We need to learn more, not less, about e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes have fractured the tobacco-control community. Some researchers argue that vaping nicotine saves lives by helping smokers quit. Others say that e-cigarettes are dangerous, especially for young people. The debate is by no means settled.
So you’d think that all involved would welcome more science. Sadly, that’s not so.
Consider, for example, what happened after a debate about conflicts of interest in tobacco science, part of a seminar series organized by academics.
One one side: Joanna Cohen, the Bloomberg Professor of Disease Prevention at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. She argued that journals such as Tobacco Control, where she is an editor, are right in refusing to publish research sponsored by the industry. What’s more, she said, those who work in the industry, including at e-cigarette company Juul, should be prohibited from attending scientific conferences.
Marc Gunther – The Great Vape Debate – 2021-08-19.
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