Regulators shouldn’t disfavor e-cigarettes

Strict regulation of electronic cigarettes isn’t warranted based on current evidence, according to a HealthDay News story quoting a new study.

On the contrary, allowing electronic cigarettes to compete with regular cigarettes might cut tobacco-related deaths and illness, the researchers concluded after reviewing 81 prior studies on the use and safety of the nicotine-emitting devices.

“Current evidence suggests that there is a potential for smokers to reduce their health risks if electronic cigarettes are used in place of tobacco cigarettes and are considered a step toward ending all tobacco and nicotine use,” said study researcher Thomas Eissenberg, co-director of the Center for the Study of Tobacco Products at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.

Although the long-term risks of using electronic cigarettes remained unknown, the new study concluded that the benefits of using these devices as a no-smoking aid outweighed potential harms.

The study, partly funded by the US National Institutes of Health, was published on July 30 in the journal Addiction.