Vive la différence

A recent report by Nicotine & Tobacco Research urges lawmakers not to treat electronic cigarettes and vaping devices in the same way as combustible cigarettes are treated, according to a story by Lindsey Stroud at heartland.org.

The report said that such a distinction was important because the more research treated e-cigarettes as equivalent to cigarettes, the more likely the research was to err in its conclusions about ‘these unique devices’.

The lead author, Matthew Olonoff, a PhD student at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, was quoted as saying that before ‘making policy changes, such as controlling nicotine or flavor options in e-cigarettes, [there is a] need to better understand what role these unique characteristics have’.

Stroud reported that the authors had used articles and studies to compare the differences between combustible cigarettes and vaping devices and noted key differences between the two, as well as differences between electronic cigarette devices.

‘These differences include the variety of nicotine levels in electronic cigarettes, vaping versus combustion, variability in nicotine dosing, the role of marketing and technology in attracting users to e-cigarettes, and the ability to use vaping devices in places where combustible cigarettes are banned,’ she said.

‘Increasingly, research indicates that the smoke in cigarettes causes the most harm, and tobacco harm reduction products, including e-cigarettes as well as smokeless tobacco, have proven to effectively deliver nicotine in a manner much less harmful than combustible cigarettes.’