Some health experts have credited e-cigarettes with helping to reduce smoking rates in the UK, although some advocacy groups claim credit for the decline. Meanwhile, e-cigarette advocates in Pennsylvania are fighting the state’s draconian vaping tax.
There are also encouraging signs from the medical side. Italian researchers say their latest study has confirmed that the harm is reversed in smokers who switch to e-cigarettes, with lung disease symptoms significantly reduced after a year of vaping.
Smoking rates 'lowest in history', PHE confirms
Public Health England figures released on Tuesday showed that smoking rates in the UK have fallen to their lowest level on record. In 2012, smoking rates in the UK were 19.3%, and by 2015, they had fallen to 16.9%. While health experts are pleased with the results, there is some debate about the cause. Professor Robert West of University College London believes that e-cigarettes have contributed to the decline, which sounds plausible, but there are many who disagree. A representative for PHE has denied that there is a single cause for the decline, while Deborah Arnott of the ASH group has claimed that flavourless packs, a policy that was not even passed in 2015, are the real culprit.
Professor Robert West has claimed that the major reason for the decline in smoking rates is e-cigarettes.
If you look at the hard evidence, Professor West is right. Smoking rates have fallen dramatically despite falling prices for nicotine patches, gum and other NRT products, and far fewer people are using the NHS to quit smoking. Meanwhile, the number of people seen using e-cigarettes to quit has risen dramatically. As West said last week when the figures were released, many of the same people are trying to quit, and far more are succeeding. So it’s safe to say that the real reason for the drop in smoking rates is the effectiveness of e-cigarettes, not the outdated tasteless packs.
The Fight Against Pennsylvania's Vape Tax Continues
Pennsylvania vape shops are facing the most expensive tax in the West, but a new proposal is aimed at reducing or even eliminating the controversial law. Facing a chronic budget shortfall, the state recently passed a 40 percent tax on the wholesale price of all e-cigarette products, plus a 40 percent “floor tax” on existing products. The floor tax has drawn criticism because it applies to all products purchased by the shop, and many say they can’t afford it. Chris Hughes, owner of Fat Cat Vapor, says they’d make more money if they dumped the products than they would if they paid the tax, and unless the tax is repealed, he’s determined to close his shop before the law goes into effect next week.
Chris Hughes has said that if the bill doesn't change, he will close Fat Cat Vapor before the tax law takes effect.
There are some hopes, however, for delaying the law. Some people are working through legislation to reduce the impact of the tax or eliminate it altogether. One is for the administration and the Senate to replace the 40 percent tax with a 5 cent per milliliter tax. Two is to delay the tax for about 90 days, which wouldn’t help either. And three is to eliminate the law altogether.
It’s also unclear whether the amendments will pass the legislature. The tax bill is supported by politicians who have no interest in cutting Pennsylvania spending, and some worry that it won’t raise enough money. A 40 percent tax won’t work either, because most businesses that can pay it will close, according to Chris Hughes.
Switching to vaping could “improve lung function”
An Italian study has found that smokers who switched to vaping experienced improvements in lung function. The study, published in Clinical Science, involved smokers who used e-cigarettes with varying nicotine concentrations for a year. At the end of the study, they were divided into three groups, “quitters,” “reducers,” and “failures,” and had their lung function and other symptoms tested.
The researchers, including Dr. Riccardo Polosa, found that the respiratory system was not affected as much in the “quitter” group, and there were significant improvements in the function of the microscopic airways. Interestingly, symptoms such as cough and phlegm also improved in the “reducer” and “quitter” groups. The study confirmed that switching to vaping can reverse the harmful effects of smoking.
Obstacles for Kiwi vapers
After the upbeat comments from New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, the country’s vapers were left a little baffled by the latest speech from the country’s health minister last week. It appeared that the minister was listening to theories about long-term health effects, when no such effects have been found after 13 years of use. Some passages in the speech suggested that anti-nicotine groups may have lobbied the government – for example, there were “concerns” that e-cigarettes could “undermine tobacco control proposals”.
This isn’t all bad news, as it seems the minister is still considering legalising nicotine e-cigarettes, but there’s also a suggestion to ban vaping in areas where smoking is prohibited. While there may be improvements to this ridiculous ban, it’s still a long way off and for now we can only wait and see what New Zealand vapers think.
This article was published on Vapingpost by Fergus Mason and translated by The Vape Club
