Science magazine: E-cigarettes are relatively less harmful, but not risk-free

In the soon-to-end year of 2019, e-cigarettes have undoubtedly been a hot topic in the United States. To address a series of issues caused by illegal e-cigarettes, the U.S. has urgently introduced a ban on e-cigarettes. An article published in the journal Science on December 13 pointed out that the problems caused by electronic vaping need to be resolved quickly, but a one-size-fits-all ban on e-cigarettes does more harm than good.

E-cigarettes are relatively less harmful, but not risk-free

Founded in 1880 by Edison, Science is one of the world's most authoritative academic journals. This article was co-authored by scientists from Ohio State University, Emory University, New York University, and Columbia University's School of Public Health. The scientists believe that although e-cigarettes are not 100% safe, they are a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes and can help people quit smoking to some extent.
  The journal Science pointed out that "by the most conservative estimates, if nicotine e-cigarettes replace traditional cigarettes in the U.S. over the next decade, it could prevent 1.6 million premature deaths and improve the health of 20.8 million people. Over 8 million deaths globally each year are not due to nicotine but to other harmful substances in cigarettes."

As of December 10, the CDC reported 2,409 cases of lung injuries and 52 deaths nationwide. CDC data indicates that the culprits of related diseases are illegal THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) products that are popular on the black market, rather than legitimate nicotine e-cigarettes.

The journal Science pointed out that in the face of these new problems, we are at risk of overreacting, which makes it easy for people to overlook the truth and focus only on sensational claims. The authors believe that many aspects of the U.S. policy discussions do not meet the requirements and often fail to effectively distinguish between nicotine and THC products, adult and youth smokers, and the retail market and black market.

Amy Fairchild, dean of the Ohio State University College of Public Health and the main author of the article, stated: "E-cigarettes are not without risk; they are relatively safe."

She cited a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2018, which found that replacing traditional cigarettes with nicotine e-cigarettes could reduce smokers' exposure to "multiple toxins and carcinogens." A series of studies and results indicate that the harm of e-cigarettes to individuals seems to be less than that of traditional cigarettes.

Minors should not have access to any e-cigarettes

Another focus of American society is the issue of youth vaping.

In recent months, several states in the U.S. have sued e-cigarette manufacturers for marketing to minors. The public outrage has mainly focused on the novelty flavors of e-cigarettes, such as gummy bear flavor, which clearly seems to target children.

The journal Science believes that minors should not use any form of nicotine or THC products. Age restrictions and taxes are effective ways to limit access for minors.

However, the journal Science also pointed out that despite the increase in youth vaping in recent years, the proportion of young people smoking traditional cigarettes has decreased even faster during the same period, indicating that e-cigarettes have, to some extent, replaced traditional cigarettes rather than creating new users.

Fairchild stated that instead of a blanket ban on e-cigarettes, it would be a significant improvement to intervene by age, such as restricting the minimum purchase age and prohibiting marketing to minors.

The journal Science stated that there is evidence that the vast majority of smokers, after persistent use, successfully transitioned from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, moving from menthol flavors to other flavors, and reducing nicotine concentrations even to 0 nicotine.

Finally, the journal Science pointed out that while a blanket ban could immediately alleviate some issues, the solutions need to be more precise to avoid conflating THC with nicotine e-cigarettes. If policies focus only on certain groups while ignoring the entire population, the policies will do more harm than good. Any regulations and policies must fully consider and weigh the risks involved.