A prominent New Zealand public health expert has called for a faster and more aggressive approach to vaping as a smoking cessation method, while the British Medical Association, an unlikely group among the UK's vaping supporters, has taken a more proactive approach.
Kiwi health expert says vaping is ‘key’ to reducing smoking rates
A New Zealand public health expert has criticised the country’s anti-tobacco policies, pointing out that over-regulation and high taxes have only resulted in a 0.5% drop in smoking rates per year. Professor Marewa Glover, of Auckland’s Massey University, compared New Zealand’s results to the UK, saying the biggest difference in the UK was “the different attitude towards encouraging people to switch from smoking to e-cigarettes.”
Glover suggested a voucher scheme to help pay for devices for people in need who want to quit. She also warned the government that the current high tax on cigarettes could make small shops that sell cigarettes a target for violent thieves.
Boyd Broughton of the anti-smoking group ASH New Zealand disputes this argument, saying e-cigarettes are not “magic bullets that will help people quit smoking instantly,” although no one has claimed they do.
BMA gives in to e-cigarettes
The British Medical Association (BMA) medical experts are known to be in the minority against vaping. Although the group is primarily a think tank rather than a research organisation, their reputation carries weight, and their opposition has hampered the progress of vaping over the past few years. However, they now appear to have changed their minds.
In a new paper published on Wednesday, the BMA’s scientific panel acknowledged that vaping has the potential to improve health. The paper, titled “E-cigarettes: potential and limitations”, agreed that “they are safer than smoking”, a far cry from previous statements.
