British Health Agency: Regulated e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes

A new report from the UK’s Public Health Agency puts an end to panic over the use of e-cigarettes started by the US.
Strictly regulated electronic cigarettes and nicotine vaporizers are less harmful than regular cigarettes, the Public Health of England * announced in its annual report on the use of e-cigarettes published in March. Although not completely safe, they still contain significantly less harmful substances than cigarette smoke, the report’s authors note.
In its conclusions, the agency once again emphasizes the important role that smokeless alternatives can play in the fight against smoking, with their position being the same as those of other health organizations.
“Despite the reduction in the number of smokers overall, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable mortality and disease, and a leading cause of health inequalities worldwide. Therefore, alternative less harmful nicotine delivery devices can play a key role in reducing the health burden, “the British Agency said in its sixth independent e-cigarette report.
The report is published in the midst of mounting fears around the world that electronic cigarettes and vaporizers are as harmful as cigarettes. About half of UK smokers mistakenly believe that e-cigarettes are as harmful or even more harmful than smoking ordinary cigarettes. According to a study in the report, the cause of the false fears was the epidemic of lung disease in the United States in the fall of 2019. US authorities have already confirmed that the crisis is mainly due to the ingredient found in nicotine fluids, vitamin E acetate, a thickener that is added to cannabis evaporation products. This substance is banned in evaporation products that are strictly regulated in the UK, the UK’s Public Health Agency said.
False e-cigarette news has led to a decline in the use of nicotine vaporizers and a return of smokers in the UK to standard cigarettes. This can have a negative impact on public health, as it impedes the withdrawal of cigarettes and the switch to less risky vaping products. This “will ultimately cost many people’s lives,” the report said.
“Perceptions of e-cigarette harm among smokers do not match the scientific evidence available. In 2019, the percentage of people who thought e-cigarettes were less harmful than regular cigarettes dropped from 45 to 34 percent. perceptions are particularly common among smokers who do not use e-cigarettes, “the British agency said.
The Public Health Agency of England advises smokers to stop smoking or switch to e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking and non-smokers to stop using e-cigarettes.
Clive Bates, a former employee of the Agency, comments on the report as “strong empathy based on accurate data” – what public health requires. “If the World Health Organization or US agencies and politicians could demonstrate such evidence-based common sense, this would completely change things,” Bates says. “The new evidence is very convincing, if we look at it seriously, and not listen to what e-cigarette fighters say,” the former government official added.
* Public Health England is an executive agency of the United Kingdom Department of Health and Human Services, which has been operational since 1 April 2013. The formation of the agency is the result of a reorganization of the National Health Service in England, governed by the Health and Social Care Act care since 2012