Science Council Lists ‘Junk Science’ Studies

The American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) has published a list of vaping-related studies that are tainted by “junk science,” according to the industry advocacy organization.

“The media reports the results of sloppy vaping research then quickly forgets them. We do not,” writes Cameron English on the ACSH website. “What follows is a list of many of the low-quality studies that have investigated the alleged health risks of e-cigarette use. We’ll regularly update this catalog of bad studies as necessary.”

The list includes studies linking vaping to erectile disfunction, stroke, bone damage and mental health.

“The past year has seen the publication of many studies alleging that e-cigarette use (vaping) carries very serious health consequences, everything from depression to erectile dysfunction and higher stroke risk,” English writes. “Each paper generated widespread media coverage, usually one news outlet duplicating the uncritical coverage of the last, giving consumers the false impression that vaping poses a greater health threat than it actually does. When we examined these studies in more detail, we identified their serious flaws and reported them to our readers.”

English also suggests that health reporters tend to obsess over a topic for a few days then forget it entirely, quickly moving on to the next exaggerated study. This means the public often only hears the information relayed from the faulty study and is never informed that the information isn’t sound, he says.