Agenda item

Vaping and E-Cigarettes

Minutes:

Dan Preece (Advanced Public Health Consultant) was present at the meeting and referred to the report in the agenda.  A presentation was also provided, it was highlighted that –

 

(a)

 

smoking was in decline both in England and Plymouth with an estimated 10,000 fewer smokers in Plymouth since 2011;

 

(b)

 

of the remaining people that do smoker (around 39,000 people) still suffer from the devastating harm that tobacco causes and was the primary cause of ill health and health inequalities within the city;

 

(c)

 

the annual costs of smoking in 2018 for Plymouth was £63 million;

 

(d)

 

Plymouth’s approach to tobacco –

·         enforce regulations to disrupt illegal and under age sales;

·         reduce starting through positive peer influence;

·         support people to stop smoking;

·         enable people to stop smoking;

·         provide information.

 

(e)

 

 

that the most effective way to quit smoking was to use expert behaviour support such as the Stop Smoking Service combined with nicotine replacement and/or using e-cigarettes;

 

(f)

 

Public Health England’s position on e-cigarettes was that they were 95% safer than tobacco.  An e-cigarette doesn’t contain any tobacco.

 

In response to questions raised, it was reported that -

 

(g)

 

5% harm would come from breathing in hot vapour and the ingredients used, however, the scale of harm was much lower than a cigarette.  There were health benefits for a smoker switching from cigarettes to e-cigarettes;

 

(h)

 

 

a response would be provided on the amount of people in Plymouth living with a significant smoking related illness which impacts on their quality of life and of that cohort what was the increased rate in unplanned admissions into acute services?

 

(i)

 

e-cigarettes were the same as using a nicotine replacement patch and can be affective to help people quit smoking.

 

The Board were encouraged to look at their own workplace policies on smoke free and vaping.  Guidance was available for organisations to help them develop their policies to encourage people to switch from tobacco to e-cigarettes.

 

It was agreed that the Health and Wellbeing Board adopt the following position on vaping and e-cigarettes –

 

1.            We recognise that e-cigarettes have a key role in driving down rates of smoking in Plymouth.

 

2.            Vaping with e-cigarettes is estimated to be 95% less harmful than smoking tobacco.

 

3.            Consumers and the public deserve protection from potential harms of vaping and the use of e-cigarettes through restrictions on their sale and marketing to children and controls to ensure safety and quality.

 

4.            Stopping smoking is the best thing a person who smokes can do for their health. Our advice to smokers is to consider switching from smoking tobacco to vaping with e-cigarettes.

 

5.            Ongoing surveillance and research is crucial to detect long-term impacts on individuals and communities. If any new risks emerge, or guidance from Public Health England changes, we will revise our position on e-cigarettes. In the meantime, we have a vital responsibility to communicate the evidence that is emerging and currently that which is sufficiently robust to help guide us.

 

6.            We need clear and consistent messages to the public. There is widespread public confusion about e-cigarettes and research shows people’s perceptions have become less accurate. The evidence tells us e-cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco, but a growing number of people believe e-cigarettes are at least as harmful as tobacco, or say they don’t know. This inaccurate view could be preventing smokers who have never tried e-cigarettes from quitting.  We have a duty to provide clear messages to the public, based on the evidence. E-cigarettes carry a fraction of the risk of smoking and can help even some of the most addicted smokers to quit and smokers who switch to vaping reduce the risks to their health dramatically.

Supporting documents: