Electronic Cigarettes: Are They Safe?

Editor's Choice
Main Category: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 20 Jan 2010 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Two experts on bmj.com today say that further research is needed before consumers can be reassured that electronic cigarettes (also known as e-cigarettes) are safe.

"Our knowledge on the acute and long term effects of e-cigarette use is, at best, very limited", say Andreas Flouris and Dimitris Oikonomou, from the Institute of Human Performance and Rehabilitation in Greece.

Interest in alternative smoking products is augmenting since anti-smoking policies are becoming more widespread. Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are one of the most newly introduced products on the market. These are battery operated devices that allow users to inhale a nicotine vapor. They are meant to substitute normal cigarettes and help smokers quit.

There are a number of doubts regarding the safety of e-cigarettes. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had expressed serious concerns. Three reports have been undertaken on the product: one by the FDA, one by a private body called Health New Zealand (HNZ) and another by Demokritos, a publicly-funded Greek research institute.

The authors remark that the interpretations of the three reports diverge significantly. The FDA detected a number of toxins in e-cigarettes and "carefully raises caution on potential harmful effects of e-cigarettes."On the other hand, HNZ recommends e-cigarettes as they are safer than normal tobacco products. DRI takes a neutral position.

In conclusion, the authors note that while "alternative smoking strategies are always welcome in an effort to reduce the threat to public health caused by the tobacco epidemic", further research is necessary in order to inform consumers about the safety of these e-cigarettes.

"Electronic cigarette: miracle or menace?"
Andreas D Flouris, senior researcher, Dimitris N Oikonomou, researcher
BMJ 2010; 340:c311
bmj.com

Written by Stephanie Brunner (B.A.)
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

• Additional
• References
• Citations