03/21/2018
Cancer Society, Health Groups Calling on Others to Ditch Anti-Va**ng Rhetoric
NEW YORK – Harm reduction experts encouraged by the American Cancer Society’s evolving position on electronic ci******es are calling on others to ditch their anti-va**ng rhetoric in favor of “science-based debate.”
Health groups in the U.S. largely remain adversarial towards alternative smoking technologies despite an avalanche of peer-reviewed research proving the devices drastically reduce the harmful health impacts of combustible ci******es. A recent shift by the American Caner Society on va**ng, however, is a “refreshing” step towards informed debate and away from the ideological crusade of many to***co controllers against e-ci******es, Dr. Carrie Wade, director of harm reduction policy for the R Street Institute, argues in a Friday editorial.
The American Cancer Society, which is historically critical of va**ng, issued a position statement Feb. 15 on e-ci******es that acknowledges their safety compared to combustible ci******es and even argues medical providers should support smokers who are attempting to quit with a va**ng device.
They argue other prominent organizations in the U.S. medical community need to follow the example of the American Cancer Society by changing with the scientific evidence. Ample research shows va**ng significantly improves health outcomes for smokers, something that should be a priority for U.S. to***co control groups.
In the U.K., government health services are even promoting va**ng for smokers as a strategy for slashing the national smoking rate.
Scientists at the University of Catania in Italy recently conducted a three-year study investigating the effects of regular va**ng on the body of the user, finding “no evidence of health concerns associated with long-term use of e-ci******es” on blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, lung function, respiratory symptoms, exhaled breath nitric oxide and exhaled carbon monoxide.
Research published in the Journal of Aerosol Science in January shows that chemical levels in the v***r released from e-ci******es are well below the safety limits suggested by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization. The study determines that va**ng is statistically 5,700 times less harmful to users than combustible ci******es, drastically reducing the risk of developing smoking related illnesses.
Wade notes that the American Cancer Society still prefers smokers quit cold turkey or use Food and Drug Administration-approved cessation tools, however, they argue ditching ci******es to exclusively v**e, “is preferable to continuing to smoke combustible products.” The group also remains worried about the presence of ni****ne in v***r products, warning ni****ne dependence could lead to the use of to***co.
Still, Wade argues the group’s evolving position on va**ng is, “encouraging news…for the overall notion that we can have informed, science-based debates over public-health issues.”
Millions of former smokers in the U.S. are already embracing the positive science on va**ng and using the harm reduction tools to quit combustible ci******es.
Link to original article on www.newsli.com: https://www.newsli.com/2018/03/10/american-cancer-society-health-groups-calling-on-others-to-ditch-anti-va**ng-rhetoric-in-light-of-avalanche-of-research
