YCR Pushes Vaping Again
Yorkshire Cancer Research is promoting the concept of switching to vaping again to combat smoking, the leading cause of preventable cancer
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by Dave Cross
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YCR’s Key facts
- Smoking is Yorkshire’s leading cause of preventable cancer and is responsible for over 4500 new cases each year
- Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals, of which 69 are known to cause cancer
- 1 in 2 long-term smokers will die prematurely if they don’t quit
- It is never too late to stop smoking. Quitting at any age can lengthen and improve quality of life, even for those with a smoking-related illness
- The evidence is clear that vaping is far less harmful than smoking. Switching completely can improve the health of smokers substantially, compared to continuing to smoke
- Vapour does not cause harm to others around you. This contrasts with secondhand smoke from smoking, which is very harmful to the health of others
- Vaping products are the most popular stop smoking aid in England. We have estimated that there are up to 5000 additional quitters a year in Yorkshire because of them
- Vaping products are not completely risk-free. Non-smokers should therefore not start vaping
A key part of the campaign is telling the truth about vaping, the YCR (1) says: “Vaping products are the most popular stop smoking aid in England. To date, they have supported 57 000 people to quit for good. They have gained in popularity because they feel similar to cigarettes and involve hand-to-mouth movement which allows people to continue this particular habit whilst working to break nicotine addiction.”
The organisation points out that evidence from independent research shows electronic cigarettes are “more effective at supporting people to stop smoking” than traditional quit methods such as nicotine patches, gum, sprays, and cessation medication.
“One trial of English stop smoking services found that smokers using vaping products were nearly twice as likely to stop smoking as those using NRT,” it adds.
The campaign addresses one main fear that switching to vaping is simple substituting one addiction for another. It points out that the nicotine from smoking doesn’t cause diseases, but it is delivered alongside a cocktail of toxic chemical compounds. Or, as YCR puts it, smoking to get nicotine is like “getting water straight from the sewer”.
“Using vaping products means you can consume nicotine in a cleaner and less harmful way.”
YCR also points out that dual use isn’t a bad thing, but continuing to smoke means the person won’t experience the full benefit of vaping.
It goes on to address the financial cost of smoking, “the Independent Vape Trade Association says that switching from a 20-cigarette-per-day smoking habit to vaping could save a person thousands of pounds each year.”
Finally, the YCR allays fears about vaping during pregnancy: “The evidence from the general adult smoker population suggests that they are likely to be significantly less harmful to a pregnant woman and her baby than continuing to smoke.”
References:
- Yorkshire Cancer Research - https://yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk
- A Film for No Smoking Day - https://www.planetofthevapes.co.uk/news/vaping-news/2021-03-10_a-film-for-no-smoking-day.html
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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