England Announces Support For Vaping

Public Health England (PHE), the government health organization made a remarkable announcement  declaring their full support in offering e-cigarette devices to help individuals in their smoking cessation efforts. This is truly a history changing proclamation as it marks the first time any government health organization in the world has ever publicly supported the vaping movement.

Based on the PHE’s extensive peer-reviewed study they concluded that e-cigarettes are about 95% less harmful than combustible cigarettes and one day soon could be dispensed as a licensed medical alternative to anti-smoking products already available like nicotine patches and gum.

Its findings could still accelerate the use of e-cigarettes as the PHE has declared that the devices “have the potential to make a significant contribution to the endgame for tobacco”, a statement that was backed by England’s chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies. 

Key Points of the PHE’s Review:

• The best estimate is that e-cigs are about 95% less harmful than smoking tobacco cigarettes
• Almost half of England’s population (44.8%) do not realize that vaping carries a fraction of the risk of smoking tobacco cigarettes
• There is no solid evidence that has been found thus far to indicate that e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking tobacco cigarettes for youth or non-smokers (less then 1%)*

Quite a few of England’s major government health officials have backed the findings of the study, which was conducted by Professor Ann McNeill of King’s College London and Professor Peter Hajek of Queen Mary University of London. The comprehensive review also showed that almost all of the 2.6 million adults vaping in England are either current smokers or ex-smokers and these individuals are using the devices to help them stop smoking or to keep them from going back to combustible cigarettes.

The emergent evidence also shows that some of the highest successful quit rates in their smokers are the ones who are using e-cigarettes and also receive supplemental support from their local smoking cessation services.

The PHE believes that if the use of e-cigs is adopted that they would be able to prevent up to 80,000 deaths a year. Due to the results of this study England’s National Health Services agency is presently developing strategies for electronic cigarettes to become a licensed medical product. The PHE is also encouraging regulators to look at e-cigarette devices as a possible low-cost means in order to reduce smoking in poor neighborhoods, where smoking is still quite rampant.