English
Russian
Chinese (Simplified)
French
German
Arabic
Dutch
Portuguese
Estonian
Bulgarian
Italian
Spanish
Swedish
Latvian
Lithuanian
Japanese
Korean
Recently, a new study has again caused a stir in the vape community, drawing attention to a very sad event. It was shown how distortions repeatedly occur in communicating new scientific findings on important topics and how these distortions can lead to ignorance or even real health risks. General health is an important issue that concerns everyone. In particular, the still large part of the population who regularly smokes cigarettes still poses a risk to themselves and those around them. It is shocking to learn from a study that there is still much ignorance in the general public, or people are even subject to complete misconceptions. Of course, this growing problem, highlighted in particular by the results of this study, is being ignored and hushed up by all the otherwise vocal opponents of vaping as it slowly becomes a problem.
For this reason, we would like to clarify a few basic things in this article to counteract this mass of misinformation circulating. First, we would like to look at how dangerous the general public considers the e-cigarette and where exactly misinformation comes into play here. We would then like to trace this back and address where misinformation comes from in the first place. It gets interesting when we look at the annual damage caused simply by a lack of correct information. Finally, we’ve collected a few ideas that we hope can help us provide people with the correct information to help them in the long run.
The Danger Of E-cigarettes – How Highly Appreciated By The Public
When studies and surveys ask people to rate the risk of tobacco products, a fairly clear picture usually emerges, especially regarding the relative risks between traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. A similar picture emerges when subjects are asked how high the addiction risk of the products is. It will come as no surprise to many vapers that the results of the studies show how little people know about e-cigarettes. While shortly after e-cigarettes came onto the market, many people were still able to judge them to be less harmful than regular cigarettes, this has diminished with each passing year. The number of people who consider e-cigarettes as harmful or even more harmful is increasing, as is the number of those who openly say they cannot answer this question. How dangerous it is when more than a third wrongly assumes that e-cigarettes are just as dangerous as normal cigarettes can already be guessed at. The Addiction Survey shows a similar trend, and again the uncertainty and the obvious impact of misinformation can be seen.
Where Does This Amount Of Misinformation Come From?
To make one thing clear: vaping is significantly healthier than regular cigarettes and reduces the risks to your health by at least 95%. You can find more information about this here. While arguments against the e-cigarette can also be found, this benefit to the health of smokers can by no means be ignored. Even in critical debates, it cannot be denied that e-cigarettes are not as dangerous as normal cigarettes, even on occasion. If you even want to discuss the subject rationally, you must accept this fact first. Still, there are reasons why so many people have the wrong idea about the tech surrounding vaping:
1: Disputes in the media
Whenever a new study about e-cigarettes appears, it hits media such as online portals, newspapers and television because the editors know exactly that the topic draws readers and viewers in. Exaggerated formulations are used in the headings to push this even more strongly. The study is often misinterpreted. Anyone who deals more intensively with the topic quickly realizes that topics are often poorly researched or dealt with too hastily. Nevertheless, very few people take the time to read the sources of this information but simply rely on the fact that what is written somewhere may be true. Many people base their knowledge about e-cigarettes on lurid headlines without knowing any facts.
2: Considering absolute risk instead of relative risk
Focusing on the absolute risk of vaping is very dangerous in itself. Of course, consuming such a stimulant involves risks for consumers, just as almost everything from driving a car to a glass of wine in the evening is not without risks. However, much more relevant is the relative danger of e-cigarettes compared to traditional smoking. The media gets a lot wrong here, and much misinformation is spread. For example, suppose a study finds that some e-liquids contain potentially dangerous levels of diacetyl. In that case, the media hype that up without considering that the levels of this substance in regular cigarettes are around 100-250% higher. Saying that e-cigarette flavorings are dangerous could make smokers mistakenly believe that vaping is as harmful as smoking. For this reason, reporting on the relative risks is particularly useful. Because in the end, it’s all about creating a healthier alternative for as many smokers as possible.
3: Unjustified focus on rare accidents
Another potential source of so much misinformation among people is the media’s focus on the rare accidents that occur in e-cigarette use. Looking at this phenomenon from a completely neutral perspective, it is extremely unlikely that, for example, a smoker who fell asleep with a cigarette in his mouth and burned his house down would be reported anywhere outside of local newspapers. If there is an accident somewhere with an e-cigarette, such as an exploding battery, you will find out about it from all sides. Here again, the difference between the absolute and relative risks can be seen. The annual number of accidents involving e-cigarettes worldwide is less than a thousand and falls yearly, while there are many more accidents involving traditional cigarettes. It doesn’t get as much coverage, though, mainly because there would be too many to cover.
What Damage Will This Misinformation Do?
If one wanted to work with lurid statements at this point, it would not be completely wrong to say that misinformation in the population kills smokers. Of course, in the end, it’s still smoking that causes many people’s death, and nobody forces these people to reach for a cigarette. However, studies have also shown that those people who understand the difference between the relative risk of e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes are much more likely to switch to the healthier alternative shortly. Smokers aware of the many benefits e-cigarettes offer when trying to quit smoking are significantly more likely to link to the smoke-free lifestyle. Most smokers who have never tried e-cigarettes are likely to believe that vaping is as harmful or even more harmful than smoking and are concerned about making the switch. Many smokers who have tried e-cigarettes before but continue to smoke indicate in studies that they are concerned that e-cigarettes are safe to use. These findings, gleaned from studies, are terrifying and should be jarring for everyone. But how can we stop this misinformation?
