Deadly divergence of opinions on electronic cigarettes: American suppresses, while British welcomes

Unlike the strict ban in most Asian countries and the controversial situation in the United States, e-cigarettes in some European countries enjoy considerable official support, especially in the United Kingdom.

It should be noted that there is no outbreak of e-cigarette-related diseases in the UK as in the United States. Among young people who never smoke, the popularity of e-cigarettes has not soared.

More exactly, the role of e-cigarettes in the UK is more in line with the original purpose of its invention – the tool to help adult smokers quit. This is also an important reason why British health authorities support the existence of electronic cigarettes.

John Newton, director of health improvement at the British Public Health Department, said publicly, “If you don’t smoke, don’t use e-cigarettes, but if you smoke, then switching to e-cigarettes will be a better choice for your health.”

Public health authorities in England have already reported that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes and help 20,000 people quit smoking every year.

The report also points out that less than 1% of young people in the UK who have never smoked electronic cigarettes regularly smoke electronic cigarettes, and there is no evidence that electronic cigarettes can become a way for young people to smoke traditional cigarettes.

In this regard, it is also pointed out that the UK’s good situation is due to its stricter control than the recent chaos caused by electronic cigarettes in the United States.

On the one hand, there are stricter standards for the upper limit of nicotine content in Britain and even in the European Union. The European Union limits the concentration of liquid nicotine in electronic cigarette smoking devices to 20 mg/ml, but in the United States, the nicotine content of many Juul products is about 59 mg/ml, which makes consumers more addicted in use, and it far exceeds the European Union standard.

Earlier, Juul had to dilute nicotine liquids in his products in order to enter the UK market.

Earlier this year, an analyst at UBS called the United States “the least regulated vape market in the world”.

On the other hand, there are also clear restrictions on the advertising of e-cigarettes in the UK. Halpern Felsher, professor of pediatrics at the Department of Adolescent Medicine, Stanford University Medical Department, points out that in order to prevent more young people from seeing e-cigarette advertisements, the UK has a clear channel for their delivery. For example, outdoor advertisements on buses are allowed, but they cannot appear on social media, television or radio.

In addition, the outbreak of electronic cigarette cases in the United States is mostly related to vapor liquids containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is banned in most parts of Europe.

Public health authorities in England have recently stressed to e-cigarette users that they should “use electronic cigarettes regulated by the UK and not risk using homemade or illegal e-cigarettes or adding any potentially harmful substances”.