Doctors who defend vaping
Professor Antoine Flahault, in 2024, publicly advocated for the electronic cigarette by sharing his opinion on the X platform. In a series of 7 posts entitled “Tobacco vs. vaping: a merciless war, between moralism, puritanism and conflicts of interest.”, he shows his support for the electronic cigarette as a smoking cessation solution. For him, vaping is a lesser evil next to tobacco, which remains available over the counter in France. We can quote his very clear words: “Cigarettes kill one in two users according to the WHO. There is no product on the market used according to the manufacturer’s recommendations as dangerous as cigarettes. »
We can also mention Professor Bertrand Dautzenberg, pulmonologist and tobacco specialist, who defends the following idea: as long as a person smokes tobacco, the complete switch to the electronic cigarette can represent a significant benefit for his health. He told the media Le Monde: “The benefit-risk ratio is colossal, vaping contains much less aldehydes than cigarettes. As long as there are smokers, vaping must be encouraged. »
During a television show, doctor Michel Cymes also had a positive opinion on vaping: “Vaping, now we have enough hindsight to know that it is a good aid to smoking cessation. It allows people who can’t quit smoking suddenly for psychological reasons or physical addiction. They can’t let go of everything at once, especially the gesture itself. »
Doctors who warn about the risks of electronic cigarettes
Doctors who evaluate the electronic cigarette positively always insist on several conditions: it must aim at the total replacement of smoked tobacco and must not be presented as a safe accessory. And above all: it is not intended to be trivialized among young people.
The WHO reminds that e-cigarettes expose to nicotine and other toxic substances that can be harmful to health, especially to unborn children in the context of pregnant women who vape. For the WHO: “Tobacco products and electronic nicotine delivery systems both pose health risks. The safest approach is to use neither. […] Toxicity is not the only factor to consider in the risk review, […] Indeed, other factors may come into play, such as the risk of abuse or manipulation of the product, the use by children and adolescents who would not otherwise have consumed cigarettes”.
Doctors’ opinions on the electronic cigarette are nuanced. Overall, many health professionals consider that it is not a harmless product, but that it can represent a less harmful option than the traditional cigarette for an adult smoker who is looking to quit smoking. The essential difference highlighted by doctors is the absence of combustion: with a conventional cigarette, it is the smoke from the combustion of tobacco that exposes you to a large number of toxic substances. With the electronic cigarette, the aerosol emitted is generally considered less harmful than tobacco smoke, but not without risk.
