Vape: It’s not that simple to ignore. Science matters

As global cigarette volumes take a pummelling due to increased consciousness on health and costs, vapour products, more commonly known as e-cigarettes, have grown in popularity in many markets as a safer and perhaps a more reduced risk alternative. E-cigarettes are also popular in Sri Lanka for reasons of health, image and experience. However, these products are entering the local market illegally and little is being done to crack down on the illegal entry of these products into the market.

There is a great deal of misinformation published on vaping in Sri Lanka to suit various narratives. Accordingly, it is imperative that the authorities together with the public pay attention to the science and regulations around vaping in developed markets, where smoking was a more prevalent problem. Policymakers fail to understand that nicotine plays an important role in tobacco-based harm reduction. Nicotine can be addictive but is the toxicants released by the burning of tobacco that cause the vast majority of harm associated with smoking. Many public health organisations have stated that the harm caused by smoking could be reduced by encouraging smokers to switch completely to smoke-free sources of nicotine. Furthermore, a UK government-commissioned report found e-cigarettes are 95 percent less harmful to human health than normal cigarettes. This position has also been adopted by markets such as Canada, New Zealand and France.

 
The journey towards a smoke-free world, if ever there could be one, must be a gradual and managed process, not one that can be achieved overnight. The advent of vape is a cornerstone on that journey. In 2015, the smoking incidence in Britain was over 17 percent and last year it was down to 12 percent. Britain’s Department of Health and Social Care hopes to make the country smoke-free by 2030 and recognised the role of vaping and oral nicotine pouches in that process. In 2021, the National Institute for Healthcare and Excellence updated the guidelines to the medical and cessation professionals to encourage vaping to quit smoking, being a reduced harm product. The public health authorities in England state “there is clear evidence that vapes are substantially less harmful than smoking and are an effective tool to help smokers quit”. As demonstrated above, the science exists and so does relevant regulations to reduce smoking and drive harm reduction. 

Reducing harm is the first step in a long and ambitious journey towards a smoke-free world. The British government adopted vaping on the back of years of focused research and data gathered by reputed organisations, including accredited manufacturers of such products who are compliant with published standards. Accordingly, several leading cigarette manufacturers have produced their own vaping products, which are subject to stringent tests by health authorities. However, large numbers of third parties have also begun manufacturing and marketing such products and they often pay inadequate attention to requirements of quality and safety. These agents have found innovative means to market these products, including enhanced flavour and added puffs. Governments need to devise mechanisms to regulate such products. Access and availability must be limited to persons above 21 in the case of Sri Lanka – and above all there must be a strong commitment to enforcing quality standards. 
Delivering a keynote speech at the recent Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum in Greece, Douglas Ming Deng, Head of NGP Industry Study, Yunnan University, said, “Responsible Innovation, Responsible Regulation, Responsible Research, and Responsible Consumption.” In innovation, he stressed the importance of preventing underage use. Deng argued that next generation products must leverage their electronic capabilities to prevent youth access and that they can only thrive once this is achieved. He went on to say that bio-check and AI-based age estimation show promise but so far have not been commercialised. He asserted that responsible innovation and responsible regulation must go hand in hand and that regulations must guide consumers to make informed choices.

Deng added that the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) should promote the responsible use of tobacco harm reduction and that their lack of clarity is hindering the progress of next generation products, which is viewed by some as harmful as combustible cigarettes.

Whether it is cigarettes or vapes, prohibition is never the answer. Sri Lanka must not shut the door on offering a safe way out to smokers. This is in addition to ensuring future generations are presented with regulated safer products across all segments. It is important that we give ear to science and consider views from all stakeholders in shaping future policy.