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There is no such thing as a less harmful e-cigarette, health experts say
“The campaign is so ‘noble’ that it makes people confused whether cigarette companies are now really pro-health.” Widyastuti Soerojo of the IAKMI said.
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An e-cigarette cafe employee (‘left’) vapes with customers in Jakarta on Jan. 9, 2018. (AFP/BAY ISMOYO )
For the past few years, cigarette companies have introduced a new form of nicotine consumption that they say is less harmful, smoke free and will save millions of lives from smoking-related disease caused by conventional cigarettes.
However, in a discussion on Friday held by the Public Health Scholars Association (IAKMI), public experts condemned the move, calling it “just another business” for the industries.
“The campaign is so ‘noble’ that it makes people confused whether cigarette companies are now really pro-health. […] But multinational cigarette industries never really mean to stop selling cigarettes. Instead, it is just another business expansion for them by having additional business with the next generation of products,” Widyastuti Soerojo of the IAKMI said.
A recent survey by the Jakarta Residents Forum (FAKTA) found that from 2015 to 2019 there were 57 cigarette brand registrations, 41 of which were conventional cigarettes and 16 were e-cigarettes, of which six were heated tobacco products and 10 were electronic nicotine delivery systems.
“This fact shows that cigarette industries have no intention to stop selling their conventional cigarettes. The e-cigarettes, the new-generation products, are merely a development to reap greater profits. There is no intention to protect people’s health,” Widyastuti said.
As an example, IAKMI shows how tobacco giant Philip Morris International launched a foundation called a Smoke-Free World in Septermber 2017, which reportedly encouraged people to change to what they say is a better and safer alternative to smoking: e-cigarettes.
