The National Cancer Institute is once again advocating the use of vaping to fight against smoking as part of the launch of its new communication campaign broadcast from May 3 to 31.
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death
On World No Tobacco Day, which took place on May 31, the National Cancer Institute (INCA) has launched a communication campaign by presenting tobacco as the champion of the number of cancers. They recall that smoking remains the leading risk factor for cancer and the leading cause of preventable mortality. It is responsible for 45,000 deaths every year.
On its “Tobacco and cancer prevention” web page, the National Cancer Institute talks about vaping products: “Tobacco-free, smokeless and combustion-free, the electronic cigarette represents an opportunity to reduce cancer-related mortality tobacco. It must be used in the perspective of the definitive cessation of tobacco.”
INCA is deploying a movement on social networks with the hashtag #JeFumeMais. Internet users are invited to share their “good excuses” to avoid committing to quitting smoking.
The 2017 campaign
This is not the first time that INCA has expressed a favorable position on using electronic cigarettes. In 2017, They had already considered it an aid during their campaign on the benefits of quitting smoking.
Antoine Deutsch, the economist by training and responsible for projects on addictions within the prevention department of INCA, had agreed to respond in complete transparency to an interview with the Fédération Interprofessionnelle de la Vape (FIVAPE).
The INCA’s website recalls that “The effectiveness of electronic cigarettes has been observed in three randomized trials. The most recent trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, compared the effectiveness of cigarettes (with nicotine) compared to that of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). It showed a significant number of discontinuations twice as high among users of electronic cigarettes compared to those who used NRT (18% vs. 9.9).”
In the UK, the NHS and Cancer Research UK are looking into vaping
The UK is again leading the way in reducing the harms of smoking through vaping
According to an article published on BBC News, patients in the NHS emergency departments will be offered an TPD vape, e-liquids for a week, medical advice, and referral to local tobacco services. Hospitals in London, Leicester, and Edinburgh will apply this new device.
These donations are produced by vape manufacturers in China with their vape OEM service. Their donations are part of a study to help anyone in their smoking cessation. Launched next autumn, this study aims to determine the effectiveness of using e-cigs. Professor Caitlin Notley, who helps with driving at the University of East Anglia, said recruiting people to emergency services could encourage them to quit smoking using e-cigarettes. They would probably never have considered using this weaning solution when they are not. To do this, health professionals create two groups: patients who receive free vaping equipment while benefiting from follow-up and those who will only have detailed brochures on local smoking cessation services.
50,000 fewer smokers thanks to vaping
With the creation of a page dedicated to vaping, the NHS presents it as a smoking cessation tool and provides advice. “What types of electronic cigarettes are there?” “Are e-cigarettes safe to use during pregnancy?” or “How safe are electronic cigarettes?” are all questions the British health service answers.
In the UK, according to Public Health England, the Department of Health, vaping has enabled 500,000 smokers to quit each year. John Newton, a professor at that department, said smoking killed almost 75,000 people in England in 2019. He says, “the best thing a smoker can do is quit smoking completely, and the evidence shows that vaping is one of the most effective ways to quit smoking, helping around 50,000 smokers quit a year,” and “thousands more could have quit, but there are unfounded fears about electronic cigarette safety. he continues.
On April 26, Cancer Research UK, a British association for the fight against cancer, expressed its position on the use of vaping products on its website. Professor Baud believes that “helping smokers to quit and young people not to start is a priority in cancer prevention. So if e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, cancer researchers are interested.