The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) welcomed the first vaping evidence review published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).
The latest vaping review builds on evidence collected by its predecessor, Public Health England (PHE), and further highlights the role that vaping can play in improving public health.
“It’s good to see that the experts involved in this latest review stand by the estimates that vaping is ‘at least 95 percent less harmful’ than combustible tobacco and that it ‘poses only a small fraction of the risks of smoking,’” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“This figure was first revealed by the then PHE in 2015 in what was at the time described as a landmark review, and the statement that vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking on the back of this statistic continues to be cited by all the leading public health organizations in the U.K. today.
“Particularly welcoming is the evidence that indicates significantly lower relative exposure from vaping compared to smoking in biomarkers that are associated with the risk of cancer, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular conditions and other health conditions’ which lead to tens of thousands of deaths every year, not to mention the high levels of those suffering from debilitating smoking-related illnesses.”
Dunne also welcomed the review’s focus on youth vaping, which he said is currently at unacceptable levels.
“Our own Youth Access Prevention taskforce is working tirelessly with Trading Standards, the retail sector and brand owners to prevent youth access to vaping. We have recently sent the Department for Health and Social Care a number of recommendations, which are designed to cut the sale of vapes to minors off at the source. These include the introduction of a retail licensing or approved retailer and distributor scheme; increased penalties of at least £10,000 per instance for traders who flout U.K. law; and the introduction of a national test purchasing scheme to ensure all retail operations are performing to high standards when it comes to preventing youth access to e-cigarettes.”