Because they are quite new, studies can only look at the products and make toxicological inferences unfortunately, for real-world outcomes we simply have to wait and see. There is a lot of debate in the research community about whether or not e-cigarettes represent a lower, similar, or higher risk of cancer as compared to cigarettes, with journal commentary sections running wild. Impurities are a concern, however one analysis of 20 vials of e-cig liquid found that the nicotine level written on the labels nearly matched the detected levels, and while some impurities and nicotine degradation were found, these weren’t at levels high enough to likely cause harm. What Farsalinos and colleagues argue is that regulation is necessary to ensure some level of quality control, but as e-cigs are neither tobacco nor medication, the regulatory process could instead follow the example of food standards by excluding chemicals known or suspected to be harmful and ensuring products aren’t contaminated. īut it’s that little side note – probably not absolutely safe – that needs to be addressed. Currently available evidence raises no doubt that electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are by far less harmful than smoking (although probably not absolutely safe) and have the potential to be the most effective tobacco harm reduction products due to their unique property of resembling smoking and providing satisfaction to the user”. Models of harm reduction applied to tobacco suggest that switching from inhalation of combustible products to a noncombustible nicotine delivery product would likely result in a vast reduction in tobacco-related death and illness. “Most of the tobacco cigarette’s toxicity is related to the combustion process. However a larger study, also from the UK, found that compared to those who tried to quit with an over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy like gum or the patch, e-cigarette users were more than twice as likely to have quit, perhaps because in addition to administering nicotine, e-cigarettes also replace the all-important physical habits of smoking: holding something in your hand and mouth, inhaling and exhaling.Īs Farsalinos and colleagues (2015) recently argued: And while long-term health outcomes will take some time to appear, many argue that whatever the results, e-cigarettes are bound to be the lesser of two evils.īut do e-cigarettes actually help people quit? One UK study found that daily e-cig use was associated with more attempts to quit and far fewer cigarettes smoked, but was not associated with having fully quit smoking at one-year follow-up. “Electronic cigarettes” yields a modest 328. A PubMed search using the keyword “smoking” (of tobacco products) yields 124389 results. In case you have been living under a rock, e-cigarettes are devices that allow you to heat and inhale nicotine, the main substance that makes cigarettes addictive, without getting the rest of the harmful chemicals.īut unlike cigarettes, e-cigarettes are relatively new and little research has been done on them. E-cigarette use is now more common than cigarette use among teens, and has become increasingly popular with adults who wish to quit smoking by using a safer alternative to cigarettes.
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