Yesterday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on “Vaping in America: E-Cigarette Manufacturers' Impact on Public Health,” which focused on the role of e-cigarettes and vapor products on nicotine addiction levels in the United States.
Unfortunately, any viewers tuning in to witness a fair and unbiased hearing focused on facts, science, and evidence, were horribly disappointed. Yesterday’s hearing was little more than a public scolding of the CEOs of America’s largest e-cigarette companies by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. At one point, Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) declared “if you want to be men of integrity, and responsible men, you would not be selling this product.”
Beyond the ad hominem attacks, the House missed an opportunity to highlight the benefits associated with vaping. Vapor products allow users to consume nicotine, but avoid the traditional combustion of cigarettes which contain toxins and other dangerous chemicals. Some government studies have found that e-cigarettes are actually 95 percent safer than traditional tobacco products and can be as much as twice as effective as gum or patches to help users quit. That’s important. Smoking is a high-risk activity and providing smokers with a way to consume nicotine in a safer way is a large public health benefit, increasing life expectancy and reducing mortality.
Vapor products are an important cigarette cessation tool, providing smokers with a lower-risk substitute to help kick their deadly habit. Examining FDA data, there is a clear correlation between the increase in vaping and a decline in cigarette use. This data, coupled with scientific evidence, it’s growing ever clearer that vapor products are an innovative and effective bridge for smokers transitioning toward significantly less harmful alternatives. For years, government officials have taken steps to reduce the prevalence of tobacco usage, and the free market has produced a solution to address this serious problem.
The Committee has every right to be concerned with rising levels of vape use young Americans, but perhaps recently enacted law raising the legal tobacco age to 21 will make a difference in curbing that trend. However, if the House moves forward with misguided legislation, such as H.R. 4742, the Protecting American Lungs Act by Rep. Suozzi (D-NY), or H.R. 2339, the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act, it’s possible the tremendous progress that has enabled more Americans to quit deadly cigarettes and live a healthier lifestyle could be upended.
We hope lawmakers will oppose these bills if they make it to the House floor and instead work toward a more reasonable approach to this public concern.