Are Vaping Devices Less Harmful Than Cigarettes? Lacking Scientific Evidence

Is the harm of vaping devices less than that of cigarettes? Currently, the vaping devices available on the market are mainly divided into two types: heated tobacco and heated e-liquid. Due to their similar appearances, they are generally referred to as "e-cigarettes." However, this classification is not entirely accurate.
 
A review of the "2019 Global Tobacco Epidemic Report" published by the World Health Organization on July 26, 2019, reveals that the report categorizes what the industry commonly refers to as "e-cigarette devices": one category is called heated tobacco products, which generate smoke by heating tobacco (rather than directly burning it); the other category is called electronic nicotine delivery systems, commonly known as "vaporizing e-cigarettes," which generate aerosol by heating e-liquid for use. This is also the mainstream e-cigarette product in the Chinese market.

Regarding the harm of e-cigarettes, there are still some seemingly plausible arguments in society.

Is the harm of e-cigarettes less than that of cigarettes? Many people in the e-cigarette industry believe that e-cigarettes "do not release tar," making them relatively less harmful to the human body compared to cigarettes. They argue that the promotion of e-cigarettes is beneficial for smoking control, and that the domestic public opinion towards e-cigarettes is overly harsh. They also cite excerpts from the World Health Organization's "2019 Global Tobacco Epidemic Report" to suggest that the harm of e-cigarettes is lower than that of cigarettes.

"This viewpoint is taken out of context." In a recent interview with People's Daily, Dr. In Xi, a tobacco control technical officer at the World Health Organization, refuted this claim.

Dr. In pointed out that the "2019 Global Tobacco Epidemic Report" expresses that, based on the evidence available so far, the harmful substances released by e-cigarettes may be lower than those from cigarettes, but there is still no definitive evidence to quantify their risk levels. "This does not equate to e-cigarettes being less harmful to the human body. Claims that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes lack scientific basis."

Dr. Zhi Xiuyi, director of the Lung Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Center at Capital Medical University, also believes that the relevant viewpoints of e-cigarette industry personnel "contain serious misconceptions."

Dr. Zhi explained that when assessing the pathogenicity of tobacco, the medical community needs to consider the number of cigarettes smoked daily and the duration of smoking (in years). Currently, e-cigarettes have been on the market for a short time, with many varieties and differing additives, and existing data on the pathogenicity of e-cigarettes is insufficient. The medical community needs to collect more data to conduct a scientific and systematic comparative evaluation of the harms of e-cigarettes and cigarettes.

Researcher Wu Yiqun from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention also pointed out that one cannot use the fact that e-cigarettes "do not release tar" as evidence that e-cigarettes "are less harmful than cigarettes." "The substances released by e-cigarettes contain toxic and even carcinogenic materials; moreover, there are currently hundreds of varieties of e-cigarettes on the market, with a lack of standards for nicotine content, and a wide variety of flavors and additives, making it impossible to qualitatively and quantitatively compare them with cigarettes."

Dr. In emphasized that currently, the e-cigarette industry engages in some misleading promotional practices, using terms like "reduced harm" and "lower risk," which confuse people about whether e-cigarettes are harmful and pose challenges to regulation.

"The World Health Organization believes that e-cigarettes are undoubtedly harmful to the human body." Dr. In stated that there are several points that must be clarified regarding e-cigarettes: "First, e-cigarettes themselves are harmful to the human body; second, e-cigarettes can adversely affect non-users, exposing non-smokers, minors, and pregnant women to harmful substances released by e-cigarettes; third, existing scientific evidence does not prove that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit; fourth, e-cigarettes may serve as a 'gateway' for young people to try cigarettes, leading to more young people becoming smokers and undermining existing smoking control efforts."