Science: Vaping Is a Harm-Reduction Product and Should Be Regulated Differently

in the upcoming2019In 2009, e-cigarettes were undoubtedly a hot topic in the United States. In order to deal with a series of problems caused by illegal e-cigarettes, the United States urgently introduced a ban on flavored e-cigarettes.

And Science magazine12months13A column published on the 20th pointed out that the problems caused by e-cigarettes need to be solved as soon as possible, but a one-size-fits-all ban on e-cigarettes will do more harm than good.

“Excessive caution in restricting or banning less harmful e-cigarette products while leaving deadly cigarette products on the market does not protect public health, the authors wrote.

Science magazine was founded by Edison in 1880 and is one of the most authoritative academic journals in the world. The article was written by scientists from Ohio State University, Emory University, New York University and the Colombia University School of Public Health.

Scientists believe that although e-cigarettes are not 100% safe, e-cigarettes are harm-reducing products and laws and regulations should be treated differently.

Science magazine pointed out in the article that"According to the most conservative estimate, the future of the United States10If you replace cigarettes with nicotine e-cigarettes in 2010, you can avoid160Thousands of people died prematurely,2080The physical health of thousands of people has improved. Globally exceeds annually800Thousands of deaths are not caused by nicotine, but by other harmful substances in cigarettes.& quot;

As of December10Japan, United StatesCDCReports show that there are already2409Cases of lung injury and52Case death.CDCData shows that the main culprit for the disease is illegal and prevalent on the black market.THC(tetrahydrocannabinol) products rather than regular nicotine e-cigarettes.

Science magazine pointed out that when faced with these new problems, we face the danger of overreacting, making it easy for people to ignore the truth and focus only on dangerous claims。The author believes that the United States fails to meet the requirements in many aspects when discussing policy, and often fails to effectively distinguish between nicotine and nicotine.THCProducts, adult and young smokers, retail markets and black markets.

The result was a simple and crude ban on e-cigarettes, while traditional cigarettes were still sold normally on the market. The blanket ban could push e-cigarette users into the black market or return to smoking cigarettes, Science said.

Amy Fairchild, dean of the Ohio State University School of Public Health and lead author of the article (·Amy Fairchild) said:"E-cigarettes are not without risks, they are relatively safe"。

Another special issue comes from the academic field. According to clinical medical research methods, decades of observation and research are needed to fully understand the long-term effects of e-cigarettes on the human body. Science magazine believes that too many people die from smoking cigarettes every day, and that e-cigarettes already have enough evidence to encourage reasonable action.

The UK has regarded nicotine e-cigarettes as a safer alternative to cigarettes, and the country has put in place appropriate regulations to regulate young people and help adult smokers. The UK controls the safety and quality of all products on the market through regulatory authorities and prohibits the sale of THC products.

The control of e-cigarettes also requires a stricter supervision system. Despite the US CDC andFDASearch and analysis identified the root cause of lung disease, but other complications may still occur, vitaminsEOr it may not be the only chemical that deserves attention. When safety cannot be absolutely determined, continuous supervision is the best way to detect hazards as early as possible.

Science concluded that although a blanket ban could immediately alleviate some problems, solutions need to be more precise and avoid confusing THC with nicotine e-cigarettes. If we only focus on some groups and ignore the problems of the entire population, the policies formulated will do more harm than good. No matter what regulations and policies are promulgated, the risks of all parties must be fully considered and weighed.

Over time, although uncertainty remains, those who are open to harm-reducing products have become more willing to offer alternatives. They believe that emerging science is strong enough, that the number of preventable smoking deaths around the world is still so large, and that using harm-reducing products is the benefit that outweighs the harm.

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