Vaping

There are more than one billion smokers in the world and the vast majority will die prematurely because of their nicotine addiction. What most people don’t know is that there is a cure: vaping. Vaping is a non-toxic way to deliver the nicotine that people need without the disease-producing byproducts of burning tobacco. Compared with cigarettes, any health risks associated with vaping are very small. Yet incredibly, most tobacco control officials, public health organizations, and politicians view vaping as a threat, advocating for restrictions or outright bans. They have diverted public attention away from the benefits of vaping by greatly exaggerating the fears around youth vaping, creating unfounded concerns around nicotine, and blaming the tobacco industry for global deception. All this while neglecting cigarette smokers who have an incredible opportunity to improve their health. This anti-vaping crusade has been supported by well-funded disinformation campaigns that have left the public confused and smokers holding on to their cigarettes. Vaping must be recognized for what it is-a public health breakthrough that is urgently needed to save millions of lives.

Author Biography

Mark Tyndall is a Canadian physician with specialty training in internal medicine, infectious diseases, and public health. He is a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia and was the director of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. He has worked in Canada and internationally as a clinician, researcher and advocate, with a focus on HIV, drug use, and harm reduction. He has been at the forefront of needle/syringe programs, methadone maintenance therapy, supervised injection sites, and safe drug supply projects that reduce the risk of illegal drug use. He has authored over 250 academic papers and presented a 2017 TED Talk on harm reduction. He is committed to seeing an end to combustible cigarettes through vaping and other low-risk nicotine products.