Vaping could reduce harm caused by smoking

Last session, the Iowa Legislature passed a bill regulating unauthorized vaping products. I supported this legislation because it will help shield our children from nicotine. Building off this momentum, policymakers should now embrace the opportunity to further reduce the devastating impact of smoking.

Smoking cigarettes remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Despite years of public health campaigns and smoking cessation programs, millions of Americans are still addicted to cigarettes. Over 15% of Iowans still smoke.

Vaping presents itself as a potential harm reduction tool for adults. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine predicts that “if e-cigarette use by adult smokers leads to long-term abstinence from combustible tobacco cigarettes, the benefit to public health could be considerable.”

The concept of harm reduction is about taking incremental steps to lower the risks associated with dangerous behaviors. In the case of smoking cigarettes, this means recognizing that while quitting is the best option, not everyone can achieve that goal. For some individuals, smoking fewer cigarettes could reduce harm.

Switching to a less harmful alternative, like vaping, may be a practical and responsible approach. Policymakers and public health advocates have embraced harm reduction for many other substances, so why not cigarettes?

Jason Semprini

Iowa City