A new study has revealed that although long-term health effects of e-cigarette use are unknown, they are less harmful to users or bystanders than conventional cigarettes.
The study carried out by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) concluded that despite gaps in the knowledge which require further research, the current evidence about e-cigarettes does not justify regulating them more strictly than, or even as strictly as, conventional cigarettes.
Peter Hajek said that the evidence they currently have is clear: e-cigarettes should be allowed to compete against conventional cigarettes in the marketplace. Health care 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.
The study was published in the scientific journal Addiction.
