Britton: Better Vapor Access Will Aid Cigarette Decline

Easier access to better smoking alternatives will usher the decline of smoking prevalence, according to a British physician and tobacco control expert.

“Governments should make e-cigarettes easily available, introduce modest regulations to reduce the risk of irresponsible marketing and product safety approaches, and give a medical endorsement,” said Dr. John Britton, the director of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, adding that these are considered the key approaches for countries to adopt if they want to see smoking rates decline, according to an ar

ticle in the Manilla Standard.

A member of the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group and of the board of trustees of Action on Smoking and Health, Britton said, “clinical trials have demonstrated that vaping is probably the most effective way to quit smoking. The long-term harms of e-cigarette use are not known, but they will be substantially less than those of continued smoking or of attempting to quit unaided and then, as is usually the case, failing.

“Electronic cigarettes are a game changer―there is no going back from that. The whole market in nicotine delivery has been revolutionized by these products and I just hope that there are even more exciting products on the way,” he said. “Smoking prevalence in the UK is falling fast, and faster than in the US and Australia where vaping is not endorsed by national authorities. Smoking decline in the UK will have generated savings to the National Health Service,.”