Anti smoking groups propaganda is very harmful...

Since the e-Cigarette ban in Thailand, I think is is very important to post some real information about the use of e-cigarettes and the harm in banning them, and I like to post some real information from time to time. Here is another post i stumble over written by Dr. Michael Siegel.

The writer :
Dr. Siegel is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health. He has 25 years of experience in the field of tobacco control. He previously spent two years working at the Office on Smoking and Health at CDC, where he conducted research on second hand smoke and cigarette advertising. He has published nearly 70 papers related to tobacco. He testified in the landmark Engle lawsuit against the tobacco companies, which resulted in an unprecedented $145 billion verdict against the industry. He teaches social and behavioral sciences, mass communication and public health, and public health advocacy in the Masters of Public Health program.

The Article :

New Research Suggests that Anti-Smoking Groups' Propaganda About Electronic Cigarettes' Harms is Causing Tragic Consequences

One of the most central tenets of medicine and public health is "to do no harm." Research out of the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston suggests that many anti-smoking groups are violating this principle, causing tragic consequences by promoting smoking to a significant proportion of the population.

Yesterday, I discussed a study, just published online ahead of print in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, which reports the results of a population-based survey of smokers followed up after two years to determine whether e-cigarette use was associated with higher or lower rates of smoking cessation. The study found that intensive electronic cigarettes users at baseline were six times more likely to quit smoking after a two-year follow-up period compared to intermittent or non-users.

However, the survey included a very useful question for all smokers who had tried, intermittently used, or intensively used electronic cigarettes but discontinued e-cigarette use for some reason and returned to smoking. Specifically, these smokers were asked to name the most important reasons why they returned to cigarette smoking.

Sadly, the third most common reason given by smokers was concern over the health effects of electronic cigarettes. Nearly one-third (29.3%) of smokers who discontinued e-cigarette use and returned to exclusive smoking listed concern over the health effects of vaping as a very important reason for stopping e-cigarette use.

This is unfortunate because despite the propaganda being disseminated by many anti-smoking groups, vaping is much safer than smoking and there is no legitimate health concern that should lead a smoker to choose tobacco cigarettes over fake, tobacco-free ones.

I find it truly tragic that a substantial proportion of smokers who have used e-cigarettes - perhaps as many as one-third - have fallen for the propaganda of many anti-smoking groups and have discontinued their cessation or reduction attempts and returned to full-time cigarette smoking because of a concern about their health. This is completely irrational, as there is no question that switching to electronic cigarettes is much safer than continuing to smoke, and that even a major reduction in smoking has positive respiratory health consequences.

Where are these smokers getting the irrational and completely unfounded idea that a concern about their health should lead them to switch completely from vaping to smoking? The answer - and here is the sad part of the story - is that these smokers are almost certainly getting this false information from a host of supposedly "anti-smoking" groups which, as documented on The Rest of the Story over the past years, have been spreading false and misleading propaganda about the relative health effects of electronic cigarettes compared to tobacco cigarettes.

No later than yesterday did Stan Glantz again disseminate hysterical propaganda designed to scare people into thinking that the nicotine in electronic cigarettes causes heart attacks, despite the lack of any direct evidence that this is the case, and despite the fact that most scientists are unsure that the nicotine in cigarette smokecontributes to heart attacks. While Glantz provides the caveat that: "there are not yet direct evidence on the effects of e-cigarettes on the sympathetic nervous system," this is likely to be lost, given that the headline reads: "Reasons to worry about e-cig induced heart attacks."

I don't mean to single Stan out because he is joined by a host of supposedly "anti-smoking" groups. But the irony is that these groups, by disseminating propaganda that is demonstrably resulting in vapers deciding to switch completely back to smoking, are actually helping to promote cigarette smoking. Thus, it is uncomfortable to continue to refer to these organizations as "anti-smoking" groups. I do not question their intentions. However, when the effects of their actions are to promote smoking, then something is wrong.

And something needs to change. Right away.

Disclosure: I have not received any funding or compensation from the tobacco, electronic cigarette, or pharmaceutical industries. However, I am seeking funding from several electronic cigarette companies to conduct a behavioral study on the effects of electronic cigarettes on smoking behavior.

 

Thank you for posting this Dieter.

I have only been smoke free for 60 days and my health has improved beyond my wildest dreams. Last Tuesday I was in to see the Cardiologist again for a check up, he is so happy with my progress that I'm allowed to take the blue V again (Mrs Rowdy) is very happy.

He also said that my lungs seem to be much better now. I did report on here that my breathing was a lot better since I started vaping.

I started vaping in the hope it would help me quit smoking, well that part has worked. I don't want to quit vaping because I'm enjoying so much.

Cheers
Rowdy.

 

Great to hear that Rowdy! And that extra exercise helps you too with your breathing!...so do that as often as possible!

Have an exciting night!

 

Thank you Rowdy I am so happy to hear that. I did the same experience, when I started vaping. I has a slight shadow on my lung that is now disappeared, my coughing is gone and my weight is up 10+ kg. And I of course feel a lot better by the way...

 

Thanks Konvict.

 

This propaganda is getting to Thailand as well. My Thai mother in law called home recently, very alarmed. "Caribou must stop his electronic cigarettes!!!".
She's a nurse and she attends some sort of monthly conferences along with members of the healthcare industry (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, govt health officials, drug suppliers). Last conference was about shishas and e-cigarettes. I don't exactly know who made the talk and what exactly was the content but she was entirely convinced that e-cigarettes were the devil. Sadly, nothing we said could make her change her mind. Her logic was that all the information we got about e-cigarettes were wrongly put out by e-cigarettes sellers.

 

And this is just as wrong because it is a meeting which also have drug suppliers as menbers. They are selling nicotine chewing gum and nicotine pads, and don't want to loose the marked. When they tell you something you can be sure it is not the truth. Healthcare is now an industry and they don't want people to be healthy, then they don't make profit.

 

So very very true Dieter.

 

Thanks for this thread Dieter. I wish someone could translate that article to Thai for general distribution by everyone here.

 

Caribou... I had a similar experience...


My nanny who detests smoking was ecstatic that I gave it up.... She even tried a vape and remarked how 'clean' it tasted (!!!)

A month went by and I remarked out of the blue how nice it must be for her me not stinking out the kitchen.

Oh no khun Pee-air... this bad... very bad... for you...

I was a little shocked... asked her why... she rambled on and other than recognizing 'ganja ' and 'bad', nothing made sense.

I asked her whether she thought this to be worse for my health than stinkeys she said "yes!" When I asked her... whether she would prefer I smoke stinkys, again she also replied "yes!"

I was completely gobsmacked and concluded it must be shite she had got from the tv.

I told her... "you should not believe everything you hear from the tv or the gov. "

And we never spoke about it again.

 

SD... worse.. if the Pooyai say it is so.......

 

The false propaganda is worst than the ban itself in my opinion... Too bad... I remember an old thread about the e-cig ban in Singapore where we conclude "just prevent to fly to Singapore", but now the problem is located in the country we are living in, no escape !

 

SACK the Nanny, that should solve the problem.