‘Appropriate’ policies urged

The British Medical Association’s (BMA) Board of Science has published a position paper recommending “appropriate” policies that would minimize the likely health risks of vapor devices while maximizing their potential to reduce the smoking-related health burden.

Considering the lower levels of harm associated with vapor devices, the BMA believes any regulatory approach should focus on three broad objectives: reducing tobacco-related harm; ensuring children and young people do not use the devices; and protecting people from environmental vapor.

According to the BMA, research on the long-term impact of inhaling nicotine vapor is limited by the relatively short period of time that these products have been available. While the absolute risks of vaping are therefore unknown, they nevertheless should be put in the context of the substantial harm associated with smoking.

The BMA said there is growing consensus that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking given that it does not involve combustion, and while some of the toxicants present in tobacco smoke have been detected in aerosol, they are present at much lower levels.