THE ADVANTAGE OF THE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTE IS NEGLECTED
Prof. Riccardo Polosa: “The conclusions by SCHEER surprisingly ignore any scientific evaluation”
Rome, 04 May 2021 – “By now, with many independent scientific studies and health authorities around the world that support the ecig, we believe it is unacceptable not considering the advantages of electronic cigarettes in the process of quitting smoking. Even more, not analyze the risks and benefits compared to conventional cigarettes“. Umberto Roccatti, President of ANAFE Confindustria, the national association of producers of electronic smoke, remark on the publication of the final opinion of the SCHEER (Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and emerging risk of the European Commission).
“Although adopting some suggestions by ANAFE into its final report- continues Roccatti – the SCHEER maintained a conservative approach, analysing the effects of vaping only in absolute terms without proceeding to a comparison with traditional cigarettes. A plague that in the European Union cause 700,000 deaths yearly.
The conclusions of the report are still unfair if we consider that almost all the data and the scientific information available come from the US market, where the regulation is extremely less stringent than the EU and where the consumption habits of these products are different compared to Europe. In the EU, some authorities such as the British Public Health, recognise ecig as a valid tool for cessation“.
“Hence, in consideration of this lack of information, we decided to promote with LIAF (Italian Anti-Smoking League) a petition on Change.org to require the Italian government to act as a mediator in Bruxelles so that a comparative analysis between vaping and traditional cigarettes can be advanced to provide citizens and consumers adequate information on the health impact of electronic cigarettes“.
To achieve the ambitious goal set by the EU Commission – which aims to reduce by 2040 the smokers from the current 25% to 5%- it is necessary to provide smokers- who do not want to or do not manage to quit smoking (today 80% of the total) – admissible proposals based on updated scientific data, which allow an informed choice about the use of new products without combustion and in particular of the e-cigs ” Roccatti underlined.
“Many independent scientific studies demonstrate that the use of e-cigarettes is far less harmful than smoking” emphasised Professor Riccardo Polosa, founder of CoEHAR, the International Research Center for the Reduction of Harm from Smoking of the University of Catania which added: “the conclusions by SCHEER surprisingly omit any scientific assessment of Tobacco Harm Reduction and prove the failure to comply with all the basic rules of sharing and listening by the European Commission.
“Thousands of scientific research have already confirmed that for smokers who cannot quit smoking on their own, switching to non-combustion products reduces smoking-related illness up to 95%. We know that for those suffering from specific pathologies (such as arterial hypertension, diabetes, COPD and even schizophrenia), switching to electronic devices is the most effective solution to reduce and effectively quit smoking”” Prof. Polosa stressed.
“Millions of people around the world have chosen to switch to vaping as the least harmful solution. Such tools provide the smokers with a sensory experience similar to that of smoking but without the damage caused by combustion, a step effective to achieve the cessation process“. The President of the Italian Anti-Smoking League, Ezio Campagna, concluded.
