In Ireland, some voices are rising to demand an end to the stigma of vapers and the anti-vaping sentiment that reigns in the country. For the Dr. Muiris Houston, it's a good thing that former heavy smokers were able to quit thanks to e-cigarettes.
VAPING IS “NOT SOCIALLY RECOMMENDABLE” IN IRELAND!
This is nothing new, Ireland is far from being the El Dorado for vapers! If the anti-vaping climate is very present in the country, some specialists are trying to move the lines to put an end to illogical and above all counter-productive stigma.
And once again the example comes from the United Kingdom where a recent study has shown the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in helping smokers. Indeed, it has been shown that e-cigarettes are almost twice as effective than the "standard" combination of nicotine substitutes. Martin Dockrell, head of tobacco control at Public Health England, said: “ This historical study shows that switching to e-cigarettes can be one of the most effective ways to quit smoking… All anti-smoking services should also help smokers by offering e-cigarettes »
But nothing helps and the Dr. Muiris Houston, medical journalist and health specialist for the Irish Times is surprised that in Ireland organizations such as the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation or the team HSE Quit observe a deafening silence. According to him, despite a favorable assessment of health technologies carried out by Hiqa in 2017, a certain "let go" persists among the pressure groups here when it comes to vaping.
Going even further, Dr Houston suspects human rights defenders of considering that vaping is a socially "unsavory" habit, despite the many reports from the PHE, including one which presents the e-cigarette as being " 95% less harmful than tobacco". And he dares to say it: " Cgood thing former heavy smokers were able to quit thanks to e-cigarettes! It is time for human rights organizations to descend from this ivory tower where they are perched in order to taste the reality of life«
