“When we compare the tone and content of what was discussed at the E-Cigarette Summit with what we read and hear in media across the globe, the difference is stark.
“It was refreshing to hear measured and mature expert voices talking about realities without sensationalisation.”
He added:
“The science is clear: vaping is a less harmful alternative to smoking and an effective smoking cessation method.
“It is the responsibility of the media and policymakers to understand the subject they want to regulate so eagerly better.
“The lives of millions of smokers are too important to be put on the line for clickbait headlines and the pursuit of anti-vaping ideology.”
There were further calls for the media to moderate their reporting on vaping issues.
The Science Media Centre’s Press Officer, Tom Sheldon, urged the media to consider focusing more on science and evidence than “scare stories.”
He said:
“Where there’s controversy, there’s media.”
SCHEER Report
There was plenty of politics in discussion at the virtual event, with Brexit talks and the US presidential election taking place in recent months.
He said that SCHEER’s opinions were “based on very poor quality data” while highlighting that some of the studies cited as ‘strong’ did not even mention e-cigarettes.
Caroline Barry is an experienced journalist across multiple sectors and hails from Clonakilty in Ireland. Her journalism focuses on CBD, medical cannabis, vaping, LGBT+ rights and culture. She is currently working on her first non-fiction book about growing up gay with ADHD in rural Ireland. Caroline is currently based in Nottingham, England with her small black cat.
