It’s #WorldNoTobaccoDay2023. In 2023, we all know that smoking and tobacco products are harmful, and are aware of the addictive power of nicotine.
It’s easy to forget that it was less than 70 years ago, the tobacco industry published the famous “Frank Statement” aiming to cast doubt on research that was emerging on the link between cigarettes and lung disease/cancer.
For years, the tobacco industry had a script: it talked personal responsibility, paid scientists to publish research that raised questions about the legitimate science that found harms associated with smoking, made promises to self-regulate their industry, paid huge money for lobbies, introduced “safer” products, and denied the marketing to children. They used “front companies” that did not disclos/identify donors to fund lobbying groups that lobbied against proposed government regulations.
If you are savvy, you just read that and thought: That sounds oddly similar to another industry here in Ireland that is raising opposition to some of this week’s proposed legislation..
Who pays for this?
It’s a good question. An RTE journalist asked an industry lobbiest this question this week, and got no answer. Sadly, he dropped the pursuit. when he was directed to a front company as an answer. When you see independent consumer “voices” or lobbies, ask: who is paying for that? You may find yourself re-directed to obscure institutes or foundations, most of which have stated policies of not disclosing their funding sources. These are front companies, and are straight out of industry playbooks used by quite a few industries now, but this book was written by tobacco. They usually say it’s for independence, but transparency is important. Internationally, we accept that it is standard ethics that funding sources are transparent == in everything from policitics to research – because conflict of interest matters.
What to know on #WorldNoTobaccoDay?
It’s never too late to quit, and ask for help if you need it. There are evidence-based ways to quit. #vaping is not a recommended way to quit smoking. Like many docs, help patient’s quit all the time – and never substitute e-cigs Don’t replace one addiction with another addiction.
Talk to your children/teens about #vaping. It is not harmless, and nicotine has real effects on developing adolescent brain. In a 2019 Irish study, 37% of teens in 2019 had tried e-cigs, and 18% were currently using. Irish research shows that teenagers who use e-cigarettes are up to five times more likely to start smoking compared to those who don’t .
This week’s proposed legislation to regulate vaping in Ireland is welcome. And when you hear criticism of the legislation, ask: who’s funding that voice? Are they directly or indirectly profiting from the getting teens addicted. If you are medical professional, also check out this piece.
Updated 1/6/23: Excellent overview of the unique health and environmental concerns posted by disposable vapes: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22258109/
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