related disease, we must make sure that vaping is an inexpensive and convenient alternative.
• Dr. Javed Khan OBE’s independent evaluation on making smoking obsolete made a crucial suggestion to the government: promote vaping as a tool for helping people stop smoking tobacco and explain how it fits into an effective tobacco control plan.
• However, we also understand that vaping carries some risks, so it must be promoted as a safer alternative to smoking rather than as a fun activity for the general non-smoking population.
• While it can be used to help adults stop smoking, vaping is inappropriate for youngsters and should not be used by non-smokers. Both the number of young people using vape goods and the quantity of non-compliant products that are for sale must be decreased. To support compliance with legislation and to take enforcement action as needed, we must collaborate closely with our Trading Standards colleagues. Additionally, we must continue to push for tougher e-cigarette restrictions where they are necessary, making sure that the correct balance is struck between protecting children and helping smokers quit.
• For non-smokers living in a home where tobacco is smoked, vaping provides a less dangerous alternative. It’s risky to be around secondhand smoke. Products for vaping emit none or very little side-stream emissions when compared to cigarettes. According to the data update, those who don’t smoke or vape do not see any appreciable rise in toxicant biomarkers following brief secondary exposure to vaping.
• Only a small fraction of persons who smoke accurately believe that vaping is less risky than smoking, which raises concerns. Therefore, in order to increase understanding and make sure that smokers are aware that transitioning to vaping is a much less harmful option than continuing to smoke, we support the delivery of evidence-based communications among stakeholders and the general public.

The Nicotine Vaping in England: 2022 evidence update, according to ADPHNE, contains the strongest evidence for nicotine vaping. The paper is the most extensive to date, with a systematic evaluation of the research on the health effects of nicotine vaping as its main focus.