The UKVIA provide statement on a review led by Professor Thomas Munzel from the University of Mainz, which investigated the effect that smoking and vaping may cause to the heart and lungs.
John Dunne, a Director at the UK Vaping Industry Association, said: “We are disappointed to see that highly questionable reviews such as this continue to undermine the clear public health potential of vaping. With more than 75,000 people dying of smoking-related diseases every year in the UK, it is vital that harm-reduction tools, such as vape products which have been acknowledged by Public Health England as one of the most successful ways to quit smoking, are evaluated correctly, and not subjected to speculation and scare-stories.
“However, the clear and decisive response of leading UK experts on this matter has been extremely encouraging. Prof John Britton (Nottingham), Prof Jamie Brown (UCL), Prof Jacob George (Dundee) and Dr Nick Hopkinson (Imperial) have all urged caution on the review’s methodologies and findings, variously describing them as ‘unsystematic’, ‘inappropriate’, ‘unclear’ and ‘misleading’.
“In 2019 the University of Dundee partnered with the British Heart Foundation to investigate vaping’s impact on heart health. Contrary to the University of Mainz review, this study found that cigarette smokers who switch to nicotine containing vapourisers could significantly improve their vascular health within four weeks, including blood pressure and stiffness of arteries.
“The British Heart Foundation study, which involved 114 people who had smoked at least 15 cigarettes a day for at least two years, was considered to be the largest conducted of its kind.
“UKVIA continues to stand by the clear guidance of Public Health England, that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking.”