Abstinence not healthier than low-risk alternative

[Kurt]

Great article by Dr. Karl Phillips:

Abstract | Debunking the claim that abstinence is usually healthier for smokers than switching to a low-risk alternative, and other observations about anti-tobacco-harm-reduction arguments

The above links to an abstract, but you can access the entire article.

http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/...-7517-6-29.pdf

Really nice find vocalk!! You must really be tearing up the bandwidth searching for things like this! This is now added to my electronic library.
Thanks so much!

[SmokeyJoe]

This to me is the absolute key paragraph (from the abstract) that underlines the medical community's misapprehension behind e-cigarettes:

One common misleading claim is a risk-risk
comparison that has not before been quantified: A smoker who would have eventually quit
nicotine entirely, but learns the truth about low-risk alternatives, might switch to an
alternative instead of quitting entirely, and thus might suffer a net increase in health risk.
While this has mathematical face validity, a simple calculation of the tradeoff -- switching
to lifelong low-risk nicotine use versus continuing to smoke until quitting -- shows that
such net health costs are extremely unlikely and of trivial maximum magnitude. In
particular, for the average smoker, smoking for just one more month before quitting causes
greater health risk than switching to a low-risk nicotine source and never quitting it.

Now that's a rebuttal that we should be shouting out over and over again.

Awesome article - good find, Vocalek.

SJ

[Stubby]

This is an article about the article. A good condensing of whats in the PDF, but more then the abstract.

New Study Reveals Quitting Smoking is Good but Switching to Low-risk Nicotine Products is Usually Better

[skinnie]

Nice article. Really lays it out plain and simple. Alot of the things we do in our daily lives pose a health risk, whether its driving a car, motorcycle, or eating unhealthy foods. But they dont ban these things they offer seatbelts, helmets and non fat products to reduce the risk to our bodies! So why not just use common sense when it comes to smoking. I use to hate going to the doctor simply because " you need to quit smoking" wasn't an option for me, I KNEW that! And very few of them even suggested the patch (not that it worked for me) but i found that quit or die attitude very annoying. Thank You Vocalek.

[TropicalBob]

A great article and the message should be adopted by CASAA. Thanks for finding and posting it.

[MaxUT]

I use to hate going to the doctor simply because " you need to quit smoking" wasn't an option for me, I KNEW that! And very few of them even suggested the patch (not that it worked for me) but i found that quit or die attitude very annoying.

I still hate going to the doctor. Last visit, my blood pressure was lower and my lungs were clear. I told him I was vaping instead of smoking. He said "Those things aren't FDA approved. You need to stop using nicotine. I can write you a prescription for Chantix."

No thanks, doc.

I've been addicted to nicotine for over forty years, at least since I was 16 years old. I believe my central nervous system adjusted itself to the repeated daily doses of the drug as I grew to maturity and after these many years may not be able to function "normally" without the nic.

I like nicotine. It's a comfort to me and an aid to concentration. If at some future point I have to grow my own tobacco and extract what I require, then that's what I'll do, doctors and government be damned.

[ckc]

That is the best Harm Reduction article i have ever read!

What a great find

[Rhaevyn]

For me, smoking almost always became a habit. That is, the act of smoking was a pacifier and gave me an opportunity to "stop and smell the roses" per se.

...I for one, choose to step outside and vape... if for nothing else but to keep me sane.

Just used a portion of your post weatherbug, but I remember seeing a study (now I have to go Googling!) that reported smokers were more productive overall in offices as they took that time to get up, step away from their work, move around and socialize.

Non-smokers tended to sit nonstop at their desk thus becoming more stressed and tense.

Go figure

[Brewster 59]

Awesome Post

[Brewster 59]

. You need to stop using nicotine. I can write you a prescription for Chantix."

No thanks, doc.

The wierd thing is Chantix is known to cause suicidial thoughts and actions in some people and yet is still prescribed also at Kaiser which is my health plan it is only prescribed for 6 weeks and most people go back to smoking after that yet it is still prescribed.