Vaping and tobacco harm reduction - highlights from England

England and Saint George: fighting combustion has always been a thing here

On this page I set out some of the good things on tobacco harm reduction that have come from England.

1. Realistic science
2. Practical professional guidance and policy
3. Reasonable public health consensus statements and policy positions
4. Useful data
5. Engaged consumers
6. Groundbreaking conferences
7. Forthright commentators

1. Realistic science

Significant scientific assessments

• Royal College of Physicians – Nicotine without smoke: tobacco harm reduction, April 2016 – and press release.    Landmark quote:

“Although it is not possible to precisely quantify the long-term health risks associated with e-cigarettes, the available data suggest that they are unlikely to exceed 5% of those associated with smoked tobacco products, and may well be substantially lower than this figure”. (Section 5.5 page 87)

For a discussion of key quotes from this document, see my submission to the Government of Ireland: Vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Ireland – consultation response in five quotes – February 2017.  For a PowerPoint that uses these quotes – see Slideshare.

• Public Health England (2015): E-cigarettes: and evidence update, August 2015 – and press release E-cigarettes around 95% less harmful than tobacco estimates landmark review.  See also: authors’ note on the claim that vaping is 95% lower risk than smoking, and my discussion: PHE says truthful, realistic things about e-cigarettes and critique of its critics, Smears or science .
• Public Health England (2014): Electronic cigarettes: reports commissioned by PHE, May 2014.
• UK Centre for Alcohol and Tobacco Studies: Commentary on WHO report on ENDS, October 2016. A blistering critique of WHO’s vaping science.

Collaborative research approach

• Cancer Research UK, UKCTAS, Public Health England, UK research councils: UK Electronic Cigarette Research Forum

2. Practical professional guidance and policy

On quitting smoking…

• National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training; Electronic cigarettes: A briefing for stop smoking services, February 2016
• National Health Service (NHS) advice: Smokefree NHS – Advice on E-cigarettes
• Leicester (Louise Ross) Leicester Stop-smoking Service – an e-cig friendly service
• NHS Choices advice: Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking.
• Smokefree Action: Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group – includes: Use of electronic cigarettes in pregnancy: A guide for midwives and other healthcare professionals with Infographic
• The Switch – inspiring video accounts of real vapers talking about quitting smoking

On smoke-free policy…

These reflect the view that vaping policy should be a matter for the owner or manager of the premises, not subject to a blanket legal ban.

• Public Health England. Use of e-cigarettes in public places and workplaces including Advice on evidence-based policy-making (PDF) and a 5-point guide to policy making on this issue.
• Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.  Electronic cigarettes – Will you permit or prohibit electronic cigarette use on your premises? Five questions to ask before you decide
• Action on Smoking and Health. Will you permit or prohibit e-cigarette use on your premises? October 2015

On e-cigarette advertising

These very sensible industry codes govern the advertising that is not banned by the wholly disproportionate EU Tobacco Products Directive Article 20(5)  as it applies in the UK

• Committee on Advertising Practice: Ecigarettes: Non-broadcast Code Section 22 / Broadcast Code Section 33

3. Reasonable public health consensus statements and positions

Consensus statement

2016 statement by Public Health England, Action on Smoking and Health, Association of Directors of Public Health, British Lung Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Faculty of Public Health, Fresh North East, Healthier Futures, Public Health Action (PHA), Royal College of Physicians, Royal Society for Public Health, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, UK Health Forum

• E-cigarettes: a developing public health consensus, July 2016
• E-cigarettes: an emerging consensus, September 2015

Individual organisations and people

• Public Health England – blogs giving e-cigarette positions
• Cancer Research UK: Our policy on e-cigarettes, 2016. Full position: Briefing, Q&A,
• Action on Smoking and Health: ASH Briefing on E-cigarettes, 2016
• Royal Society for Public Health: Smoking cessation and e-cigarettes
• British Heart Foundation: E-cigarette policy
• British Lung Foundation: E-cigarette policy
• Jim McManus, Director of Public Health, Hertfordshire: How and why I changed my mind on e-cigarettes, with Kevin Fenton (PHE): Hertfordshire e-cigarette policy aims to help smokers quit
• Hertfordshire County Council: E-cigarette policy announcement, 2016 – Policy (PDF)
• UK experts talking sense about vaping and harm reduction – on video (Ann McNeill, John Britton, Robert West, Deborah Arnott, Ian Gray)

4. Useful data

• Office for National Statistics. Adult smoking habits in the UK, 2016   [2015] (annual – June 2017)
• Office for National Statistics. E-cigarette use in Great Britain (annual – )
• Smoking in England: Smoking Toolkit Survey: latest statistics / all documents (monthly tracking, contains e-cigarette data)
• data.gov.uk. Statistics on smoking in England
• Public Health England: Local tobacco control profiles for England – link to data
• ASH / YouGov survey: Use of electronic cigarettes (vapourisers) among adults in Great Britain
• ASH / YouGov survey: Use of electronic cigarettes (vapourisers) among children in Great Britain

5. Engaged consumers

• New Nicotine Alliance – consumer advocacy group
• Vapers.org.uk – with excellent daily news digest
• Vapers in Power (blog) – political movement
• The Switch – vapers talking about their experience of vaping

6. Groundbreaking conferences

• The E-cigarette Summit (annual in London)
• Global Forum on Nicotine (annual in Warsaw)
• PHE National Symposium on e-cigarettes, 2014, [others to follow].

7. Forthright commentators

• Nicotine Science and Policy
• Velvet Glove, Iron Fist – Chris Snowdon
• Dick Puddlecote
• Fergus Mason
• New Nicotine Alliance blog
• Vapers in Power blog
• Facts do matter – vaping – Paul Barnes
• ECITA blog
• The Counterfactual by me.

And the former Prime Minister had something to say about it:

Please add suggestions for additions (with links please) in the comments…