"There is a scientific consensus that e-cigarettes are less harmful to smokers and their environment than traditional cigarettes. There is also clear evidence that e-cigs help smokers quit, more effectively than nicotine replacement therapy."
So says Jamie Hartmann-Boyce of the Cohcrane Tobacco Addiction Group, in response to the WHO campaign against e-cigarettes.
WHO wants to ban e-cigarettes. The Swedish government wants to ban in principle all flavorings in the e-liquid, something that Denmark and Finland have already done. But in United Kingdomwhere the government, together with agencies and a range of health organizations, is investing billions in research on e-cigarettes, bans and tighter restrictions are the wrong way to go.
"Smoking is unique in terms of deadly consequences and for some it is very difficult to quit. E-cigarettes are not risk-free, and former non-smokers should not start using them. But from public health authorities, the message to smokers must be crystal clear. Nicotine is addictive but not the cause of the harm smoking causes" says Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, doctor and research leader at the Department of Health Behaviors at the University of Oxford.
Evidence suggests that e-cigs work
Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, is responsible for Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group - part of the Cochrane Library, which evaluates health care interventions based on evidence and quality studies from around the world. The group recently published an updated review of randomized control trials focusing on e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation method. In total, the researchers compiled 56 studies with a total of 12,800 participants. The studies compared e-cigarettes with other nicotine replacement therapies over a period of at least 6 months.
"The evidence suggests that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can indeed help smokers quit smoking. The evidence also says that vejping is significantly less harmful than smoking." says Jamie Hartmann-Boyce.
Getting side effects with e-cigarettes
According to the report (which started as early as 2014), e-cigarettes are associated with twice as many successful smoking cessation attempts compared to traditional nicotine medicines. E-cigarette users also report few problems associated with quitting smoking. Coughing, headaches, dry mouth and dizziness are common but transient side effects.
"We couldn't find many reports showing harm from e-cigarette use, but the studies that followed up on this only went back two years. It is important that we follow this up continuously," writes Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and her colleagues in the report.
Critical of the WHO
Jamie Hartmann-Boyce however, reacts strongly to WHO's latest statements on e-cigarettes. The organization proposes severe restrictions or even a ban on electronic cigarettes. The reasoning is that the products should be classified as harmful.
"The fact that the WHO chooses to label e-cigarettes as "harmful" risks scaring off hesitant smokers, and those who vejpar to quit smoking. The report should not discourage smokers from switching to vejping. In fact, there is a scientific consensus that vejping is less harmful than smoking, both for smokers and people around them" says Jamie Hartmann-Boyce.
"As safe as nicotine medicines - but better"
She is joined by John BrittonEmeritus Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham and Advisor on Tobacco Issues at British Medical Association (According to him, it is clear that the WHO has not understood what the research really shows: that e-cigarettes are an important tool to end smoking worldwide and that the technology outperforms previous methods.
"The WHO continues to advocate for nicotine drug-based approaches. It is hypocritical when at the same time they propose to ban consumer products that are just as safe and work in the same way, but much better" says John Britton to Science Media Center.
