Correction and Retraction: Rhode Island Department of Health Did Not Claim that Vaping is as Hazardous as Smoking

In a February 9 commentary, I criticized the Rhode Island Department of Health for suggesting to the public that vaping is just as hazardous as smoking, based on a Channel 10 (NBC - Providence) article which made that claim. After closer examination (and after this was brought to my attention), I see now that it was a Brown University researcher who made that claim, and the statements by the Rhode Island Department of Health, while paired with and interspersed with this researcher's comments, did not express agreement with his claim that vaping is as hazardous as smoking.

I have clarified and corrected the post to make it clear that it was the Brown University researcher who made the claim and not the Rhode Island Department of Health, and I am retracting the original accusation. I am also sending this retraction and correction to everyone with whom I communicated regarding the original commentary.

I also apologize to the Rhode Island Department of Health and the director of the Department for mistakenly attributing this claim to them.

On my blog, I criticize others for disseminating inaccurate information, so it is important to me that I immediately correct any mistakes that I make in the process of producing these commentaries. This was just brought to my attention moments ago, so I wanted to make the correction immediately.