Health & Medicine

Scientists Believe E-Cigars Aren't That Bad for the Health

Johnson Denise
First Posted: Apr 30, 2016 05:40 AM EDT

The controversy about the use of electronic cigarette has once again sparked after the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) released a statement saying that the people of the United Kingdom is likely to benefit from using it.

Members of the States have made a decision to stop the sale of e-cigarettes to Islanders under the age of 18 before listening to the evidence by the Royal College of Physicians, the head of the Primary Care Body has said. According to the study about 'Nicotine without smoke: tobacco harm reduction', smokers should be encouraged to use e-cigars as an alternative for tobacco. It was also mentioned that electronic cigarettes are safer than smoking. These findings have been openly welcomed by health groups and charities, webmd.com reported.

It was also reported by jerseyeveningpost.com that there is a possibility that the device may cause some long-term harm because of the inhalation of other ingredients other than nicotine. However, the extent of harm the device can cause was also found to be substantially smaller than the harm smoking would do to the person's body. While there is a need for "sensible" regulation of the devices, regulation should not significantly inhibit the development and use of the products, the authors of the study said.

Whether e-cigarettes are less harmful than conventional cigarettes is no longer a big debate among health professionals. "The consequences of smoking combustible cigarettes are so dire that virtually any way to quit is preferable to continuing to smoke. That certainly includes the use of e-cigarettes as a substitute," Dr. Steven Schroeder, a professor of health and healthcare and the director of the Smoking Cessation Leadership Center at the University of California, San Francisco, told Healthline in an email.

E-cigarettes are often touted as a good way to quit smoking, but do they work? "To date the evidence is mixed," said Schroeder, "but it is likely that some smokers are able to quit using e-cigarettes." With that said, some health experts still think that e-cigarettes can be a bit beneficial for people who smoke that the traditional cigarettes.

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