On 19/06/2015 12:11, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
GMM laid this down on his screen :
Since Mr P's experience here is by no means unusual, they seem to be
able to play a useful role in helping people to quit smoking, although
that, too, will take years to prove.

There is absolutely no doubt vaping has helped millions to give up
smoking, it is no longer in doubt - if that is what you meant?

Not really, Harry: Just because to any reasonable person the efficacy
of e-cigs seems a no-brainer, it's not a formal proof. You might ask
why anyone needs a formal proof (good question!). Well until then, it
won't be possible to promote e-cigs as a route to cessation (/harm
reduction), despite it being blindingly obvious that it is, without
legal challenges by the vested interests (tobacco companies, makers of
alternative nicotine replacement products etc), not to mention the
puritan lobby.

The only thing in doubt is how harmful vaping might be and so far all of
the open minded genuine research suggests it is at worst, hundreds to
thousands of times safer than smoking - if there is any risk at all.

Intuitively, it would be hard to imagine vaping being anywhere near as
harmful as smoking. Of course, it's probably only a matter of time
before someone brews up a nicotine liquid containing something
mega-toxic and queers the pitch. It will, of necessity, be many years
before the long-term effects of e-cigs can be evaluated and until then
there will always be someone trying to tell you that it must be bad
because the absolute level of risk is unknown.

I doubt the harm is significant, compared with alcohol, aspirin and
crossing the road (and a thousand other things in life).

I think it should be positively promoted in pubs[1]: The smoking ban
has been a significant factor in the high level of pub closures in
recent years. By promoting vaping, pubs could bring in custom to help
their viability and encourage people to quit the fags at the same time,
restoring a valued national institution and doing significant good for
public health.

[1] I'm sure it's already the case in some, but none that I've been in
around here