In Iceland, a new study from the Directorate of Health shows that smoking is on the decline. The good news is that the electronic cigarette is not unrelated to this drop in the number of smokers and can contribute to a decrease in cigarette consumption as reported by RÚV (Icelandic National Broadcasting Service).
IN ICELAND, VAPOTAGE HELPS SMOKERS TO REMOVE!
This is not the first time that Iceland has presented itself as a country particularly open to vaping. This time, it is a new study from the Directorate of Health which demonstrates the effectiveness of the e-cigarette in the fight against smoking.
While these trends are seen as positive, some members of the medical community are concerned that Parliament is proposing new restrictions on e-cigarettes. According to them, this would have a negative impact on this trend of keeping smokers away from smoking.
According to figures published in the newsletter of the Directorate of Health, last year 9% of Icelanders said they smoke every day, a drop of 5% in three years. Regarding the number of daily electronic cigarette users, it has increased, but only by 1% since 2016.
In these figures, it can be seen that two out of five users of electronic cigarettes are also smokers, although this figure is declining. It remains important to note that just under half of vapers have quit smoking, i.e. 10% more than in 2016.
According to Dr. Guðmundur Karl Snæbjörnsson «There is no other way to interpret these numbers which show an increase in vaping and that more and more people are quitting smoking ».
The study published in the newsletter of the Directorate of Health indicates that the percentage of people who have never smoked cigarettes but who today use electronic cigarettes has increased to 12%, against 7% in 2016. For the Dr Guðmundur Karl Snæbjörnsson, this figure is clearly misleading.
The Icelandic parliament is currently considering a new bill introduced by the Minister of Health that would introduce new restrictions on the consumption, sale and marketing of electronic cigarettes. For his part, Dr Guðmundur Karl Snæbjörnsson says that no research has been able to prove that the use of electronic cigarettes is harmful. According to him this bill could indeed have a negative effect on the current decrease in the number of smokers.
