The wrong balance between smoking & vaping?

Addiction Economy thought for today...cigarettes and vapes and balancing risks and benefits for the good of all society.

Joe Woof and I went to the E-Cigarette Summit yesterday. Great to see kick off keynote bringing the perspectives of young people to the vaping debate from @Professor Caitlin Notley & have confirmation of our qualitative research about dramatic increase in usage among 18-25's from Harry Tattan-Birch, Ph.D.

Compelling evidence too that vapes really do help smokers quit, so still support the innovative swap-to-stop policy just introduced and the progressive cigarette ban.

But surprised at quite aggressive push back when I suggested to some big cheeses that many young people we have spoken to feel dependent, even addicted to vapes and don't know what to do about it. Asking what is the plan to help, one response was along the lines of "they just think they are, but they'll get over it, nicotine in vapes is not the same as nicotine in cigarettes" and another dismissed me with "you are focusing on the wrong problem".

It is not simple job to get the balance right between not putting off smokers who need all the help they can get stop and not letting nicotine vapes run rampant as a new lifestyle product. But we were wondering if perhaps there might be a better way to get the right policies!

For example, we had another big cheese literally shouting on a panel that regulators, healthcare professionals, WHO and NGOs in the US and Australia are like "tobacco companies at their worst in the 1970's" and did we imagine the term "murderers" also being used because they banned vapes!? Honestly, it's like hashtag#GMOs all over again but with more at stake!

There has been no societal debate about this serious social dilemma and what to do about it, which I am increasingly thinking there should have been. This is a real and thorny societal problem that needs a proper discussion, not just a ding-dong among experts.

A couple of smokers mentioned they are uncomfortable with having young people's nicotine addiction on their conscience. Others see, as we do, a problem in the offing, even if vapes are not as dangerous as some people think. The mental health issues of feeling dependent/addicted to a nicotine product that gives you no actual benefit and doesn't even make you feel great when using, is something that people don't need in their lives at the moment. Environmental issues add to the burden of guilt and shame.

For me this is not just about smokers, children or even the young adults most affected by vapes at the moment. It raises the usual questions on how as a society we calibrate and manage benefits and risks of new technologies, who gets to decide and how decisions are made.

Please submit to the government consultation on this ending 6 December.