Vapeboss – Some time ago, Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin floated the idea that the government would ban the circulation of e-cigarettes if they were proven to be harmful to public health.

"I think (the ban on e-cigarettes) will be studied, but what is certain is that if something is dangerous, it will definitely be banned by the government, that's for sure," said Vice President Ma'ruf Amin at the University of Indonesia campus, Jakarta last week.

"If it (e-cigarettes) does pose a danger, it will definitely be banned. Therefore, the effects of these e-cigarettes will be thoroughly studied," Ma'ruf added.

Regarding these statements, the Chairman of the Indonesian Vape Consumers Association (AKVINDO), Paido Siahaan, responded that alternative tobacco products such as e-cigarettes, vapes, or heated tobacco products have been proven to have a lower risk profile than conventional cigarettes.

"Therefore, if utilized optimally, these products, which are the result of innovation and technology development, can be an alternative for adult smokers to switch from their smoking habit," Paido said.

Paido added that the system used by e-cigarettes is heating, not combustion. So these products produce vapor (aerosol) unlike cigarette smoke.

"E-cigarettes have a lower risk than cigarettes, thus they can bring about changes in the health quality of their users," he explained.

Paido said that evidence that e-cigarettes have a lower risk profile is also reinforced by research conducted by the CoEHAR Center of Excellence. Based on a study by the In Silico Science team led by the CoEHAR Center of Excellence for harm reduction acceleration based in Catania, Italy, research was conducted involving 25 clinical studies consisting of 1,810 smoker participants aged approximately 18 to 65 years.

The research was conducted from January 31, 2021, to April 29, 2021, involving participants from the United States, England, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Indonesia, Poland, and South Africa.

The results revealed that almost two-thirds of the analyzed participants showed that e-cigarettes did not bring additional health hazards to smokers, especially in relation to heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiovascular tests. In fact, researchers showed that the use of e-cigarettes can provide potential benefits for smokers. For example, smoker participants with hypertension experienced a clinically significant decrease in systolic blood pressure after one year of using e-cigarettes.

On the other hand, the Chairman of the Indonesian Vapers Alliance (AVI), Johan Sumantri, also highlighted the facts from scientific studies showing that e-cigarettes have a lower risk than conventional cigarettes.

"Although e-cigarettes are not completely risk-free, the risks associated with these products are much lower than those of conventional cigarettes. Therefore, everyone has the right to know the real facts about e-cigarettes so that there are no more misconceptions," he emphasized.

Source: Suara