E-cigarette benefits ‘greater than potential for harm’

A new study has cast light on the potential benefits that e-cigarettes can provide when compared to conventional cigarettes.

The major scientific review of available research on the use, content, and safety of e-cigarettes from the Queen Mary University of London has concluded that e-cigarettes are likely to be much less harmful to users or bystanders, though knowledge of their long-term health impact remains incomplete.

It was also concluded that despite these gaps in scientific knowledge – which require further research – current evidence about e-cigarettes does not justify regulating them more strictly than, or even as strictly as, conventional cigarettes.

As such, future regulatory decisions will need to be proportional, based on evidence and incorporate rational appraisal of likely risks and benefits if they are to serve public health effectively.

Professor Peter Hajek of Queen Mary University of London said: "Healthcare professionals may advise smokers who are unwilling to cease nicotine use to switch to e-cigarettes. Smokers who have not managed to stop with current treatments may also benefit from switching to e-cigarettes."

In the UK, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency is responsible for regulating the sale of e-cigarettes, but there remains a lack of established guidelines on where and when they can be sold appropriately.