Potential Lifespan Gains if American Smokers Switched to Vaping

The Potential of Vaping

A recent article published in Tobacco Control estimates that up to 6.6 million premature deaths could be prevented, equating to 86.7 million years of life saved, if current smokers in the U.S. switched to vaping.

The Study by Dr. David Levy

Dr. David Levy, at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington DC, conducted a study with two scenarios; an optimistic scenario where smoking falls to 5% over the next 10 years, and a pessimistic scenario where it falls to 10%. This study explored the potential outcomes if a large number of cigarette smokers switched to e-cigarettes and vaping.

The Optimistic Scenario

In the optimistic scenario, the researchers used similar patterns of vaping use and currently published evaluations of likely harm reduction. If smoking was reduced to 5% across the United States, 6.6 million fewer premature deaths would occur, and 86.7 million years of life would be saved. This is a remarkable real-world study, potentially saving tens of millions of years of life across a country.

The Pessimistic Scenario

In the pessimistic scenario, the researchers repeated the results in a ‘worst-case’ scenario. In this scenario, more young people initiated e-cigarette use and the risks of e-cigarettes (vaping) are on the higher end of suggested estimates. Even in this worst-case scenario, it’s estimated by researchers that 1.6 million premature deaths would be averted, and 20.8 million fewer life years lost.

The Unexplored Impact of Secondhand Smoke

The most fascinating thing about this study is that it does not even delve into the damage and disease caused by secondhand smoke, decline in health, and increased disability that many smokers experience in the years before death. With this additional information, the benefits of e-cigarettes versus traditional cigarettes are even greater.

The Aim of the Research

The aim of the research is to ‘help the (US) Surgeon General and the Public Health Community develop a strategy to reach the ‘endgame’ for cigarette smoking’. Could you imagine a smoke-free America? Where vaping and e-cigarettes have completely abolished smoking in the United States? Where there would be no secondhand smoke illnesses, no more dirty cigarette butts on our sidewalks, and no more stinky cigarette smoke lingering in the air.

Commentary by Dr. Marita Hefler

In additional commentary provided by Dr. Marita Hefler from the Menzies School of Health Research in Australia, she suggests it’s time to consider banning the sale of combustible tobacco products. Until e-cigarettes, no other products could match the efficiency of nicotine delivery. Without vaping as an alternative, an overall ban would be a non-viable option. Dr. Hefler states that the ongoing availability of combustible tobacco products is an “historical anomaly” as it is a legal consumer product that kills 2/3 of its users; an unfathomable deviation from consumer safety regulations.

Dr. Hefler’s Conclusion

Dr. Hefler concludes, “The new continuum of nicotine products presents an opportunity to end the exceptionalism of combustible tobacco, and allow the most dangerous end of the nicotine product continuum to be rapidly, and completely phased out.”

The Great Opportunity with Vaping Products

What a great opportunity we have with vaping products! Eradicate smoking completely and save tens of millions of lives. We hope that our politicians and government agencies will listen to reason and not attempt to ban this life-saving alternative to cigarettes. Cigarettes are called cancer sticks for a reason; they give you cancer and cause death. Every smoker-turned-vaper is a huge net-positive resulting in longer lives, fewer health conditions, and a healthier society for everyone.

Link to Study can be found here.

Link to Commentary can be found here.