Shocking Claim from Pennsylvania
An outrageous statement by the Pennsylvania Department of Health claims that vaping is NOT safer than smoking
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by Dave Cross
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A tweet was posted up on the PDoH account on Monday. It said: “E-cigarettes, e-cigs, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens or vapes—whatever you call them, they are NOT safer than other tobacco products.”
The account suggested that parents could help “protect” their child’s health by reading the PDoH website page on e-cigarettes. The outrageous lie is at odds with its mission statement of leading “the development of sound health policy” and angered many harm reduction advocates and vapers.
The Dead Vape Shop wrote: “That's a flat out lie. If you honestly think that's the case, get out of the ‘health’ field and try retail. The global scientific consensus is that these products present only 1% to 3% the harm of smoking. Here’s what the oldest, most prestigious medical society in the world says:”
Some pointed out that the reason for this tweet could be due to the reduction in money coming from tobacco taxation, others referred the PDoH to other sources of information:
Rphallisey stated: “This is scientifically and medically inaccurate. The fact a department of health is making this claim is ethically wrong.” Then he asked Surgeon General Jerome Adams if this kind of misleading statement was acceptable – a call echoed by American Vaping Association’s Greg Conley.
Adams has been quick to post about the supposed ‘teen epidemic’ in the past, but hasn’t responded to this for 24-hours.
Advocate Clive Bates added: “Incredible: you might as well be PR hacks for the cigarette trade. There is a vast body of science showing that e-cigarettes are much safer than cigarettes. Why would you make smoking seem more acceptable in this way?”
Dansus pointed out: “Even the most ardent anti vaping scientists admit vaping is safer than smoking.”
Evert Rauwendaal included what the American National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine stated last year:
The PDoH’s website also states: “E-cigarettes, also known as e-cigs, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens, vapes or ENDS, are not safer than other tobacco products.”
Taking leave of its senses, the PDoH claims vaping:
- Increased possibility of addiction;
- Long-term harm to brain development and respiratory health;
- Future use of other tobacco products, such as regular cigarettes, cigars, hookah and smokeless tobacco;
- Poisoning by swallowing, breathing or absorbing e-cigarette liquid through skin or eyes; and
- Serious injury from defective e-cigarette batteries causing fires and explosions.
Harping on about “nicotine and ultrafine particles” gives the impression the page was written by Stanton Glantz, and is about as removed from reality as it’s possible to get.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is lying to those who it is meant to act in the interests of and is unfit for purpose. It needs to delete the tweet and take down the web page as a matter of urgency.
Resources:
- The PDoH tweet – https://twitter.com/PAHealthDept/status/1087424595211083776
- The PDoH website - https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/programs/tobacco/Pages/E-cigarettes.aspx
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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