ANTZ CHECK #5: E-cigarettes will lead to smoking

Follow my new "ANTZ Check" Series as I "fact check" the various ways the ANTZ (Anti Nicotine and Tobacco Zealots) deceive the public about smoke-free alternatives. Each ANTZ Check will be for one specific lie to keep it short and simple (and easy to link to if you are in a debate or just looking for facts.)

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RATING:
EGO BOOSTER

THE LIE:
E-cigarettes will not only cause ex-smokers to resume smoking, but will also act as a "gateway" to smoking for youth.


"...by simulating the cigarette experience, electronic cigarettes might reactivate the habit in ex-smokers. They could also be a gateway into tobacco abuse for young people who are not yet hooked." - Dr. Harvey Simon, Harvard Health

“It is clear from [C.S. MottChildren’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health] that U.S. adults are not waiting for scientific evidence of adverse health effects of e-cigarettes before before asking that they be regulated and restricted. Rather, they support restrictions on e-cigarettes based on potential risks—not just immediate health effects, but also the possibility that e-cigarettes may lead youth toward later use of tobacco cigarettes.” - Matthew M. Davis, director of poll & associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine in the Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit at the U-M Medical School.


"The FDA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Academy of Pediatrics
have all voiced their concern that electronic cigarettes could lead to an increase in nicotine addiction
and youth tobacco use." - Center for Public Health and Tobacco Policy

ANTZ CHECK:
Because there is no way to prove these claims, we must believe the "experts" simply on their "say-so." However, the fact that they are even putting forth these ridiculous theories shows just how little these "experts" really know about the product they are trying to ban.

1) Smokers who quit smoking already have a very high likelihood of relapse.  Those who quit by using gums and patches have a relapse rate of 93% or more. (That means they start smoking again.) Additionally, for reasons still unknown to the "experts," relapses frequently happen even if the smoker hasn't smoked for years and couldn't possibly still be addicted to nicotine. Therefore, it is extremely likely that any "ex-smokers" drawn to e-cigarettes were already considering smoking traditional cigarettes but decided to try e-cigarettes instead. In that case, the e-cigarettes will have actually prevented the ex-smoker from resuming smoking. If the smoker likes the e-cigarette, he will not switch to traditional cigarettes, he will continue to use the e-cigarette until he decides to quit again. If he does not like the e-cigarette, he quit using it or will start smoking again. Either way, it's not the e-cigarette use that will cause an ex-smoker to start smoking again.

2) As smokers who switch quickly find out, using an e-cigarette (popularly known as "vaping," rather than smoking) is actually quite different from the "habit" of smoking. Instead of a long periods of abstinence, followed by 10-15 minutes of smoking, most e-cigarette users find that they will just take a few puffs from the device as needed throughout the day. It actually works more like a slow-release nicotine patch, by providing an even keel throughout the day instead of periodic, high spikes of nicotine intake (since most smokers will smoke an entire cigarette, even if they don't need that much nicotine, just to psychologically "make it" until their next break.)

3) Propylene glycol, the base of most e-cigarette liquids, is slightly sweet, which is why it is also used as a base in products such as medicines and drink mixes. This is also why many smokers don't like the artificial tobacco flavors and switch to using a flavor that tastes good in a sweeter base, such as fruit, sweets or beverage flavors. Because of this dramatic change in flavors, a significant number of e-cigarette consumers find that the taste of real cigarette smoke has become extremely unpalatable to them. It simply doesn't taste good to them anymore and they much prefer their mint, cherry or coffee flavor now. It becomes one more deterrent to returning to traditional cigarettes. Given this fact, it seems extremely unlikely that non-smoking youth would start using "candy-flavored" e-cigarettes (see ANTZ CHECK #2 regarding "candy" flavors and youth) and suddenly decide to start smoking harsh-tasting real cigarettes, which most smokers will tell you are an acquired taste to begin with. It's like suggesting that kids who drink sweet-tasting Mountain Dew will suddenly want to switch to bitter, black espresso for their caffeine fix.

(Note: Most of the same arguments above can also be made for smoke-free tobacco alternatives. There is no reason or evidence that people who start using smoke-free tobacco products (especially mild, pleasantly-flavored brands) would want or need to "graduate" to smoking - unless the ANTZ get their way and they ban sales of all tobacco products except cigarettes.)

CONCLUSION:
"Save the children" is a popular tactic for ANTZ. However, not only is there no evidence that youth are even choosing to use e-cigarettes over traditional cigarettes, the idea that kids who experiment with e-cigarettes would suddenly want to smoke is completely illogical. Clues that there is no evidence that this is a risk are words the ANTZ use such as "may" and "could." They count on the fact that people will rely on opinions from people who are self-proclaimed "experts," rather than any actual evidence. It's scaremongering, pure and simple. I rate this lie to be an Ego Booter.

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ANTZ Check Lie icons:

A Toxic Shocker: Using negative comparisons and analogy to make something sound more dangerous than it really is. Often uses scary-sounding chemical names.


A B*** S*** Lie: Absolutely untrue, no evidence whatsoever to support the claim.


A Truth Twister: Presenting facts in such a way that something that could just as easily be seen as positive is presented only as negative or a careful use of specific words to change the focus of a discussion.

An Ego Booster: Relying on an authoritative or respected reputation to give the impression that an opinion or theory is a known fact. You must believe what they say solely because they are someone "important."


NEXT...ANTZ Check #6: E-liquid poses a high poison risk to children


Read More ANTZ CHECKS