Stop scaremongering about e-cigarettes

摘要

Pity the poor smoker, trying to do the right thing and quit smoking with the aid of an electronic cigarette, and facing criticism for doing so. Conflicting reports in the media have led to many people viewing e-cigarettes with fear and confusion, and assuming that they have detrimental effects on health. Running the Leicester Stop Smoking Service, operated by Leicester City Council, I spend a lot of time undoing these preconceptions. In reality, the risks are likely to be at least 95% lower than smoking - a view widely held by experts and recently affirmed by an expert review of evidence for Public Health England (PHE). However, it did not take long before several groups questioned the validity of this evidence with the aim of deterring smokers from trying these products, an approach forcefully rejected by some experts.