A recent landmark report has been issued by the RCP which endorses e-cigarettes as a lesser of two evils when compared with traditional tobacco cigarettes. The RCP had reported that large scale substitution of e-cigarettes, or other forms of non-tobacco based nicotine products, that are used for smoking has the potential to prevent a significant amount of harm smoking inflicts upon the general public.
The RCP had also stated that the promotion of e-cigarettes and other non-tobacco based nicotine products in order to combat traditional tobacco smoking is likely to generate significant health gains in the UK.
Unlike in the United States of America, health officials have the tendency to opine the use of vaporizers and other forms of e-cigs with weariness rather than an optimistic outlook as a means of combating health issues relating to smoking. RCP’s report also addressed the concerns alerted by many critics of the vaping world.
Vaping vs Smoking
The reporting notes from RCP had stated that e-cigarette vapor contains a significantly less range of toxins and those which are present are usually at much lower levels compared to tobacco smoke. Under normal conditions of smoking, the toxin levels attached to inhaled e-cigarette vapour are most likely very much below the prescribed threshold limit values that are attached with occupational exposure. In such case, the relevance of any significant long-term damage is very unlikely. Minimal amounts of damage from sustained exposure to the low levels of toxins associated through use over many years are yet to be revealed, however the magnitude of these risks relative to those of traditional tobacco smoking is predicted to be minor. Although there is a near impossibility to measure and analyze the long term health risks associated with e-cigarettes (due to the very recent discovery and use of e-cigarettes), existing data that has been made available suggest that e-cigarettes have are highly improbable to surpass the 5% mark when compared to people who smoke traditional tobacco items (i.e. your conventional cigarette), and are predicted to be significantly below this figure.
In correlation to the above statements made, the Public Health England issued a report in 2015 which stated that it estimates e-cigarettes to be approximately 95% safer when compared to traditional tobacco cigarette smoking. Taking into consideration the significant difference in the risk between both conventional smoking and e-cigarettes, it has been argued that government officials alongside other authorities in the medical field are rather irresponsible for their attempts to sway smokers and other persons away from vaping.
The RCP advocated that the appreciation of safety regulations has the possibility to extend reduction of the possible harmful effects imposed by the use of e-cigarettes. However, warnings have been made in the case where regulations which allow e-cigarettes to be not as easily accessible, not as palatable (in flavor or in appearance) or acceptable (through media propaganda), more expensive, and not as consumer friendly (potentially being not as effective), or where there is an inhibition of creativity and the development of breaking new technology/products, there is a fear of the end result causing harm through perpetual smoking.
Are E-Cigarettes a Diversion Away from Smoking?
It is a relatively renowned fact that smokers who use nicotine products (not cigarettes) as a means of reducing smoking habits are more inclined to make any attempts to quit smoking entirely. This position is very similar to smokers using other types of nicotine products which include nicotine patches or nicotine gums to cut down their usage of nicotine. In England however, the RCP made note that the use of e-cigarettes has seen a vast incline when compared to the use of nicotine replacement therapy both of which work as an alternate option to conventional smoking.
Although evidence thus far has been limited due to the very recent introduction of e-cigarettes into the market, there is a suggestion that e-cigarettes have been proven to be as effective, if not more, than other nicotine replacement therapy products in aiding tobacco smokers to call the quits.
The National Health Service’s (NHS) Stop Smoking Services (SSSs) has saw a recent start to a program to assist smokers in attempting to quit through the use of e-cigarettes. The early results based on the program have been reassuring. “The average quit rate in all smokers using SSSs was around 51%, and among e-cigarette users it was 66%,” the RCP reports. “Although factors other than the product itself are likely to be involved in this difference, the finding is certainly consistent with high efficiency as a cessation therapy.”
Data derived from studies based in England has indicated that daily e-cigarette smokers are almost twice as probable to attempt to quit smoking or in other cases, to reduce smoking habits, compared to those who aren’t e-cigarette smokers. Despite no concrete evidence showing that the use of e-cigarettes equated to the success for quitting smoking entirely more probable, the results from independent clinic trials carried by the Smoking ToolKit Study indicated that the use of e-cigarettes is closely associated with a relative increase in chances for quitting successfully.