"There is a scientific consensus that e-cigarettes are less harmful to smokers and their environment than traditional cigarettes. There is also strong evidence that e-cigs help smokers quit, more effectively than nicotine replacement therapy."
That's according to Jamie Hartmann-Boyce from the Cohcrane Tobacco Addiction Group.
(Updated article February 2023)
WHO advocates ban on e-cigarettes. The Swedish government wanted to ban in principle all flavorings in the e-liquid, something that Denmark and Finland have already done. Lobbying to limit the availability of vejp products is intensive and often successful. But in United Kingdom, where government agencies and a range of health organizations are investing billion on research on e-cigarettes, bans and tighter restrictions are the wrong way to go. This is according to Jamie Hartrman-Boyce, doctor and research leader at the Department of Health Behaviors at the University of Oxford.
"Smoking is unique in terms of deadly consequences and for some it is very difficult to quit smoking. 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 it is not the cause of the harm caused by smoking" says Jamie Hartmann-Boyce
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 78 studies, including 40 randomized control trials, with a total of 22,000 participants. The studies compared e-cigarettes with other nicotine medicines for a period of at least 6 months.
"The evidence is clear and we can now say with high confidence that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can indeed help smokers quit. The evidence also clearly suggests that they are more effective than nicotine medicines. Our review also shows that vejping is significantly less harmful than smoking, at least in the short and medium term." 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 position 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 and cannot be considered safe, a view shared by the Swedish Public Health Agency. Instead, they recommend traditional nicotine medicines sold through various pharmaceutical companies.
"The fact that the WHO chooses to label e-cigarettes as "clearly harmful" risks scaring hesitant smokers away from trying them. But it also casts doubt in the minds of those who vejp to stay smoke-free. In reality, there is a scientific consensus that vejping is significantly 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 and many others continue to advocate approaches based on nicotine medicines. This is pure hypocrisy, when at the same time they propose to ban consumer products that are just as safe, work the same way, but much better" says John Britton to Science Media Center.
Harm reduction part of Swedish strategy
Since 2021, the Swedish Parliament has decided to harm minimization will become part of the Swedish framework to counter the harmful effects of smoking. In 2022, the Social Democratic government therefore appointed a investigation to assess harmfulness and differences between different nicotine products. 2022 voted Swedish Parliament a proposal to ban flavors in e-cigarettes and e-liquid.
