Many people have already saved their lives by e-cigarette?

Opportunities and risks of e-cigarettes
Because long-term experience is still lacking, a medical evaluation of the consumption of e-cigarettes is difficult so far. In a position paper, the German addiction society - umbrella organization of addiction societies (DSG) summarized the current state of knowledge on this and derived initial recommendations.

There have been many contradictory statements about the impact of e-cigarettes on the consumption of regular cigarettes. British researchers are once again campaigning for the e-cigarette. The scientists found in an investigation that more and more people use e-cigarettes. Over the same period, more and more users of regular cigarettes stopped smoking. (Image: Frank Eckgold / fotolia.com)

E-cigarettes can not be considered harmless per se. Thus, e.g. the aerosol, the inhaled vapor, in addition to nicotine also carcinogenic and toxic substances such as formaldehyde or acetaldehyde. Non-smokers - especially young people - should therefore under no circumstances be encouraged to start smoking cigarettes via e-cigarettes. All regulations on the protection of young and non-smokers for traditional tobacco products should therefore be fully applicable to e-cigarettes. This also includes advertising bans, the smoking ban in public buildings and possible price increases.

On the other hand, e-cigarette inhalants are significantly less harmful than tobacco smoke: different estimates by various experts attributed the aerosol's toxicity to toxins nine to 450 times lower than that of traditional cigarettes. Studies have shown that smokers who completely switch to steam show significantly better blood pressure and respiratory performance after one year. Also, the lung function of asthmatics is improving according to initial studies, the change. However, data on longer-term health effects are still missing.

As the experts of the DSG emphasize, the actual goal formulated in all guidelines, however, is not the switch to "steaming", but the complete refusal to smoke. The e-cigarette could build a bridge to the smoke exit. Because some studies argue that vaping can facilitate the transition to abstinence. Because other studies contradict this, the topic is currently being discussed very controversially.

The current data does not allow to make a final decision for or against the e-cigarette, the experts said.

Source: fzm, Stuttgart.
Study: T. Rüther et al .: Position paper: Addiction medicine and health policy opportunities and risks from the use of e-cigarettes. Addiction therapy 2017; 18 (3); Pp. 120-123