The EU’s Vaping Misstep: Putting Lives and Public Health at Risk

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BrusselsReport.eu
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By Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance

The European Commission’s recent recommendation to include vaping in smoke-free environments is a catastrophic misstep. By equating vaping with smoking, the Commission is not only ignoring scientific evidence but also jeopardising public health. This move would ban vaping in all places where smoking is prohibited, despite the fact that vaping and smoking are fundamentally different.

Smoke-free environments were designed to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke, a toxic mix of harmful chemicals released through the combustion of tobacco. Cigarette smoke contains carcinogens and other dangerous compounds that put bystanders at risk. However, vaping is a far cry from smoking. The vapour produced by heating e-liquids does not contain the same harmful substances as cigarette smoke, and second-hand vaping has been shown to pose no significant risk to bystanders.

Vaping vs. Smoking: Understanding the Key Differences

One of the clearest distinctions between vaping and smoking lies in their ingredients. Vape liquids consist of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, food-grade flavourings (substances that are generally considered safe by regulatory bodies such as the European Food Safety Authority), and maybe nicotine. Cigarettes, on the other hand, contain over 600 ingredients, many of which release harmful chemicals when burned, including tar and carbon monoxide.

Moreover, vaping involves no combustion. Smoking burns tobacco, releasing thousands of toxic chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic. Vaping merely heats the e-liquid, producing a vapour free from the deadly toxins found in cigarette smoke. According to research, vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking and has proven to be one of the most effective smoking cessation tools. The risk of cancer from vaping, for instance, is only 0.4% of that from smoking.

When it comes to second-hand exposure, the differences are even more pronounced. Cigarette smoke continuously releases harmful chemicals into the environment, exposing bystanders to toxicants even when the smoker is not actively puffing. Vaping, by contrast, only releases vapour during each puff, and the exhaled vapour contains none of the dangerous combustion chemicals found in cigarette smoke. Second-hand vaping only exposes bystanders to trace amounts of nicotine—far from harmful levels.

A Dangerous Message

The EU Commission is making a grave error by lumping vaping with smoking. This sends a dangerous and misleading message to millions of smokers who rely on vaping to quit. It falsely equates vaping—a harm reduction tool—with smoking, which is far more dangerous. This decision slams the door on a life-saving alternative, jeopardising public health at a time when we should be encouraging smokers to switch.

The Commission’s recommendation completely disregards the evidence that second-hand vapour poses negligible health risks compared to second-hand smoke. By including vaping in smoke-free regulations, they risk fewer smokers switching to vaping, undoing years of progress in reducing smoking rates across Europe.

The Harm Reduction Solution

One of the primary goals of smoke-free policies has always been to encourage smokers to quit. Vaping serves as an effective harm reduction tool, helping smokers transition away from cigarettes and consume nicotine in a much safer way. However, by treating vaping the same as smoking, the Commission is removing an important incentive for smokers to switch.

Allowing vaping in areas where smoking is banned would signal to smokers that vaping is a far safer option. It would promote harm reduction and provide smokers with a viable alternative that could help them quit smoking for good. Instead of embracing this opportunity, the Commission is pushing a policy that will likely have the opposite effect—discouraging smokers from making the switch.

The World Vapers’ Alliance strongly urges EU policymakers to reconsider their position. The evidence is clear: vaping is not smoking, and it should not be treated as such. Including vaping in smoke-free environments will undermine public health goals across Europe.

 

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