A prominent New Zealand public health expert has called for a faster and more robust process to accept vaping as a smoking cessation method, while the British Doctors Alliance, a group that has been an oddity among the UK's vaping supporters, has now taken a more proactive approach.
Kiwi health expert says vaping is the “key” to reducing smoking rates
A New Zealand public health expert has criticized the country’s anti-tobacco policies, pointing out that excessive regulation and high taxes have only resulted in a 0.5% drop in smoking rates per year. Professor Marewa Glover, of Auckland’s Massey University, compared New Zealand’s results to the UK, saying the biggest difference in the UK was “the different attitude towards encouraging people to switch from smoking to e-cigarettes.”
Professor Glover suggested a voucher scheme to help pay for devices for people in need who want to quit. She also warned the government that the current high tax on cigarettes could make small shops that sell cigarettes vulnerable to violent thieves.
Boyd Broughton of the anti-smoking group ASH New Zealand denies this argument, saying e-cigarettes are not “magic bullets that will help people quit smoking instantly,” although no one has claimed they do.
BMA gives in to e-cigarettes
The medical experts of the British Pharmaceutical Association (BMA), are known to be in the minority against vaping. Although the group is primarily a consultative group rather than a research group, their reputation carries weight, and their opposition has hampered the progress of vaping over the past few years. However, they now appear to have changed their mind.
In a new paper published on Wednesday, the BMA’s scientific panel acknowledged that vaping has the potential to improve health. The paper, titled “E-cigarettes: Potential and Limitations,” agreed that “they are safer than smoking,” a far better assessment than previous statements.
