French health agency finds vaping less harmful than smoking, signals lessons for India
A French health agency review of 2,500 studies concludes vaping is less harmful than smoking, offering insights for India's harm-reduction strategies.Summary
The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Safety and Health (ANSES) has released a comprehensive review of over 2,500 studies, concluding that vaping poses significantly fewer health risks than traditional smoking, though it is not risk-free. The key difference lies in the absence of tobacco combustion in e-cigarettes, resulting in far fewer harmful substances. In France, the majority of vapers are current or former smokers, and daily smoking rates have declined alongside vaping prevalence. Experts like Jonathan Livingstone-Banks from the University of Oxford support these findings, citing strong evidence of e-cigarettes as an effective smoking cessation tool. For India, facing a major public health challenge from smoking-related diseases, the ANSES review provides valuable data for policymakers considering harm-reduction strategies. While complete cessation is ideal, regulated e-cigarettes may offer a transitional pathway to reduce toxic exposure for adult smokers, but should not be used by non-smokers. ANSES emphasizes the need for further research on long-term effects and stresses the importance of regulated products.
(Source：Telangana Today)
