Not everyone can be in line with the value of vaping as a risk reduction tool in the fight against smoking. This is the case of Dr Frederic Le Guillou, pulmonologist and President of theRespiratory Health Association France who in a recent interview is not really kind to the electronic cigarette.
« VAPING, A SUBSTITUTE THAT PRODUCES CONTROVERSY «
We are in 2022 and yet the public discourse does not seem to be changing for the entire medical community. Although today many studies point to the value of vaping as a tool for reducing the risks of smoking, some health specialists are still in denial. This is the case of Dr Frederic Le Guillou, pulmonologist and President of the association Respiratory Health France that we find extremely severe and critical of a solution that has already enabled millions of people to put an end to a poison: the tobacco.
In a recent interview with our colleagues from Women's Journal, he declares : " The big danger of vaping concerns non-smokers, especially young people, and the risk of falling into nicotine addiction. Vaping used as a quit smoking substitute sparks more controversy "
"The electronic cigarette contains substances that are irritating to the lungs and can cause the user to cough" – Dr Frederic Le Guillou
According to Dr. Le Guillou, there is very little data available on vaping: " « We have almost no data on vaping, unlike cigarettes where the harm is proven. However, we know that the electronic cigarette can heat up to 60 degrees, which implies the degradation of substances of which we do not know all the compounds: irritants and toxic substances can be inhaled. »
A nuanced and all the same temporized speech with a fact: “ However, the concentration of these substances is much lower than that released by industrial cigarettes.“. Based on numerous biased studies, the health specialist recalls certain extremely disputed risks: " the harm depends on the degree of heating of the vapoteuse, beyond 60 degrees we know that the user will inhale the substances"
Theory of the gateway effect, danger of vaping, Dr Le Guillou is not kind to vaping and nicotine yet too often criticized : " Nicotine is not dangerous as such for the lungs. It is however responsible for the addiction, which presents a proven danger for a non-smoker who would then become addicted and could fall into the classic cigarette. «
