Health bodies cave in to fear of unknown

Denmark’s board of health, cancer society, lung association and heart foundation have warned against the use of electronic cigarettes, according to a story by Lucie Rychla for the Copenhagen Post, citing the scientific magazine, Videnskab.

Although the health consequences of using electronic cigarettes are not known, these health authorities are apparently recommending that the 150,000 Danes who are using them ‘consider carefully’ whether they should continue to use them.

It was not clear from the story whether or not the authorities were recommending that users of electronic cigarettes who had quit smoking or cut down on smoking by switching to electronic cigarettes should consider returning to smoking or returning to smoking full time. But given the apparently highly-addictive nature of nicotine and the poor quitting record offered by other products and systems, smoking would seem to be the only alternative to vaping.

The researchers were said to fear that electronic cigarettes containing nicotine could lead to addiction and be a step to smoking tobacco cigarettes.

They apparently worry that vaping, in addition to presenting a health hazard (though that health hazard is acknowledged to be unknown), might lead to an increased number of smokers.