Voices of Harm Reduction Pt 8: Arielle Selya
August 27, 2025 by clearingtheair.eu
Voices of Harm Reduction Pt 8: Arielle Selya
Arielle Selya, a former academic turned consultant, initially aimed to prove the "gateway hypothesis" linking vaping to smoking in youth but ended up disproving it. Facing reluctance from peers, she transitioned to the private sector, critical of academic politics. Selya utilized longitudinal studies and population trends to challenge the hypothesis, noting declines in overall tobacco use despite the rise of vaping. She highlights academic groupthink and institutional funding pressures shaping the anti-vaping narrative. Moving to the industry for research freedom, Selya remains focused on unbiased analysis. She suggests funding dynamics influence research outcomes and advocates for diverse funding sources to shape scientific narratives independently.
