Why Hong Kong should shun vaping: the risks aren’t fully understood yet
In fact, a report published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine in 2016 found that the odds of quitting smoking were 28 per cent lower in adult smokers who used e-cigarettes, compared to those who did not. And a US study published this week in the Paediatrics journal says teenagers who use e-cigarettes or hookah water pipes are up to four times more likely to use marijuana later.
The US National Institute on Drug Abuse cites research that suggests “e-cigarettes can lead to nicotine addiction and increased risk for addiction to other drugs”, and highlights how “their easy availability, alluring advertisements, various e-liquid flavours, and the belief that they’re safer than cigarettes have helped make them appealing to this age group”.
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E-cigarettes are not risk-free, and smokers overall are a health hazard
Given the relatively recent introduction of vaping devices, and conflicting messages from the lack of detailed information on the negatives involved, it is better that we discourage such forms of smoking as well.
Eunice Li, Shanghai