SPILLANE: What Prohibitionists Get Wrong About Flavors and Youth Vaping
May 12, 2025 by nhjournal.com
SPILLANE: What Prohibitionists Get Wrong About Flavors and Youth Vaping
New Hampshire is debating measures to protect youth from smoking while aiding adult smokers. Science and real-world impact should guide decisions, considering flavored alternatives' role in quitting smoking. Bans could harm adult smokers without curbing youth access. Data from Massachusetts and the CDC show benefits of varied nicotine products, with e-cigarettes being significantly less harmful. Despite declines in youth vaping and adult smoking rates, public health groups push for prohibitions. Mental health issues drive youth vaping more than flavors. Flavors assist adults in quitting smoking, as supported by the FDA. It's crucial to acknowledge progress in reducing smoking rates and advocate for a regulated marketplace promoting harm reduction.
19.30% of the adult population are current smokers. There are approximately 52.1 million current smokers in United States 22.90% of men are current smokers but only 15.80% of women.
SOURCE: GSTHR
