From Gerry Stimson
Sally Davies, the chief medical officer for England, is wrong on e-cigarettes (5 April, p 29). If the marketing of these devices is “often aimed at children”, as Davies suggests, then it has been a spectacular failure. E-cigarette use is rare among young people, and confined mostly to those who have smoked cigarettes. E-cigarettes are now the most popular choice for those who want to quit smoking. The rise of the e-cigarette has seen no increase in tobacco consumption, rather the reverse, as cigarette sales continue to drop. It is more plausible that e-cigarettes are a gateway out of smoking, rather than into it. That must be a good thing. Davies takes issue with the word “vape” to describe e-cigarette use, and suggests this risks normalising smoking. On the contrary, the terminology indicates that “vapers” distance their activities from “smokers” and “smoking”. We have a staggering level of smoking in the UK, despite all the good efforts to reduce it. Time for public health to get on-side and support this consumer-based health movement.
London, UK
