Conclusions of EU's scientists and others on whether e-cigarettes help smokers quit

The Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada has an excellent compilation and analysis of the evidence on e-cigarettes. Full blog article here: Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada: Conclusions from the EU's scientists and others on...

This week the European Union's scientific advisers issued their "Final Opinion on Electronic Cigarettes". This report strengthens concerns about the risks associated with e-cigarette use, while failing to find more than weak evidence that they help smokers quit. 

• evidence supporting e-cigarettes as an effective smoking cessation device was "weak". 
• evidence that second-hand exposure to e-cigarette vapour posed risks was "weak to moderate".
• evidence that e-cigarettes helped smokers cut down on the amount smoked was "weak to moderate".
• evidence that e-cigarettes could cause cancer in the respiratory tract was "weak to moderate".
• evidence that e-cigarettes posed risks for coronary disease was "moderate".
• evidence that e-cigarettes were a gateway to smoking for young people was "moderate"
• evidence that e-cigarettes with nicotine were addictive was "strong"
• evidence that flavours in these products contribute to initiation was "strong".

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada: Tobacco 21 - More evidence on the benefits of a hi...

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada: Tobacco 21 - More evidence on the benefits of a hi...

Click the link above for the full blog article by the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada.

The following is only an excerpt: 

Tobacco 21 laws help protect young people from nicotine addiction

Almost all people who use tobacco products start doing so as teenagers or as young adults. (A recent study by Statistics Canada found "for both men and women, the age at which they started smoking remained virtually unchanged over the past 80 years", with the "the peak age of initiation was 15 to 17 for women and 16 for men".

Measures which help protect youth and young adults from experimenting with and becoming addicted to tobacco will have long-term benefits for those individuals and for the community. 

Laws which set the minimum legal age for the sale of cigarettes at 21 help protect young people by raising barriers to their accessing tobacco:

• They establish a new social and legal norm
• They reduce the ability of younger teenagers to buy from their peer-group, creating a longer age buffer between those who are legally able to purchase and high-school students. 
• They support policy change by post-secondary education institutions and employers. 

Even those for whom Tobacco 21 laws will only defer the age of initiation can benefit:

• Those who start smoking at a younger age are more likely to find it difficult to quit.
• Nicotine use is harmful to the developing brains of young people.