NEWS
E-cigarettes around 95%
less harmful than tobacco
estimates landmark review
Key findings of the review include:
• the current best estimate is that
e-cigarettes are around 95% less
harmful than smoking
• nearly half the population (44.8%)
don’t realise e-cigarettes are much
less harmful than smoking
• there is no evidence so far that
e-cigarettes are acting as a route
into smoking for children or
non-smokers
The review, commissioned by PHE
and led by Professor Ann McNeill
(King’s College London) and Professor
Peter Hajek (Queen Mary University
of London), suggests that e-cigarettes
may be contributing to falling smoking
rates among adults and young people.
Following the review PHE has published
a paper on the implications of the
evidence for policy and practice.
The comprehensive review of the
evidence finds that almost all of the 2.6
million adults using e-cigarettes in Great
Britain are current or ex-smokers, most
of whom are using the devices to help
them quit smoking or to prevent them
going back to cigarettes.
It also provides reassurance that very
few adults and young people who have
never smoked are becoming regular
e-cigarette users (less than 1% in each
group).
However, the review raises concerns
that increasing numbers of people think
e-cigarettes are equally or more harmful
than smoking (22.1% in 2015, up from
8.1% in 2013: ASH Smokefree GB
survey) or don’t know (22.7% in 2015,
ASH Smokefree GB survey).
Despite this trend all current evidence
finds that e-cigarettes carry a fraction of
the risk of smoking.
Emerging evidence suggests some of
the highest successful quit rates are
now seen among smokers who use an
e-cigarette and also receive additional
support from their local stop smoking
services.
Professor Kevin Fenton, Director of
Health and Wellbeing at Public Health
16 WINTER EDITION VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE
An expert independent evidence review published by
Public Health England (PHE) concludes that e-cigarettes
are significantly less harmful to health than tobacco and
have the potential to help smokers quit smoking.
England said:
“Smoking remains England’s number
one killer and the best thing a smoker
can do is to quit completely, now and
forever.
“E-cigarettes are not completely risk
free but when compared to smoking,
evidence shows they carry just a fraction
of the harm. The problem is people
increasingly think they are at least as
harmful and this may be keeping millions
of smokers from quitting. Local stop
smoking services should look to support
e-cigarette users in their journey to
quitting completely.”
Professor Ann McNeill, King’s College
London and independent author of the
review, said: “There is no evidence
that e-cigarettes are undermining
England’s falling smoking rates. Instead
the evidence consistently finds that
e-cigarettes are another tool for stopping
smoking and in my view smokers should
try vaping and vapers should stop
smoking entirely.
“E-cigarettes could be a game changer
in public health in particular by reducing
the enormous health inequalities caused
by smoking.”
Professor Peter Hajek, Queen Mary
University London and independent
author of the review said: “My reading of
the evidence is that smokers who switch
to vaping remove almost all the risks
smoking poses to their health. Smokers
differ in their needs and I would advise
them not to give up on e-cigarettes if
they do not like the first one they try. It
may take some experimentation with
different products and e-liquids to find
the right one.”
Professor Linda Bauld, Cancer Research
UK’s expert in cancer prevention, said:
“Fears that e-cigarettes have made
smoking seem normal again or even led
to people taking up tobacco smoking
are not so far being realised based on
the evidence assessed by this important
independent review. In fact, the overall
evidence points to e-cigarettes actually
helping people to give up smoking
tobacco.
“Free Stop Smoking Services remain the
most effective way for people to quit but
we recognise the potential benefits for
e-cigarettes in helping large numbers of
people move away from tobacco.
“Cancer Research UK is funding more
research to deal with the unanswered
questions around these products
including the longer-term impact.”
Lisa Surtees, acting director at Fresh
Smoke Free North East, the first region
where all local stop smoking services are
actively promoted as e-cigarette friendly,
said: “Despite making great strides to
reduce smoking, tobacco is still our
biggest killer. Our region has always kept
an open mind towards using electronic
cigarettes as we can see the massive
potential health benefits from switching.
“All of our local NHS Stop Smoking
Services now proactively welcome
anyone who wants to use these devices
as part of their quit attempt and increase
their chance of success.”