NEW YORK (AP) — Sixty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that settled a longstanding public debate about the dangers of cigarettes and led to huge changes in smoking in America.

Presently, certain health professionals argue that a comparable study could potentially clarify the topic of vaping.

A significant number of American adults hold the belief that using nicotine in vape form is just as damaging, if not more so, than smoking traditional cigarettes. However, this is not accurate. The majority of scientists and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concur that, after reviewing the current evidence, electronic cigarettes pose significantly less risk compared to their traditional counterparts.

However, this does not imply that e-cigarettes are completely safe. There is disagreement among public health professionals regarding the level of harm or benefit that these devices provide. According to Lawrence Gostin, an expert in public health law at Georgetown University, there is an urgent need for clear and accurate information.

Gostin expressed the need for a clear message on vaping, stating that a surgeon general’s report could provide much-needed clarity amidst the confusion.

A significant challenge arises as e-cigarettes have not been in existence for a sufficient amount of time for researchers to determine if users are at risk for conditions such as lung cancer and heart disease.

Dr. Kelly Henning, who oversees the public health program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, stated that there is a notable absence of proof.

SMOKING AND VAPING

Smoking cigarettes has been widely recognized as the primary contributor to avoidable fatalities in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 480,000 lives are lost each year due to smoking. However, a recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that this number will start to decrease by 2030, partially due to a decrease in smoking rates that began in the 1960s.

In the past, ashtrays could be found everywhere and over 42% of adults in the United States were smokers.

On January 11, 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry published a significant report stating that smoking leads to illness and death, and that the government should take action. This report is considered a pivotal moment, as it led to the implementation of warning labels on cigarette packs, the ban of cigarette commercials, increased tobacco taxes by governments, and stricter regulations on smoking in public spaces.

In 2022, the percentage of adults who smoked was 11%.

A number of specialists argue that e-cigarettes should be given recognition for their role. These gadgets were marketed as a means to aid smokers in quitting, and the FDA has approved a few e-cigarettes as less harmful options for adult smokers.

Vaping’s popularity exploded in the 2010s, among both adults but and teens. In 2014, e-cigarettes surpassed combustible cigarettes as the tobacco product that youth used the most. By 2019, 28% of high schoolers were vaping.

Health authorities in the United States expressed concerns that young people addicted to nicotine would return to smoking cigarettes. However, this has not been the case. In fact, the percentage of high school students who smoke has decreased significantly in the past 25 years, with the current rate being less than 2%.

Kenneth Warner, a researcher at the University of Michigan who focuses on tobacco-control policies, described the achievement as a remarkable success in public health.

He stated that without e-cigarettes, the public health community would likely be loudly celebrating their successful efforts to prevent kids from smoking.

Benefits and harms of vaping

Advantages and Disadvantages of Vaping

Cigarettes have been dubbed as the most lethal consumer item ever created. The smoke they emit contains numerous chemicals, with at least 69 of them being linked to cancer.

The vapor from e-cigarettes has been estimated to contain far fewer chemicals, and fewer carcinogens. Some toxic substances are present in both, but show up in much lower concentrations in e-cigarette vapor than in cigarette smoke.

Research has indicated that individuals who switch entirely to vaping from smoking experience improved lung function and other health benefits.

Donald Shopland, a former clerk for the committee that produced the 1964 report and co-author of an upcoming book on it, stated that he would prefer to witness someone vaping rather than smoking a Marlboro. He firmly believes that vaping is a safer option.

However, what about the potential risks for individuals who have not previously smoked?

Dr. Neal Benowitz, a prominent expert on nicotine and tobacco addiction from the University of California, San Francisco, stated that there have been approximately 100 to 200 research studies conducted on vaping. However, these studies have produced mixed results due to varying methodologies used and limitations in differentiating the effects of vaping from previous cigarette smoking.

Warner stated that the research is inconsistent.

Research has found that young individuals who use e-cigarettes may experience symptoms of bronchitis and worsened asthma. Additionally, studies suggest that vaping can impact the cells lining the blood vessels and heart, potentially increasing the risk of heart disease. One of the main concerns raised is the presence of nicotine, a stimulant found in both cigarettes and e-cigarettes that can lead to addiction.

Studies conducted on animals have indicated that exposure to nicotine during the adolescent years can have an impact on the development of the brain region responsible for attention, learning, and impulse control. In human research, there is evidence of a potential connection between vaping and symptoms of ADHD, depression, and stress. However, experts caution that the available research is limited and further studies are needed to fully understand this relationship.

Currently, there is no definitive agreement among scientists regarding the effectiveness of vaping as a method for quitting smoking. Various studies have produced conflicting results.

CLEARING THE AIR

The World Health Organization recently expressed concerns about the increasing popularity of electronic cigarettes around the world, citing their availability in a plethora of appealing flavors that are particularly attractive to youth.

In 2016, Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, emphasized the importance of taking action to prevent and decrease the use of e-cigarettes among children and young adults. He stated that nicotine, in any form, is not safe for kids.

Approximately four months prior to the publication of the report, the FDA initiated actions to oversee e-cigarettes, with the belief that they would be advantageous for smokers.

The FDA has approved multiple e-cigarette products, but has rejected over 1 million applications for product marketing. Some critics argue that the agency’s regulation of these products has been biased and inconsistent.

On the other hand, there has been a significant increase in the variety of e-cigarette products available in the United States, primarily due to the growing popularity of disposable devices imported from China that are flavored like fruit and candy. However, the use of e-cigarettes among young people has decreased in recent years. According to a survey, only 10% of high school students reported using e-cigarettes in the last month, compared to 14% in the previous year.

What is the reason for the decrease? According to University of Texas researcher Steven Kelder, it is difficult to determine what strategies are effective.

In 2019, he brought up a situation where individuals who used vaping products containing THC, the substance responsible for the psychoactive effects of marijuana, experienced hospitalizations and fatalities.

According to Kelder, the sicknesses were linked to a thickening substance found in illicit vape cartridges, which is not typically used in traditional nicotine e-cigarettes. This could be a contributing factor to the negative perception of e-cigarettes among the American population.

Sherri Mayfield, a postal worker who is 47 years old, recalls the events of the 2019 outbreak where there were reports of young people falling ill and dying quickly. Mayfield, who was on a cigarette break in New York with colleagues last week, firmly believes that more research needs to be done on vaping.

According to her, smoking cigarettes is not safe, but the negative effects may take decades to harm your health.

The surgeon general’s office released a statement stating that the 1964 report sparked a 60-year movement to combat the negative impacts of smoking, and recommended similar steps to tackle youth vaping.

Currently, Murthy’s website does not prioritize either vaping or smoking as a major concern.

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The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group provides support to The Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP is solely responsible for all of its content.