According to the CDC, the number of adult smokers has reached an all-time low of roughly 18% in the United States. The goal, however, is to have 100% of the country smoke-free. Experts suggest that, at the current rate, it will be another 40 years before we see the smoking rate reach 9%. By this time, it’s estimated that millions more smokers will perish before we see this number.
One way to help save the lives of these millions of smokers is to make it safer for them to consume nicotine and two such ways are snus (a Swedish form of tobacco) and e-cigarettes. However, until the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association and other health groups stop publishing incorrect or distorted facts, there will continue to be tobacco-related deaths.
Now if only anti-smoking groups would endorse them. Unfortunately, organizations like the America Cancer Society (ACS) and the American Lung Association (ALA) are getting the facts wrong or distorting them.
The American Cancer Society began combatting tobacco cigarettes in 1977 with the Great American Smoke Out—a challenge to smokers to abstain from cigarettes for 24 hours. The hope was that once someone quit for 24 hours they’d make it a lifelong habit.
While the ACS suggest “nicotine patches, gum, or other approved quit medicines” they fail to recognize e-cigarettes as a method of distraction.
This in no way suggests that e-cigarettes are recommended as a cessation method, only that vaping would distract someone who is quitting tobacco cigarettes a means of distracting themselves from their cravings. Not to mention it would give them something to do with their hands—a common complaint amongst those who have quit smoking.
Health agencies (like the ACS and ALA continue to believe that rather than being helpful that e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking tobacco cigarettes, especially among teenagers). While teenagers should not be using any kind of cigarette (tobacco or electronic) the rates among high school smokers has also declined in recent years.
Why have e-cigarettes been ignored as being helpful for those wishing to quit smoking? Opinionist Gregory Conley suggests that the problem lies in the result from consumption; therefore, “If it looks like smoke, it must be evil,” has become the standby and has led anti-tobacco activists to lump e-cigarettes in the same category as tobacco cigarettes.
Some voice, however, since only around 3 percent of smokers are successful at quitting each year, quitting advocacy groups should embrace any means to help smokers quit rather than continuing their current course.