Are E-Cigarettes Good Smoking Cessation Products? Depends on Who You Ask.
[Posted on: Thursday, September 15, 2016] FDA has decided that e-cigarettes should be treated the same way as conventional cigarettes but in the medical community there are strong opinions regarding whether these products should be promoted for smoking cessation or discouraged for their potential to promote smoking. It has long been argued that electronic cigarettes are less harmful due to lack of tar, smoke and chemicals found in tobacco products. An e-cigarette basically is an inhaled version of nicotine that creates similar sensation to smoking but does not contain any of the obvious dangers of conventional smoke. So they have been traditionally promoted as healthier alternatives to tobacco smoking. A counter argument made by opponents of e-cigarettes, including the FDA, is that an e-cigarette use could lead to conventional tobacco use for users looking for a bigger hit. It has also been argued that absent formal controlled trials, there is a lack of evidence of the smoking cessation capability of e-cigarettes. In two articles published in this week’s Annals of Family Medicine, authors make the counter arguments on both sides. The arguments also present a cultural shift between US and European communities regarding e-cigarettes. The in-favor article, from a author from the UK, presents several arguments why doctors should encourage their smoking patients to try e-cigarettes such as general appeal too smokers for e-cigarettes over other smoking cessation products such as gums and patches; lack of known harmful ingredients found in tobacco products; data from multiple studies showing e-cigarettes being useful to help people quit smoking; and lack of evidence of harmful effects of consuming nicotine over long periods of time. The counter argument presented by authors from North Carolina uses the lack of clinical evidence in smoking cessation, lack of evidence that there is no harm from e-cigarette use, and lack of support by FDA to insist that e-cigarettes should not be promoted by physicians. FDA has taken a strong line to controlling e-cigarettes, much unlike practically all other regulators in the World who have taken a measured approach to e-cigarettes. No country other than the US regulates e-cigarettes like other tobacco products. The arguments made against e-cigarette uses are based on weak science, over conservative approach, and non-collaborative attitude. While one can argue that few controlled studies exist to support smoking cessation properties of e-cigarettes but similarly, there is lack of evidence of harmful effects of e-cigarettes. However, till someone creates a smoking cessation product based on e-cigarettes, this discussion is not going to be over.
|
|