ISLAMABAD: Experts suggested that the e-cigarettes are effective in helping people to stop smoking, as they are less harmful as compared to cigarette smoke.

Experts told Business Recorder that the scientific research indicated that the chemical composition of vape aerosol is significantly less harmful. A comprehensive review conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States concluded that e-cigarette use is likely to be significantly less harmful compared to smoking.

The study found substantially lower levels of toxicants and carcinogens in e-cigarette aerosol compared to cigarette smoke.

The Royal College of Physicians also agrees that while it may not possible to precisely quantify the long-term health risks associated with e-cigarettes, the available data suggest that they are unlikely to exceed 5% of those associated with smoked tobacco products, and may well be substantially lower than this figure, concluding that e-cigarettes are effective in helping people to stop smoking.

It is crucial to separate fact from fiction when it comes to reduced risk products. Continued research and public education are necessary to promote a balanced understanding of these alternatives and their potential benefits in tobacco harm reduction strategies, experts maintained.

Recently, potentially reduced-risk alternatives such as oral nicotine pouches, and other options have gained popularity as alternatives to combustible tobacco products. However, these products have been subjected to numerous myths and misinformation, often suggesting that they are just as harmful as their conventional counterparts which is why it’s important to clear the misconceptions.

However, concerns have been raised that potentially reduced-risk alternatives may act as a gateway to smoking, particularly among young people. However, research suggests that subsequent cigarette use is weak. Studies indicate that potentially reduced-risk products may actually serve as a gateway away from smoking by providing existing smokers with a potentially less harmful alternative.

There is a common misconception that oral nicotine products, such as snus and oral nicotine pouches, increase the risk of serious harm.

However, scientific evidence suggests otherwise. Several comprehensive studies have examined the association between oral nicotine products and problems related to oral health, and the results have been reassuring.

Epidemiologic studies show that the use of oral products is associated with a very low risk of harm related to the oral cavity and related structures, they added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023