E-Cigarettes: Current Facts and Misconceptions
The Current Situation
The current situation is fairly complex and hard to see clearly, especially if you only follow the latest news articles. Regular e-cigarette use is not to blame for the lung illnesses and deaths in the United States. Rather, the cause was illegal black-market drugs consumed in e-cigarette-like devices. The core issue is the media’s lack of subject knowledge and the misleading way the story has been presented—because the fact is:
When used as intended, e-cigarettes are up to 95% less harmful than tobacco smoke, as shown by numerous publications from public and private institutions, including reports by Public Health England.
Consumers are being alarmed, and entire U.S. states or countries such as India are now banning e-cigarettes in response to recent events, putting people’s health at risk. On one hand, vapers there are losing the option to keep buying regulated e-liquids and devices, which in some cases pushes them back to tobacco. On the other, this fuels a black market where production and sales are no longer subject to regulation or oversight.
Here is an excerpt from www.ezigarettensindnichtschuld.de on the current situation that sums it up perfectly.
Inaccurate reporting: Lack of media expertise
The fact that the media make little or no distinction is understandable given the visual similarity between “dabbing pens” used to consume THC-containing substances and “e-cigarettes” used to vape nicotine-containing e-liquid, but that does not make it any less wrong. Media outlets tend to simplify and condense complex issues. Headlines blame e-cigarettes for the numerous cases of illness. That is easy to understand and sensational. However, the root cause is the use of illegally obtained and contaminated drugs.
Interesting studies on the health aspects of e-cigarettes
- Informative articles from Spiegel Online
- A detailed report by Public Health England
- The study by Prof. Dr. Riccardo Polosa, Director of the Institute of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology at the University of Catania, Italy
- The YouTube channel of Prof. Dr. Bernd Mayer, Professor at the University of Graz.
