As the federal government has backed away from a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, opponents of the products are shifting their attention to state and local levels. It’s easy to understand the reasons for concern: Vaping is novel, we’re protective of the youth, the wave of lung illness is frightening, and the carnage caused by cigarettes has made us wary of nicotine in any form. But getting risk right requires taking a step back, calmly evaluating the evidence, and not giving in to panic.

First, let’s put the alleged danger of e-cigarettes into perspective. Fifty-two people have died from the so-called “vaping lung illness” nationwide. In comparison, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attribute 480,000 deaths to smoking in the United States each year. That means that around 25 times more people die from smoking every day than have died from the entirety of the current outbreak. From a public health perspective, providing smokers with every opportunity to quit, including the use of flavored e-cigarettes that many adult smokers find most appealing, should be our greatest priority.