Can alternative nicotine products put the final nail in the smoking coffin?
Clearly, bolder policies—including endorsement of harm reduction—are needed to put the final nail in the smoking coffin.
Exploring electronic cigarette portrayals: a content and thematic analysis of African online news coverage
The results indicate that articles and arguments presenting e-cigarettes positively outnumber those with a negative slant. The health impacts of electronic cigarettes emerged as the most discussed topic, with health authorities frequently cited as news sources. However, these health authorities often lacked a unified stance on e-cigarette safety. The lack of consensus among health officials could have public health consequences, possibly resulting in the formulation of uninformed policies. It can create confusion among policymakers, nicotine users, and the public, resulting in negative public health outcomes. Therefore, it is important that scientists, researchers, and public health officials, regardless of their affiliations, promote credible science and evidence. The accuracy and completeness of media coverage of electronic cigarette use also depend on the rigorous and cautious assessment of news sources by news writers.
Consideration of vaping products as an alternative to adult smoking: a narrative review
Tobacco harm reduction is a public health approach to reduce the impact of cigarette smoking on individuals. Non-combustible alternatives to cigarettes, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), deliver nicotine to the user in the absence of combustion. The absence of combustion in e-cigarettes reduces the level of harmful or potentially harmful chemicals in the aerosol generated. This narrative review examines the published literature that studied the chemistry of e-cigarette aerosols, the related toxicology in cell culture and animal models, as well as clinical studies that investigated short- and long-term changes in biomarkers of smoke exposure after switching to e-cigarettes. In the context of the literature reviewed, the evidence supports the harm reduction potential for adult smokers who switch to e-cigarettes.
Increased e-cigarette use prevalence is associated with decreased smoking prevalence among US adults
Population-level data continue to suggest that smoking prevalence has declined at an accelerated rate in the last decade in ways correlated with increased uptake of e-cigarette use.
Modeling the population health impact of accurate and inaccurate perceptions of harm from nicotine
Scientific evidence clearly demonstrates that inhaling the smoke from the combustion of cigarettes is responsible for most of the harm caused by smoking, and not the nicotine. Accurate knowledge regarding the role of nicotine is associated with higher switch rates and prevention of premature deaths. Our findings suggest that promoting public education to correct perceptions of harm from nicotine has the potential to benefit public health.
Cytotoxicity, mutagenicity and genotoxicity of electronic cigarettes emission aerosols compared to cigarette smoke: the REPLICA project
Overall, this replication study supports the tobacco harm reduction strategy as having the potential to substantially reduce exposure to toxic combustion agents in adult smokers. Future studies are needed to advance in vitro methods in order to evaluate the long-term effects of electronic nicotine delivery systems.
Vaping among adults in England who have never regularly smoked: a population-based study, 2016–24
Study published in The Lancet Public Health looks at vaping trends in adults who have never regularly smoked. Some people have genes and circumstances leading them to like nicotine products. Traditionally, they ended up smoking, but some are now discovering vaping without becoming smokers first. If vaping did not exist, they would be smoking. The study authors point this out. To understand the likely consequences of an increase in regular vaping among never-regular-smokers, it is important to consider the counterfactual: what would these people have done in the absence of vaping?
Support for banning sale of smoked tobacco products among adults who smoke: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys (2018–2022)
Opposition to banning smoked tobacco predominates among people who smoke, but less with a cessation assistance scenario than one encouraging nicotine substitution. Wanting to quit a lot was the strongest indicator of support.
Trends in Harm Perceptions of E-Cigarettes vs Cigarettes Among Adults Who Smoke in England, 2014-2023
These findings provide evidence of substantial misperceptions about the harms of vaping compared with smoking and underscore the need to clearly communicate the risks so that adults who smoke can make informed choices about the nicotine products they use. The risks of vaping are much lower than the risks of smoking and this isn’t being clearly communicated to people. “This misperception is a health risk in and of itself, as it may discourage smokers from substantially reducing their harm by switching to e-cigarettes. It may also encourage some young people who use e-cigarettes to take up smoking for the first time, if they believe the harms are comparable.
Secondhand Nicotine Absorption From E-Cigarette Vapor vs Tobacco Smoke in Children
This cross-sectional study of 1777 US children aged 3 to 11 years found that, compared with children exposed to secondhand smoke only, nicotine absorption was 83.6% lower in those exposed to secondhand vapor only and 96.7% lower in those exposed to neither. In this cross-sectional study of US children, nicotine absorption was much lower in children who were exposed to secondhand vapor vs secondhand smoke, but higher than in those exposed to neither. These findings suggest that switching from smoking to vaping indoors may substantially reduce, but not eliminate, children’s secondhand exposure to nicotine and other noxious substances.
