'Quit, Don't Switch' To E-Cigarettes: American Lung Association

Each year, thousands of Rhode Islanders start out the new year with a resolution, from spending less money to eating healthier to losing weight. If your resolution is to stop smoking this year, the American Lung Association in Rhode Island urged that it's always better to "quit, don't switch."

"The American Lung Association is reminding Rhode Island residents that the Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit," the organization wrote in a release.

Across the state, there are currently 119,500 smokers, the organization reported. Of these people, 56 percent tried to quit last year.

"New ads from e-cigarettes companies would have those smokers falsely believe that switching to vaping is quitting smoking," the statement continued. "This year, the Lung Association is encouraging smokers to 'Quit, Don’t Switch.'"

The reminder comes as state officials consider permanent regulations on flavored e-cigarettes and vape products in Rhode Island. In September, Governor Gina Raimondo signed an executive order calling for an emergency ban on the products amid vaping-related illnesses and deaths across the country. On Monday, the Rhode Island Department of Health held a public hearing to discuss permanent regulations that are currently in the works.

"Misinformation about the health risks of vaping is rampant and e-cigarette use, especially among youth has been declared an 'epidemic' by the U.S. Surgeon General," said Jennifer Wall, the director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Rhode Island. "The simple truth is that e-cigarettes are tobacco products, and the Lung Association has been helping people avoid and quit using tobacco for decades. As New Year’s inspires a new group of smokers to quit―we hope to direct them to proven-effective strategies and FDA-approved medications, while helping them understand that e-cigarettes are not the answer."