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TOBACCO BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL
MARCH/APRIL 2015
NEWS & TRENDS
MARCH/APRIL 2015
A recent study published in the jour-
nal
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
ex-
plored dependence levels for users of
electronic cigarettes, nicotine gums
and tobacco cigarettes. While evidence
already exists that electronic ciga-
rettes are less addictive than tobacco
cigarettes (a theory that this study sup-
ports), the study found evidence that
nicotine-containing e-cigs are also less
addictive than nicotine gum.
Users of electronic cigarettes showed
lower dependence on the devices than
smokers showed on tobacco cigarettes
and than former smokers using nicotine
gum showed on the gum. This suggests
that electronic cigarettes—even those con-
taining nicotine—just aren’t that addictive.
Boston public health professor, tobac-
co addiction expert and electronic ciga-
rette advocate Michael Siegel provided
a more in-depth review of the study’s
results. Primarily, he said that this study
is further evidence that antismoking
groups are flat out wrong when they
claim that electronic cigarettes, by vir-
tue of containing nicotine, must be as
addictive as tobacco cigarettes.
What’s more, nicotine dependence
among individuals who used both
electronic cigarettes and tobacco ciga-
rettes, or “dual users,” was lower than
in those who were just smokers. This
suggests that electronic cigarettes re-
ally do help smokers break the hold
that smoking-addiction has on them.
Again, this contradicts arguments that
electronic cigarettes should be heav-
ily controlled or completely banned by
virtue of being an addictive product.
If they are less addictive than nicotine
gum, then these arguments need to be
made about nicotine gum as well—a
product that antismoking groups sup-
port wholeheartedly.
A similar study comparing depen-
dence on electronic cigarettes among
vapers to dependence on coffee among
heavy coffee drinkers might further
show that nicotine devices are not as
addictive as most assume. Many ex-
perts now believe that nicotine is far,
far less addictive when not consumed
through the inhalation of smoke.
E-Cigs Less Addictive Than Nicotine Gum, Study Finds
Study shows nicotine dependence among e-cigarette users is lower than that of smokers
who also use e-cigarettes.
California State Senator Mark Leno is
pressing hard against the electronic
cigarette industry, most likely due to all
the negative press that vaping is receiv-
ing. As part of a push to ban indoor vap-
ing and sales to minors, Leno said that
hundreds of thousands would die from
e-cig use.
According to an article covering a
new bill proposed in California, 121
American cities now ban e-cig and va-
por device use in public spaces. How-
ever, no place seeking or implementing
these bans has provided compelling
evidence to substantiate this action.
General arguments include protection
from secondhand e-cig vapor, prevent-
ing smoking initiation through the “gate-
way” of vaping, and avoiding the loss of
gains made in antismoking efforts.
However, studies suggest that there
is no harm caused by secondhand va-
por, which dissipates in 20 seconds
rather than smoke’s 20 minutes. Market
evidence also suggests that electronic
cigarettes lead to less smoking and may
actually prevent would-be smokers
from starting. Lastly, it appears that in
the absence of a real alternative, reduc-
tion of population smoking rates below
20 percent is nearly impossible.
Clearly Senator Leno has been listen-
ing to all the naysayers. “Whether you
get people hooked on e-cigarettes or
regular cigarettes, it’s nicotine addiction
and it kills,” said Leno. “We’re going to
see hundreds of thousands of family
members and friends die from e-ciga-
rette use just like we did from traditional
tobacco use.”
In reality, the amount of nicotine
needed to kill someone is so large that
no smoker or electronic cigarette user
could consume a lethal dose under
normal circumstances. The liquid in
electronic cigarettes has already been
found to have toxicity less than that of
dish soap.
As for the hundreds of thousands
that will die at the hands of those selling
electronic cigarettes, the scoreboard
currently marks in favor of e-cigs. One
expert calculates that between 10,000
and 20,000 individuals have already
saved themselves from smoking-relat-
ed death with the help of e-cigs and va-
por products.
Education and information are pow-
erful tools in the debate over electronic
cigarettes and vapor products. It ap-
pears that Leno is sorely misinformed
on this topic.
Note: This article originally appeared
on ecigadvanced.com. It is being re-
printed with the permission of the au-
thor, Klaus Kneale, and the publisher.
California Senator Seeks Statewide Public Vaping Ban
Senator Mark Leno says vaping is harmful.