A recent report from the New York State Department of Health showed a significant decline in tobacco-related cancers in recent years. Is this decline related to the rise of vaping during the same period or is it just a coincidence?
While the rise of vaping has been controversial worldwide, science has consistently shown that vaping and other heat-not-burn tobacco products are less harmful than traditional cigarettes due to the lack of tar and carcinogens found in the latter. To this effect, experts in the field have consistently stressed that the increased popularity of these alternative products, resulting in a decrease in smoking rates, subsequently reduces the incidence of smoking-related cancers over time.
In fact, in Scandinavian countries, especially Sweden, there is a clear link between the decline in smoking-related cancers and the widespread use of snus. It is a known fact that Sweden has one of the highest rates of snus consumption globally, with a significant proportion of smokers switching to snus, and this change has contributed to the decline in smoking rates and related cancers.
Many US officials do not link vaping to falling smoking rates
Meanwhile, the New York State Department of Health reported that lung cancer diagnoses have dropped by more than 25% statewide, while New York City alone has seen a dramatic drop of nearly 30% in lung cancer rates over the same time period. Furthermore, since 2020, throat cancers, especially those affecting the larynx and esophagus, have been diagnosed less frequently.
In announcing the findings, ministry officials attributed the success to various tobacco control policies implemented over the past few decades. These include banning indoor tobacco use, imposing taxes on various products and starting a toll-free helpline for smokers who want to quit, which received more than 80,500 calls in 2019 alone. They also highlighted newer regulations, such as the $1 per pack cigarette tax that went into effect last October.
Tabassum Insaf, from the state health department’s cancer epidemiology bureau, said she expects cancer rates to drop further because tobacco use is on the decline. But one type of tobacco use that has increased and needs to be addressed, she added, is vaping.
The fact that Insaf refers to vaping as tobacco use is already an indicator of a lack of knowledge about vaping products. Even more tragic, however, is the fact that she apparently failed to consider that this increase in vaping could be a major contributor to the subsequent decline in smoking and cancer rates.
The UK's Progressive Stance
In fact, a 2022 UK report by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) examining vaping patterns in the UK highlighted the rise in vaping rates as a win for public health, highlighting a stark contrast in the general consensus between the UK and the US.
Based on a survey of 13,000 adults, the ASH report found that vaping rates in the UK had increased by 19.4% in just one year, to 4.3 million current vapers in 2022, from 3.6 million in 2021. Furthermore, more than half (2.4 million) of current vapers who took part in the 2022 survey had completely switched away from smoking.
The UK government has welcomed the figures and has continued to promote the use of vaping products as a smoking cessation tool. ASH deputy chief executive Hazel Cheeseman said the increase in smokers switching to vaping was “excellent news”. She added that the slight increase in never-smokers was not concerning as this tended to be “rare” and “experimental”.
The US FDA appears poised to destroy the vaping industry
Conversely, Filter stresses that with its harsh tobacco control and harm reduction strategy, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is preventing the US from having a “vaping revolution” similar to the one being witnessed in the UK.
The agency is perpetuating this by only approving a handful of vaping products, all of which are limited to tobacco flavors. The decision has been criticized for ignoring what science shows is that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking, and the fact that there have been no reported vaping-related deaths in the two decades since the products came to market.
The FDA’s PMTA process has been criticized for being designed for product manufacturers who can afford the time and financial costs involved, leaving smaller businesses in the lurch. This equates to around 14,000 small and medium-sized vaping businesses across the US being left in limbo, as brands are required to submit PMTAs for every single one of their products, including each individual flavor and e-liquid ingredient.
***Snus is a smokeless tobacco product that originated in Sweden and is widely popular in Scandinavia. It has been a part of Swedish culture for over 200 years and is now becoming popular in other parts of the world. The word “snus” comes from the Swedish word for breath, which is “snuff”.
The production of snus involves a unique pasteurization process, which eliminates bacteria and preserves the quality of the tobacco. This process also gives snus a longer shelf life than other tobacco products.
Snus comes in a variety of flavors, including mint, citrus, and fruit. Some brands also offer stronger versions of snus for users who want a stronger nicotine concentration.
***PMTA stands for “Premarket Tobacco Product Applications”. This is an application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of new tobacco products, including electronic nicotine products. The application must provide scientific data demonstrating that the product is suitable for protecting public health.
