Vaping vs Smoking – England Chief Medical Officer’s Opinion

On May 30, Chris Whitty, England Chief Medical Officer writes for The Times, talks about vaping vs smoking. He emphasizes that vaping companies marketing vapes and vape related products to children is unacceptable.

In addition, he points that vapes should only have a role in helping quit smoking.

According to Chirs Whitty, the key points about vaping (e-cigarettes) can be easily summarized. If you smoke, vaping is much safer; if you don’t smoke, don’t vape; marketing vapes to children is utterly unacceptable.

Vaping vs Smoking — England Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty’s Opinion
From gov.uk

Vaping vs smoking, vaping is less harmful.

Whitty reveals the dangers of cigarettes, saying their use greatly increases the risk of many diseases. These diseases including heart disease, stroke, many types of cancer, dementia and lung disease.

In addition, smoking can cause harm to those around the smoker, including children and unborn babies.

Moreover, the cigarette industry’s model has always been to get people addicted to nicotine early on, mostly as teenagers.

Once the smokers are addicting to nicotine, most smokers subsequently wish to quit, but this is very difficult.

“The deliberate industry-induced addiction has taken their choice away, despite claims by some industry lobbyists to be ‘pro choice’.”

Help smokers to quit is one of the best things we can do for their health. Vaping is a effective way to help addicted smokers to quit smoking.

In addition, considering to the multiple and immense health risks of smoking, vaping is much safer than to smoke.

Therefore, swapping from smoking to vaping is a positive health move.

However, vaping are not without risks. Whitty says that the long-term effects of many vape ingredients are not yet known.

And, many vaping companies deliberately inducing nicotine addiction in others to maximize profits is not in the interests of the person being addicted.

“Non-smokers should therefore be encouraged not to start vaping, and in particular not to use vapes containing ingredients such as nicotine, the main aim of which is to addict them.”

Whitty opposes marketing of vaping to children.

According to Whitty, these vaping companies that try to make children addict to vapes for profit are behaving shamefully. However, it is undoubtedly happening.

In England, the smoking percentage of 11 to 15 year-old children rose from 6% to 9% from 2018 to 2021, and it’s still rising.

Vaping companies are marketing products aimed specifically at kids. Their marketing directions are on the vaping colors, flavors, and cheap disposable options, whatever they may claim.

Unsafe, illegal vaping have also been shown to be harmful. The recent reports suggesting they may contain dangerous chemicals such as lead and nickel. Inhalation of high levels of lead can damage the central nervous system and brain development in children.

Some vaping products contain nicotine when they claim to be nicotine-free, or contain the harmful THC chemical in cannabis.

The announcement to limit the marketing of vaping products to those under 18 is a very welcome move. It is useful to end the harm done to children by the vaping industry.

The government has launched an inquiry into further opportunities to prevent children from vaping. And Whitty encourage those who have evidence to do so.

Finally, Whitty expressed his attitude towards vaping vs smoking as the chief medical officer.

“We should continue to encourage smokers to swap to vaping as the lesser risk, while preventing marketing and sale of vapes to children.”

The origional articel: Chief Medical Officer for England on vaping.