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This depends on the relative harm of smoking versus vaping. Uk government estimates risks at 95% less than smoking which means we're still winning health wise

This depends on the relative harm of smoking versus vaping. Uk government estimates risks at 95% less than smoking which means we're still winning health wise by quite a bit.

ceejayoz 7y ago
Vaping appears to have stalled progress towards smoking cessation: https://www.apnews.com/1c899ae55fca41bab3cefcdc37bf6de4 https://www.apnews.com/1c899ae55fca41bab3cefcdc37bf6de4 > For decades, the percentage of high school and middle school students who smoked cigarettes had been declining fairly steadily. For the past three years, it has flattened, according to new numbers released Monday. It may also encourage relapses: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ecigarettes/vaping-may-aid-smoking-cessation-but-also-boost-relapse-risk-idUSKCN1UA2EA https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ecigarettes/vaping... > Adults who smoke cigarettes may have an easier time cutting back or quitting altogether if they start vaping, but a new French study also suggests that vaping may make ex-smokers more likely to relapse.
- jdietrich 7y ago
  From your first link: “It’s not clear yet what’s going on and it’s best to not jump to any conclusions,” said David Levy, a Georgetown University researcher. In the UK, teenage smoking is at record lows - just 16% of secondary school children have ever smoked tobacco, down from 19% in 2016. We have not seen a significant rise in youth e-cigarette use. This may have something to do with the 2014 Tobacco Products Directive, which introduced substantial new regulation on both cigarettes and e-cigarettes including restrictions on advertising. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49398630 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49398630 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Products_Directive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Products_Directive
DanBC 7y ago
Not if non-smokers are being recruited into vaping or smoking.
- seanmcdirmid 7y ago
  Hasn’t that always been the case though? Peer pressure is going to be directed somewhere, maybe cigarettes, maybe marijuana, maybe heroin, ... are kids really expected to be better these days than when we were kids?
  - brokensegue 7y ago
    to non-drugs?
  - DanBC 7y ago
    Kids are better today than we were as kids. They drink less, they smoke less, they take drugs less often, they have fewer unplanned pregnancies, etc etc. At the moment we don't think vaping turns non-smokers into smokers. But it's complicated, especially if there are companies that are marketing vaping to young non-smokers. I personally think vaping is a useful public health measure, but I recognise the very many years of terrible behaviour from tobacco companies and it feels like light-touch regulation doesn't work.
- JamesBarney 7y ago
  Well balancing non-smokers becoming vapers relative to smokers becoming vapers definitely depends on the relative risks. But if vaping is increasing the number of smokers (which is definitely not true among adults, and probably not true among teens) you're right that wouldn't depend on relative risks.

This depends on the relative harm of smoking versus vaping. Uk government estimates risks at 95% less than smoking which means we're still winning health wise by quite a bit.

ceejayoz 7y ago

Vaping appears to have stalled progress towards smoking cessation: https://www.apnews.com/1c899ae55fca41bab3cefcdc37bf6de4 https://www.apnews.com/1c899ae55fca41bab3cefcdc37bf6de4 > For decades, the percentage of high school and middle school students who smoked cigarettes had been declining fairly steadily. For the past three years, it has flattened, according to new numbers released Monday. It may also encourage relapses: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ecigarettes/vaping-may-aid-smoking-cessation-but-also-boost-relapse-risk-idUSKCN1UA2EA https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ecigarettes/vaping... > Adults who smoke cigarettes may have an easier time cutting back or quitting altogether if they start vaping, but a new French study also suggests that vaping may make ex-smokers more likely to relapse.

jdietrich 7y ago
From your first link: “It’s not clear yet what’s going on and it’s best to not jump to any conclusions,” said David Levy, a Georgetown University researcher. In the UK, teenage smoking is at record lows - just 16% of secondary school children have ever smoked tobacco, down from 19% in 2016. We have not seen a significant rise in youth e-cigarette use. This may have something to do with the 2014 Tobacco Products Directive, which introduced substantial new regulation on both cigarettes and e-cigarettes including restrictions on advertising. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49398630 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49398630 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Products_Directive https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_Products_Directive

DanBC 7y ago

Not if non-smokers are being recruited into vaping or smoking.

seanmcdirmid 7y ago
Hasn’t that always been the case though? Peer pressure is going to be directed somewhere, maybe cigarettes, maybe marijuana, maybe heroin, ... are kids really expected to be better these days than when we were kids?
- brokensegue 7y ago
  to non-drugs?
- DanBC 7y ago
  Kids are better today than we were as kids. They drink less, they smoke less, they take drugs less often, they have fewer unplanned pregnancies, etc etc. At the moment we don't think vaping turns non-smokers into smokers. But it's complicated, especially if there are companies that are marketing vaping to young non-smokers. I personally think vaping is a useful public health measure, but I recognise the very many years of terrible behaviour from tobacco companies and it feels like light-touch regulation doesn't work.
JamesBarney 7y ago
Well balancing non-smokers becoming vapers relative to smokers becoming vapers definitely depends on the relative risks. But if vaping is increasing the number of smokers (which is definitely not true among adults, and probably not true among teens) you're right that wouldn't depend on relative risks.