Prof. Car: Alternative tobacco products are the lesser evil choice.
Doskonale wiemy, że wszystkie alternatywne wyroby nikotynowe służą tak naprawdę temu, by wyjść z nałogu. Wybierajmy po prostu mniejsze zło – mówi prof. Halina Car.
Doskonale wiemy, że wszystkie alternatywne wyroby nikotynowe służą tak naprawdę temu, by wyjść z nałogu. Wybierajmy po prostu mniejsze zło – mówi prof. Halina Car.
In the DGP studio at the Economic Forum in Karpacz, Prof. Halina Car, Vice-Dean for Development at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Medical University of Białystok, spoke about alternative tobacco products. She mentioned a multi-year study conducted on a group of 32,000 volunteers, which included exclusive e-cigarette users, dual users of both traditional and electronic cigarettes, as well as non-smokers.
People who clearly switched to using e-cigarettes showed reduced so-called biological effects. What does this mean? Certain physiological parameters were measured, such as inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, and organ efficiency. The study revealed that just a two-week transition to using e-cigarettes—but exclusively e-cigarettes—was enough to significantly improve some of these parameters, noted Prof. Car. “This provided evidence that the risk of tobacco-related diseases can be reduced.”
The expert also referenced a 2021 study by Public Health England, based on which the United Kingdom identifies e-cigarettes as an alternative, reduced-risk source.
“For many years, we have known that snus—tobacco-containing pouches popular in Sweden—has significantly improved the health of Swedes, particularly men, in terms of cancer incidence and mortality rates. The number of smokers has also decreased,” the expert added.
“The concept of choosing the so-called lesser evil is very common in medicine. We know very well that all alternative nicotine products are essentially designed to help people quit addiction. Let’s simply choose the lesser evil,” she concluded.
“Some recommendations suggest that individuals who are unable to quit smoking despite medications, behavioral therapy, and support should have a risk-reduction alternative. This is just the beginning of our journey. Let’s follow the example of countries that prioritize the health of their citizens—including those struggling with addiction to nicotine.”