Vaping Is Clearly Less Harmful Than Tobacco, So Why Is It Still Opposed?

First of all, e-cigarettes are a new type of addictive product that has only been around for a little over a decade, invented by Chinese pharmacist Han Li in 2003. His brand, such as YAN, once became very popular in China. Theoretically, because they do not produce combustion, they do not generate tar and carbon monoxide, so the harm to the body is less than 95% compared to traditional cigarettes. However, due to the short time and insufficient sample size, it cannot be confirmed whether long-term use will have unknown harms. Currently, the extent of harm caused by e-cigarettes to the human body is a key research topic for many medical institutions worldwide.

Secondly, because they do not contain tobacco components and only contain nicotine salts extracted from vegetables, propylene glycol, and flavorings, they are not regulated by the tobacco authority. Therefore, the e-cigarette industry has grown wildly, with many small e-cigarette brands of varying quality, and the pace of national legislation is relatively slow, so there are no government departments backing them. Coupled with the instinctive fear of new things, people naturally hold a skeptical attitude towards their existence.

Furthermore, conspiracy theories suggest that because they do not pay tobacco taxes, they touch the cake of the traditional tobacco industry (although currently the market share of e-cigarettes in China is still less than 1%). Because there is room for imagination, it has attracted a large amount of venture capital, and the future market is huge, so mainstream media's public opinion has always been unfriendly towards e-cigarettes. On November 1, 2019, the National Tobacco Administration issued a notice on "Further Protecting Minors from the Harm of E-cigarettes," which led to the complete removal of e-cigarettes sold on e-commerce platforms, further deteriorating public perception of e-cigarettes.

Lastly, and most importantly, although theoretically, e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes, for traditional smokers, using e-cigarettes is better than smoking cigarettes. However, on a societal level, e-cigarettes do pose significant harm to non-smokers, especially teenagers. Currently, almost all e-cigarette brands promote fashionable slogans, and various new flavors and attractive youthful designs have a huge appeal to minors. Moreover, vaping does not have the unpleasant smell of tar but rather fruity aromas, making it difficult for teachers and parents to detect. This is also why the U.S. legislated last year to prohibit the production and sale of all flavored e-cigarettes except for traditional tobacco flavors.

The author believes that for an industry to develop healthily and grow strong, the first consideration should be its benefit to society. If a company prioritizes profit without any ethics, it will eventually be abandoned by society.

This article is reproduced from Zhihu.