Italian cyclist rides for e-cigarettes: Letting the public know there are better options

Two professional cyclists are touring Italy in 2020 and 2021 on a cycling tour to educate the public about e-cigarettes and the public health benefits. This year's third long-distance tour, this activity titled "Ride for Vape," a 700-kilometer ride from Turin to Strasbourg, Italy, to educate the public and politicians about the lower risks of e-cigarettes compared to combustible tobacco.

One of the riders, Umberto Roccatti, an e-cigarette owner, shared during the ride how his life has changed as a result of switching to e-cigarettes. Before using e-cigarettes, he smoked about 30 cigarettes a day for more than 15 years. And e-cigarettes can help smokers change their lifestyles and normalize their health. And the purpose of the campaign is to let people who suffer from the dangers of tobacco know that there are better alternatives.

Roccatti, who is also president of the Italian e-cigarette association ANAFE and vice president of the Independent European E-Cigarette Alliance (IEVA) in Europe, believes that WHO needs to reconsider its outdated cessation strategies and recognize the potential of e-cigarettes to reduce smoking rates worldwide. Especially in poor countries with particularly high smoking rates, ignoring e-cigarettes means more public health crises due to tobacco.

The number of smokers who are properly informed about e-cigarettes remains relatively low, which results in many smokers not knowing about the real e-cigarette, thus dramatically increasing the risk of smoking-related diseases among smokers. Tobacco consumption is the most important cause of premature death among the public in the EU, causing nearly 700,000 deaths per year, and approximately 50% of smokers are at risk of premature death, and these risks and losses are completely avoidable, provided the public has the correct knowledge about e-cigarettes.

Reference: "The Third Edition of "Ride for Vape".