Expert says there is no evidence vaping increases the risk of coronavirus infection or severe compli

Today, on April 24, news from foreign media reports that Guy Bentley, director of the Consumer Freedom Department at the Reason Foundation, stated that in recent weeks, many sources have suggested that using e-cigarettes may be a risk factor for contracting or worsening the severity of COVID-19. These reports are almost entirely based on speculation from anti-vaping advocates, which have rarely faced significant opposition.

 On March 23, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams appeared on NBC's Today Show, where he hypothesized without evidence that e-cigarettes might increase the risk of young people contracting COVID-19 more than previously thought.

"There is a theory that this may be because we know there is a higher proportion of e-cigarette users in the U.S. and Italy," Adams said.

However, on April 16, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Bloomberg that while e-cigarette use exposes the lungs to toxic chemicals, it is unclear whether these exposures increase the risk of COVID-19.

This statement contrasts sharply with comments from Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Dr. Volkow recently wrote in the Annals of Internal Medicine that e-cigarette users are at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.

Similarly, last week, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey even issued a warning stating that e-cigarettes could exacerbate the spread of COVID-19.

Last month, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio claimed, "If you are a smoker or an e-cigarette user, it does make you more vulnerable to harm."

After what appeared to be unclear email exchanges with FDA officials, Bloomberg published an article titled: "FDA Says E-Cigarettes May Increase Virus-Related Health Risks," prompting Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and 12 public health experts to write to the FDA to complain.

The signatories warned the FDA that if its communications are arbitrary and poorly considered, spreading fear and confusion without scientific basis and unpredictable consequences, it would be better for the FDA and its media spokesperson not to comment further at this time.

Fortunately, the FDA seems to have finally taken this advice seriously. Bentley wrote in his editorial that there is currently no evidence anywhere in the world that e-cigarette users are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

The Scientific Media Research Center recently released a statement from public health experts to help journalists understand what we know about smoking, e-cigarettes, and COVID-19.

"There is no evidence that e-cigarettes increase the risk of infection or progression to severe COVID-19 disease," Dr. Caitlin Notley said. She added that switching from smoking to e-cigarettes can improve cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, so smokers who switch to e-cigarettes may have better outcomes if they contract COVID-19.

Similar to the lung disease outbreak last year, which was initially mistakenly linked to traditional e-cigarettes but was later found to be the result of adulterated black market cannabis products, much of the discourse surrounding e-cigarettes and COVID-19 is aimed at efforts to get young people to stop vaping.

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) and Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes (PAVE) have been promoting stories linking e-cigarettes to the coronavirus. For example, on April 15, they even launched a campaign telling the White House that e-cigarette shops are not essential businesses.

CTFK stated: Public health experts are increasingly concerned that e-cigarettes put users at greater risk of severe complications from COVID-19, that these products are addicting our kids, and that they have not been proven to help smokers quit.

This statement is hypocritical. E-cigarettes have been proven to be undoubtedly much safer than combustible cigarettes and have consistently been shown to help smokers quit. Italy, Spain, France, and Switzerland continue to operate because they recognize that ensuring access to safer alternatives to smoking is beneficial for public health.

It is time for anti-vaping groups to stick to the facts and stop spreading fear and misinformation about a product that is saving millions of lives in the U.S. and around the world. Stopping kids from vaping is undoubtedly a noble goal, but it is not an excuse to mislead the public in a way that could prevent smokers from switching to safer products.