Experts from around the world gathered last week at the E-Cigarette Summit, to discuss the electronic cigarette market, known as vapes. The event was held in London, capital of the United Kingdom, a country where these devices are not only regulated, but are also used by the National Health System (NHS) as an alternative to reduce the damage caused by smoking.
The program, called “swap to stop” – consists of providing vapes to smokers who want to give up smoking, following some rules established by the government. The decision to adopt this model was taken in 2023, based on studies that suggest that electronic cigarettes would be less harmful to health than conventional cigarettes.
“We have robust evidence from many different trials that come to the same conclusion: electronic cigarettes, or vapes, are good for helping people quit smoking. They are more effective than nicotine replacement therapies, but, more importantly, they are much safer than traditional tobacco consumption”, says researcher Sharon Cox, who is part of the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at the University College of London.
“So someone who smokes tobacco, one of the best things you can do to improve your health is to try vaping, and switch to using it long-term to help you quit smoking,” he adds.
Another important topic dominated the discussions: the regulation of vapes. Experts say that this is a way of protecting consumers from illegal products, which may contain harmful chemicals and very high levels of nicotine – a highly addictive substance. Furthermore, effective rules could limit access to these devices by minors.
Alan Boobis, professor at Imperial College London, explains the risks associated with a lack of regulation.
“This allows very inferior products to enter the market. And these products can be substantially contaminated with substances that we cannot find in a legal product. For example, we have seen high levels of heavy metals in some illegal vapes. The adulteration of liquid with drugs would not occur if it were regulated”, he states.
The expert, who is part of the UK Toxicology Committee, believes that it is necessary to consider the context of the smoking population. “I think having a large unregulated market is a recipe for a lot of potential harm. If this is happening in the context of a large smoking population, it is necessary to carefully consider whether legalization and regulation of vapes could be a better solution.”
According to the World Health Organization, both conventional and electronic cigarettes pose health risks, and the safest thing is not to use either of them.
In Brazil, vapes have been banned by Anvisa since 2009. This does not prevent the products from being easily found in any major city in the country. Even so, in May this year, Anvisa decided to keep the ban in force after a long regulatory review process, which heard members of civil society, the health sector and industry, among others.
But the situation could still change. This is because a bill is being processed in the Senate that intends to create rules for the production, marketing and advertising of these devices in the country.
This content was originally published in Congress in the United Kingdom debates the health impacts of electronic cigarettes on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
