Jacob Sullum: “The evidence so far indicates that more vaping means less smoking, not the other way around.”

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Jacob Sullum has become a regular voice of reason in the debate on electronic cigarettes. His latest contributing piece for Forbes is no different. In it, Sullum takes down the arguments that claim electronic cigarettes are a gateway to smoking. In particular, he argues that recent statements by Stanton Glantz are simply wrong.

You can read Sullum’s comments right here.

The most important are those taking down arguments that electronic cigarettes might be gateways to smoking. Recent studies that have ignited these claims yet again only show that e-cig use continues to rise while tobacco cigarette use declines to historic lows for all age categories. “If e-cigarettes were a gateway to smoking,” Sullum says, “you would expect to see people try them first, then move on to traditional cigarettes.” Instead, the devices appear to be compete with smoking rather than reinforce it.

Sullum is quite right. In many smaller markets where electronic cigarettes have taken hold, smoking rates have fallen at greater rates than the average. In fact, the decline in smoking in years passed had mostly stagnated until electronic cigarettes entered the market. According to Sullum, “The evidence so far indicates that more vaping means less smoking, not the other way around.”

Meanwhile, individuals like Glantz claim that electronic cigarettes are definitely gateways to smoking — saying that there’s “no question.” But there doesn’t appear to be evidence to support this. Of the few individuals that try electronic cigarettes and then move on to smoking, it seems they were likely to become smokers regardless of their experience with electronic cigarettes.

But for most, electronic cigarettes seem to be an alternative rather than a detour. If an individual that would smoke begins using electronic cigarettes, the likelihood that they’ll become an addicted smoker appears to plummet. For all involved, a lifetime of electronic cigarette use is more desirable and far less harmful than a lifetime of smoking. Anti-smoking nuts have trouble wrapping their heads around this though. To most of them, any thing at looks like, acts like, or is smoking should be fought tooth and nail.

Sullum has been involved in the debate on drug and addiction related policies in the past. He authored Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use — in which he argue against the war on drugs and the all-or-nothing tactics used to fight drug use. His comments are worth reading.