FEATURE
A university , which claimed vaping does not help smokers quit , has been critised for misrepresenting its own findings . Making headlines around the world , the University of San Diego report was rubbished for twisting the real science and dismissing the public health successes of vaping .
Even Professor Peter Hajek , whose own work was referenced in the original study , was moved to respond to the ‘ bizarre ’ report . He said : “ The press release badly misreports the study findings , saying that ‘ smokers who quit , but substitute e-cigarettes , are more likely to relapse ’… this cohort found no such effect .”
Hajek highlighted that there was no difference in the relapse rates between those who quit without aid and those who switched to vaping . He added : “ If anything , the study suggests that e-cigarette use removes the handicap of tobacco dependance , rather than causing relapse .”
However , this is not the message that news outlets are putting across , with an onslaught of scare stories making their way around the globe . The UK-based Sun published an article titled : ‘ Back to cigs : Over half of smokers who switch to vaping go back to cigarettes , study shows ’.
Another – from the Independent – was titled : ‘ E-cigarettes don ’ t help people quit smoking , says new research ’. But the story that saw the most controversy came from US-based CNN , which said : ‘ Using e-cigarettes to prevent smoking relapse doesn ’ t work well , study finds ’. prove otherwise . The AVM said : “ Even the Centers for Disease Control ’ s own conservative estimate says more than four million Americans have successfully quit thanks to vaping … and many experts say it ’ s even higher .
“ This willfully ignores stacks of studies that show vaping is the single most effective smoking cessation method ever devised … sources galore but CNN contacted zero .”
World Vapers ’ Alliance director Micheal Landl said this was a classic example of how ‘ fear trumps facts ’ when it came to tobacco harm reduction . He said : “ The fact is , vaping is one of the most effective smoking cessation methods and this is proven by many studies and health organisations , not to forget millions of former smokers who already quit thanks to vaping .”
Landl said he was disappointed that this particular study made the headlines while a review of 50 studies from the highly-respected Cochrane organisation barely got a mention .
He said even the famously anti-vaping Truth Initiative ’ s own numbers said that only three-tofive percent of smokers could quit cold turkey . Landl added : “ This particular study claims 50 percent . Just this number alone should make every journalist sceptical .
“ The reporting on this study is another example that fear trumps facts in the field of tobacco harm reduction . Unfortunately , when it comes to vaping , apparently a scary headline is more important than good journalism .”
In a thorough and damning breakdown of the CNN news piece , the American Vapor Manufacturers group suggested a new headline . It said : “ Bunk study funded by tobacco tax deserves hard scrutiny , but at CNN we ’ ll hype it up and add errors of our own .”
The AVM questioned why CNN ’ s story failed to quote any pro-vaping advocates , independent experts or any of the millions of ex-smokers who quit using e-cigarettes .
It highlighted that , while the article reported ‘ evidence ’ that vaping isn ’ t a successful cessation tool , there are plenty of real-world examples that
The reporting on this study is another example that fear trumps facts in the field of tobacco harm reduction .
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