Why does Prof Luke Clancy refuse to acknowledge work done by HIQA?

Below is a ‘letter to the Editor’ of The Irish Time submitted in response to a piece published by Professor Luke Clancy on how ‘now is the time to give up smoking and vaping’.  VBI submitted the below letter to question why Professor Clancy has attempted to equate smoking and vaping.

Sir – On behalf of Vape Business Ireland (VBI), we write to you in relation to the piece in The Irish Times, Health & Family section by Professor Luke Clancy published on 7th April 2020 on how ‘now is the time to give up smoking and vaping.’

No nicotine product is safe and the best option for anyone is not to use nicotine at all, but Professor Clancy goes further in his analysis of the risks associated to smoking, as compared to vaping. It is unclear to us why an attempt to equate the two has been made. Vaping products contain nicotine, they do not contain tobacco and do not burn any organic material. This is why many organisations, such as Public Health England in the UK, have stated that vaping is a less harmful alternative to smoking.

In its report on the results of the public consultation on the draft health technology assessment (HTA) of smoking cessation interventions, analysis by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) showed that increased uptake of vaping products as an aid to quitting would increase the number of people who successfully quit.

It’s a pity Professor Clancy failed to reference the research conducted in this country by HIQA, a State body, which demonstrates the clear and obvious differences between cigarettes and vaping products. The study also found that vaping products play an important role in moving people away from smoking, an activity that the public health authorities advise kills 6,000 people in this country every year.

Yours Sincerely,
Vape Business Ireland