Vaping-smoking transitions: a focus on the evidence

Much of the debate around the potential public health benefits and harms of e-cigarettes focuses on their relationship to smoking. If – at a population level – e-cigarettes lead to more people smoking than would have otherwise, then their net impact on public health will undoubtedly be a negative one. If, however, vaping decreases smoking at a population level, there is the potential for public health benefit. In this talk, I’ll describe the current state of the evidence on the impact of vaping on smoking behaviors, including flagging some potential consequences of vaping restrictions. I’ll touch on topical issues including the theories that vaping may act as a gateway into smoking, and the potential role e-liquid flavors may have on vaping-smoking transitions.