Karin Kasza and colleagues new well-done study, “Divergence in Cigarette Discontinuation Rates by Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS): Longitudinal Findings From the United States PATH Study Waves 1-6,” uses the large national PATH study to see if there were differences in real-world trends of adults stopping smoking before and after fourth generation e-cigarettesContinue reading “More people are stopping smoking since advent of fourth gen e-cigs. Less disease? Probably not.”
Tag Archives: vaping
Heated tobacco products damage human lung function as much as cigarettes
Philip Morris has aggressively promoted its heated tobacco product (HTP) IQOS all over the world as a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes based on the fact that IQOS delivers lower levels of some combustion products than cigarettes. IQOS is the most populat HTP in Japan, and other tobacco companies make similar claims for their HTP.Continue reading “Heated tobacco products damage human lung function as much as cigarettes”
Ecigs harm periodontal (gum) health
Our recently-published meta-analysis of the association between e-cigarette use and disease (now available open access) found that the risks of e-cigarettes were indistinguishable for cardiovascular disease, stroke and metabolic dysfunction, but did find lower risks for respiratory and oral diseases. Specifically, the risk for oral disease in e-cigarette users was about 13% below that ofContinue reading “Ecigs harm periodontal (gum) health”
NOW OPEN ACCESS: E-cigs have similar risks to cigs for some diseases and nearly as high for others. Dual use riskier than smoking alone
NEJM Evidence has graciously made our recent paper, “Population-Based Disease Odds for E-Cigarettes and Dual Use versus Cigarettes,” open access so that anyone can read and download it for free. As described in more detail in my blog post on the paper, it uses data from 107 population epidemiology studies of the association between e-cigaretteContinue reading “NOW OPEN ACCESS: E-cigs have similar risks to cigs for some diseases and nearly as high for others. Dual use riskier than smoking alone”
Contrary to public position, Juul founders wanted to attract former and non-smokers from the beginning
Juul co-founders Adam Monsees and James Bowen portray themselves as idealistic entrepreneurs committed to improving the health of billions of adult smokers with no intent to sell nicotine to non-smokers. Documents released as part of the settlement of North Carolina’s lawsuit against Juul, however, tells quite a different story. In particular, Monsees & Bowen’s 2006Continue reading “Contrary to public position, Juul founders wanted to attract former and non-smokers from the beginning”
5 year longitudinal study finds e-cigs and cigs have similar risks for respiratory disease and COPD; dual use is worse
Beibei Song and colleagues’ new paper, Impact of electronic cigarette usage on the onset of respiratory symptoms and COPD among Chinese adults, finds that e-cigarettes and cigarettes pose similar risks for causing respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive disease (COPD) in Chinese adults. Dual use is worse than using either product alone. This is a veryContinue reading “5 year longitudinal study finds e-cigs and cigs have similar risks for respiratory disease and COPD; dual use is worse”
Smoking cessation quickly reduces mortality, within 3 years
It’s been long-established that quitting smoking prolongs life and that quitting young (below about 40) eliminates all or almost all the mortality costs of smoking. The new paper Smoking Cessation and Short- and Longer-Term Mortality by Eo Rin Cho and colleagues extends this case to more recent data and from several countries. While they confirmContinue reading “Smoking cessation quickly reduces mortality, within 3 years”
British smokers understand risks of e-cig use better than a lot of British health officials and scientists
England remains the country in which the government and (most of the) health establishment continue to aggressively promote e-cigarettes as a better alternative to cigarettes. As a result, Sarah Jackson and her colleagues were concerned about the results of their latest survey of smokers’ attitudes towards e-cigarettes, reported in their paper Trends in Harm PerceptionsContinue reading “British smokers understand risks of e-cig use better than a lot of British health officials and scientists”
More information on how ecigs increase cardiovascular disease risk
The evidence that e-cigarette use is associated with increased cardiovascular disease keeps accumulaing, together with studies on the specific pathophysiological mechanisms through which e-cigarette use increases disease risk. The recent review by Huiqi Zong, Zhekai Hu and colleagues, Electronic cigarettes and cardiovascular disease: epidemiological and biological links, is the most recent summary of this evidence.Continue reading “More information on how ecigs increase cardiovascular disease risk”
FDA needs to reconsider its promotion of the “continuum of risk” for e-cigarettes
As of February 22, 2024, the FDA was continuing to embrace the idea that there is a “continuum of risk” with combusted tobacco as the riskiest and e-cigarettes being substantially less risky. As a result, FDA promotes e-cigarettes as a way for smokers to reduce risk. This view is based on the fact that e-cigarettesContinue reading “FDA needs to reconsider its promotion of the “continuum of risk” for e-cigarettes”