Misinformation and Misunderstanding: Manufacturers and Experts Call for Scientific Research on Vapin

During the COVID-19 pandemic, public misunderstandings hindered the regulation and promotion of new nicotine products. New nicotine products faced strict regulations, taxes, and bans, and misinformation became a significant obstacle to regulatory review.

Recently, according to Allafrica, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community widely believed that the pandemic would bridge the gap between scientific data and policy-making, potentially leading to fact-based regulation. However, the reality is that this did not occur in the short term regarding health policy and subsequent tobacco harm reduction (THR) policies.

Data shows that the growth rate of the new nicotine product industry has exceeded expectations, with the global market value of new nicotine products expected to surpass 50 billion USD and over 100 million users. However, the nicotine industry has faced severe challenges from regulations, taxes, and bans.

The stringent regulations on new nicotine products are also attributed to misinformation, which the American Psychological Association interprets as incorrect or inaccurate information, or factual errors. Although this term is often used interchangeably with fake news, experts believe that fake news is deliberately used to mislead facts.

Professor Solomon Rataemane, Dean of the Psychology Faculty at the University of South Africa, pointed out that while South Africa's tobacco legislation has gone through various stages, the upcoming adjustments to the tobacco industry's new legislation have faced widespread criticism from all sides. He further stated that critics argue that new tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes, may have a positive role in reducing tobacco harm, as the lung function of users of such products may improve.

Professor Giuseppe Biondi Zoccai, Associate Professor of Cardiology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, stated that although scientific evidence indicates that current new nicotine products have numerous health benefits, that evidence is still insufficient to persuade decision-makers to make the right choices.

Mrs. Marewa Glover, discussing New Zealand's widely regarded successful case, stated that their policies should not be replicated as the best example.

She emphasized that education should come first, not taxation. In New Zealand, taxes are so high relative to income that the lowest socioeconomic groups of smokers often cannot afford to purchase legal cigarettes, leading to other issues; people turn to the black market or cut funds from their food budget. Many policies can have negative impacts, especially for the lowest socioeconomic groups, but good policies should consider these effects.