Tobacco Harm Reduction Opponents Should “Consider the Counterfactual”
August 27, 2024 by cato.org
Tobacco Harm Reduction Opponents Should “Consider the Counterfactual”
A paper published in the journal Harm Reduction in June by Arielle Selya, PhD argues against the “gateway” hypothesis that nicotine-vaping prohibitionists like to employ. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) opponents point to studies that suggest teens who use e‑cigarettes may be more likely to use illicit drugs and tobacco. (To be logically consistent, they would also have to claim that tobacco is a gateway to using illicit drugs.) However, as is the case with similar, long-ago debunked arguments against cannabis use as a gateway to harder drugs, the hypothesis is based on observational studies that show correlation, not causation.
