South African Study Says Most E-cigarette Users Still Smoke

On July 2, news from foreign sources reported that South Africa's Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill was first announced by Deputy Minister of Health Joe Phaahla in May last year and is currently under review. This bill proposes stricter regulations on e-cigarettes and restricts the use, marketing, and sale of certain tobacco products in South Africa. Additionally, it will include a provision allowing the government to implement a 100% public smoking ban.

In fact, the vast majority of studies indicating that e-cigarettes are effective for smoking cessation have been conducted by public health agencies independent of the e-cigarette or, worse, the tobacco industry. The downside of this bill is that it does not acknowledge the relative benefits of harm reduction products like e-cigarettes and will regulate them in the same manner as regular cigarettes.

Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, director of the African Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research Center at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, supports this initiative. He stated that local studies refute claims made by the e-cigarette industry, indicating the relative safety of these products.

He presented several studies conducted by the African Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research Center, the University of Pretoria, and the South Australian Medical Research Council (MRC), which reportedly show that over 95% of e-cigarette users continue to smoke, with only a few successfully quitting for more than six months. This research has not yet been published in peer-reviewed journals.

"While the tobacco and e-cigarette industries like to position e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids, the reality is that these products have limited effectiveness for long-term cessation, associated health risks, and the industry's explicit and targeted marketing towards young people," Ayo-Yusuf said.

Meanwhile, countless studies from around the world indicate the opposite. Furthermore, contrary to Ayo-Yusuf's claims, most studies that contradict his findings have been conducted by public health agencies independent of the e-cigarette or, worse, the tobacco industry.

In fact, the PHE (Public Health England) seventh independent report on e-cigarettes in the UK emphasizes the following points:

E-cigarettes are the most popular aid used by smokers trying to quit in the UK in 2020 (27.2%)

In 2017, over 50,000 smokers quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes

38% of smokers believe e-cigarettes are as harmful as smoking, while 15% believe e-cigarettes are more harmful.

Michael Landl, head of the World Vaping Alliance (WVA), commented on the PHE report, stating that those who continue to vilify e-cigarettes are simply dismissing scientific data.

"Today's report from the UK public health department is good news for e-cigarette users. It further confirms that e-cigarettes are a way to quit smoking. Those who continue to claim that e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking should take the time to read the science. Listening to science is something we've heard a lot about recently in relation to COVID, but hopefully, those who constantly criticize e-cigarettes will do the same this time. They cannot continue to cherry-pick the science that suits them."