UK Study Finds E-Cigarettes Reduce Smoking Risks

The New York Times (8/20, Meier, Subscription Publication) continues coverage of Public Health England’s study which concluded “that the use of electronic cigarettes can reduce the health risks of smoking by 95 percent and may also help smokers quit the habit,” although it said the products were not risk-free. Additionally, the Times notes that the study also “found little evidence that consumers who had never smoked before were adopting e-cigarettes in large numbers,” despite concerns that e-cigarettes could act as a “gateway” to smoking. Public Health England also said any British regulations on e-cigarettes should underscore the health benefits to the public.

        BBC News (8/20) quotes Prof. Kevin Fenton, Public Health England’s director of health and well-being, as saying, “E-cigarettes are not completely risk-free but when compared to smoking, evidence shows they carry just a fraction of the harm. The problem is people increasingly think they are at least as harmful and this may be keeping millions of smokers from quitting.”