The Top 12 Most Irresponsible Statements About Vaping by Health Groups in 2024

Of all the false and misleading claims about e-cigarettes being made by health groups, there are two types of claims that I find inexcusable and severely damaging because they obscure public knowledge at a very basic level: understanding the difference between smoking and vaping. Both of these claims inform the public that electronic cigarettes are simply another form of smoking or another form of tobacco use. Both claims incorrectly assert that e-cigarettes contain tobacco.

The claims come in two varieties. 

The type A claim is that if you quit smoking by switching to vaping, you somehow haven't really quit smoking because you're still using a tobacco product that contains nicotine and is addictive. This shows a lack of understanding of the answer to a very simple question: What do you call a smoker who switches completely to vaping? The answer is simple: a former smoker. Switching to e-cigarettes is absolutely a form of smoking cessation and in fact, in 2024 it was probably the most common form of smoking cessation.

The type B claim is that youth e-cigarette use is threatening to addict a new generation of youth to tobacco. This claim is false on its face because e-cigarettes contain no tobacco. So while a youth may become addicted to the nicotine in e-cigarettes, they do not become addicted to tobacco because these products don't contain any tobacco. You can't become addicted to a substance that is not present in the product that you are using.

Here are the 12 most irresponsible claims of 2024. Note that all of them are being made by major regional, national, or international health organizations.

 

A. The Claim that Quitting Smoking by Switching Completely to E-Cigarettes is Not Quitting Smoking

1. American Lung Association: "Despite what e-cigarette, vape and other tobacco product companies want you to believe, switching to use of any other tobacco product is not quitting."

2. World Health Organization: "Switching from conventional tobacco products to e-cigarettes is not quitting as it still exposes the user to the nicotine and the other toxic compounds in the aerosols of e-cigarettes."

3. MedStar Health: "Vapes with nicotine can be as addictive as cigarettes, which doesn’t do anything to help you quit."

4. MD Anderson Cancer Center: "Switching to e-cigarettes is not a quit-smoking plan. Even if you transition completely to e-cigarettes, you’re still dependent on nicotine (a tobacco product), and putting harmful chemicals into your body."  

5. Lung Foundation Australia: "Given the known risks and the unknown health impacts, Lung Foundation Australia does not support the use of nicotine e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool."

 

B. The Claim that E-Cigarettes are Creating a New Generation that is Hooked on Tobacco

6. American Heart Association: "A new generation of tobacco products is addicting a new generation of users to tobacco... ."

7. American Cancer Society: "E-cigarettes are creating a new generation of tobacco addicts."

8. American Lung Association: "Over the past five years, we have seen an alarming rise in youth vaping. In fact, almost 20% of high school students use e-cigarettes ... Steps must be taken by parents, educators and especially policymakers to end the youth e-cigarette epidemic. The introduction of the PROTECT Act will give us the tools we need to help kids quit and prevent another generation of Americans from becoming addicted to tobacco.” 

9. John Snow Institute: "Tobacco companies have not skipped a beat in morphing their products and promotional tactics toward a new generation of tobacco users. [talking about e-cigarettes] E-cigarette manufacturers know full well that adolescent brains are not completely formed and are more susceptible to the effects of addiction."

10. American Medical Association: "Flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products are quickly erasing decades of progress in decreasing youth tobacco use." 

11. Truth Initiative: "These declines in youth smoking, coupled with the fact that 98% of tobacco users start before they’re 26, presented an existential threat to the U.S. tobacco industry — until a product innovation emerged: a sleek device that re-branded tobacco as “cool” again, and delivered high levels of nicotine to keep users coming back." 

12. American Academy of Pediatrics, American Lung Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Truth Initiative: "We look forward to working with you [on e-cigarette restrictions] to ensure that a new generation does not become addicted to tobacco." 

The Rest of the Story

In addition to providing false information, these claims are irresponsible because they are actually contributing toward increased tobacco use. By misleading so many smokers into thinking that there is no point in their switching to vaping, they are deterring smoking cessation by large numbers of people. In addition, they are throwing vapers under the bus by suggesting that they haven't quit smoking "the right way." People who have been able to overcome a very powerful addiction to smoking by switching to vaping should be praised and congratulated for this accomplishment, not scorned or undermined. 

Will any of these organizations acknowledge their irresponsibility, apologize, and correct their statements? I will offer a $200 donation to the first organization that does so. Sadly, I'm not worried about having to pay out the money because I've come to learn that these organizations are not about honesty, accuracy, and transparency. They are about making the most alarming statements possible so that they can attract more money from donors.