Why the U.K doesn’t have Problems with Vaping

Why the U.K doesn’t have Problems with Vaping

Introduction

In this article, the author (Matt Ridley) takes the reader a century back when the United States passed a law prohibiting alcoholic drinks. In the author’s assessment, the prohibition failed to achieve its desired results. Instead, it pushed the alcohol manufacturing industry into an unstructured system where unsafe products manufactured tax-free using violent methods that resulted in higher profit margins for the dealers. I agree with the author when he concludes that countries stand to gain by regulating, legalizing, and imposing a tax on alcoholic drinks as opposed to banning them.

Electronic cigarettes use (Vaping)

According to the author, e-cigarettes are banned, or their usage is limited in several countries. A study by Pepper et al. (2015) established that the proponents of e-cigarettes argue that nicotine has mild effects on the users as compared to the other chemicals that emanate from combustion during smoking. Majority of the users of these cigarettes do so in the hope of quitting smoking.  However, I disagree with this view based on the fact that smoking e-cigarette also causes addiction to nicotine. Even though studies have confirmed that e-cigarettes contain small amounts of harmful chemicals than tobacco, their continued use over time may affect the health of the user.

According to the author, certain countries view e-cigarette usage as a way of lowering smoking rates. On the other hand, other countries are advocating for a total ban of the practice because they fear it may revamp the tobacco industry. In my view, prohibition may fail to achieve its intended purpose. Instead, it may drive the e-cigarette industry into the underground world of drug dealers hence denying the government revenues in the form of tax. I agree with the author when he concludes that it is better to reduce harm rather than banning the usage of these cigarettes.

E-cigarette use  

In his study on electronic cigarette usage in the U.K, Brown et al. (2014) noted that the practice of vaping is linked to a reduction in smoking rates. Among young people, fast growth in electronic cigarette usage has given rise to a decrease in the number of smokers. Prevalence of electronic cigarette usage can be associated with the intention to start smoking, alcohol consumption, and drug use.  In the U.K, the usage of these cigarettes has a lot to do with nicotine as opposed to being a drug. In my view, I consider it a failure on the part of the authority to allow electronic cigarette usage, especially amongst the young people, and find it socially acceptable.

The U.K government’s position on e-cigarette use has encouraged more people to take up the habit. In the government’s view, usage of e-cigarettes is 95% safer than smoking, a claim supported by disease incidence studies conducted earlier on. Because e-cigarettes are not 100% safe makes it still harmful to the users in the long run. However, studies in the U.K have established that over 70,000 smokers quit smoking annually by taking up e-cigarette use, and there are no or very minimal deaths due to lung cancer linked to electronic cigarettes.

However, in the U.S, e-cigarettes have killed more than 33 people and injured more than 1500 individuals resulting in condemnation from the CDC and the U.S president. I agree with the author that the usage of electronic cigarettes in America is a problem that is pushing children into an addiction to nicotine and other harmful chemicals that affect users’ physical health and psychological well-being.

Why the difference?

In this article, the author asserts that in the U.S, the usage of cigarettes containing chemicals extracted from cannabis is the major cause of death and injury. The cigarettes in the U.S market have higher levels of nicotine, unlike in the U.K, where the level of nicotine does not exceed 2% as per the European Union regulations. In my opinion, inferior product regulatory frameworks in the U.S are to blame for the deaths and injury of e-cigarette users due to high nicotine content. This opinion is supported by the fact that e-cigarettes in the U.K have to meet the regulatory checks in terms of assessing the toxicology of the ingredients and emissions, packaging with tight control measures on additives, stimulants, and coloring. The U.S lacks such regulations that explain the deaths and injuries caused by the usage of electronic cigarettes.

Death and injury resulting from the usage of electronic cigarettes in the U.S can be achieved if the government puts in place measures that regulate the ingredients, packaging, toxicological product history, health impact, and labeling. The regulation process should focus on the ingredients, nicotine levels, and the harmful emission resulting from the usage of electronic cigarettes. I agreed with this author when he alluded to the fact that some advocates of public health are against the view of harm reduction instead of prohibition. According to them, harm reduction is equivalent to encouraging habits that may still cause harm, albeit on a small scale, as compared to the options.

Conclusion

The discussion above shows that with proper regulatory policies, as is the case in the U.K, vaping can be taken up as an option to smoking. Electronic cigarettes contain less nicotine hence lower chances of causing lung cancer as compared to smoking. Proper regulation on the use of e-cigarettes provides a win-win situation as opposed to prohibition. Banning of these could result in the proliferation of underground vendors who may tamper with contents, packaging, and labeling resulting in the availability of harmful e-cigarettes in the market. However, young people should be prohibited from accessing and using e-cigarettes to prevent early addiction to nicotine.

References

Brown, J., Beard, E., Kotz, D., Michie, S., & West, R. (2014). Real‐world effectiveness of e‐cigarettes when used to aid smoking cessation: a cross‐sectional population study. Addiction, 109(9), 1531-1540.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-u-k-isnt-having-problems-with-vaping-11571928833

Pepper, J. K., Emery, S. L., Ribisl, K. M., Rini, C. M., & Brewer, N. T. (2015). How risky is it to use e-cigarettes? Smokers’ beliefs about their health risks from using novel and traditional tobacco products. Journal of behavioral medicine, 38(2), 318-326.