Healthier alternative e-cigarette use could prevent millions of deaths

US researchers predict millions fewer deaths

For many smokers, electronic cigarettes are considered to be a healthier alternative to classic tobacco cigarettes. Experts warn again and again before trivializing the evaporator. Although e-cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco, they are still unhealthy. American scientists have now calculated how many lives could be saved by "steaming". The result: in the US alone, at least 1.6 million premature deaths could be prevented if a large proportion of smokers switched to the evaporator.

Consumers hope for healthier smoking

Since the e-cigarette was launched about ten years ago, the number of consumers has steadily increased. Many smokers insist that "steaming" is less harmful to health, others want to quit smoking and hope that the vaporizers will help stop smoking. Some studies actually show that e-cigarettes can be helpful in quitting. US researchers have now calculated how many lives could be saved by switching from normal "tipping" to vaporizers.
Researchers have modeled how many lives in the US could be saved by switching from normal to electric cigarettes. (Image: Frank Eckgold / fotolia.com)

Researchers model two scenarios

Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center set up a model calculation, depicting an optimistic and a pessimistic scenario, the authors report. David T. Levy in the journal "Tabacco Control" (BMJ Journals). Thus, the former is mainly based on current usage patterns of e-cigarettes and published assessments of harm reduction, while the pessimistic scenario is intended to reflect the "worst case" of health damage from vaping.

Switching to e-cigarette prevents millions of premature deaths

The model calculations of the researchers showed that in the optimistic scenario, the number of consumers of conventional cigarettes within ten years to only five percent. The other smokers had predicted that they would switch to e-cigarettes during this period. As a result, 6.6 million premature deaths and with them the loss of 86.7 million years of life could be prevented, the scientists write. The biggest benefit of switching to a vaporizer would be for young people, who would gain an average of half a year longer lives.

Substitution with e-cigarettes offers great potential

In the pessimistic scenario, the proportion of smokers only dropped to ten percent, and the number of adolescent users of e-cigarettes increased, and the risks of vaping were rated higher. However, even under these conditions, 1.6 million premature deaths were avoided and thus 20.8 million fewer years of life.

"Our analysis shows that a hypothetical substitution of tobacco with e-cigarettes has tremendous potential to prevent premature deaths from smoking and only a relatively small amount of premature deaths from e-cigarettes occur," the researchers said items.

Vaping is not harmless per se

However, the figures of the US researchers are only a theoretical model calculation. Long-term experience on the consequences of steam is missing so far, therefore, can not currently be clearly answered how many people have been saved by e-cigarettes life. The German addiction society - umbrella organization of addiction societies (DSG) has therefore summarized the current state of knowledge in a position paper and derived initial recommendations.

No final assessment possible

Accordingly, e-cigarettes could not be considered harmless per se. Because the inhaled vapor (aerosol), in addition to nicotine also contains carcinogenic and toxic substances such as formaldehyde or acetaldehyde. Non-smokers, and young people in particular, should by no means be tempted to start using nicotine on vaporizers.

On the other hand, the inhaler of e-cigarettes was, according to the experts, much less harmful than tobacco smoke. Who has smoked so far normal cigarettes, could therefore benefit from a change to the electrical alternative. The bottom line, however, does not allow the current data to make a final judgment on the e-cigarette, emphasize the experts from the DSG. (No)