Vapeboss – Based on the eighth independent report published by the UK's Office for Health Improvement and Disparities in 2022, alternative tobacco products such as e-cigarettes or vapes have been proven to have lower health risks than cigarettes in the short and medium term.

The findings in the study were previously under the authority of Public Health England.

"Under the UK Government's Tobacco Control Plan, Public Health England was asked to update its 2015 review of e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery systems annually until 2022. In October 2021, the responsibility for conducting this review was transferred to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities," according to www.gov.uk.

Quoted from the official website www.gov.uk, the report was prepared by academics from King's College London along with several international collaborators. A systematic review of the evidence on the health risks of nicotine-containing e-cigarettes was the main focus of this research. The report referenced data on human exposure to e-cigarettes supplemented with findings from animal and cell studies.

"This report provides the strongest evidence to date on the health risks of e-cigarettes. It also assesses the relative risks of e-cigarettes compared to cigarettes. In addition, it compares the absolute risks of e-cigarettes compared to non-e-cigarettes or non-smokers," it explained.

Based on the results of the review, the research team concluded that e-cigarettes have been shown to pose partially smaller risks compared to the short and medium-term effects of smoking. Exposure to harmful substances from e-cigarettes is significantly lower than from cigarettes as shown by biomarkers related to the risk of cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Nevertheless, e-cigarettes are not entirely risk-free.

"Based on the evidence reviewed, we believe that the estimate of 'at least 95% less risky than cigarettes' remains broadly accurate at least in the short and medium term," it stated.

According to the research team, further studies on long-term effects (beyond 12 months) are greatly needed because current evidence is still limited to only short and medium-term effects.

"More standardized and consistent methodologies for future studies will improve the interpretation of evidence," it said.

The report also stated that adult smokers who find it difficult to quit smoking still choose e-cigarettes as an alternative. According to smoking cessation service referrals from 2020 to 2021, e-cigarettes enabled people to quit smoking with a high success rate of 64.9%, while those who did not use such products only reached 58%.

"Data from smoking cessation services are also consistent with recent evidence from a Cochrane systematic review showing that e-cigarettes are effective as products used to switch from smoking," it said.

In addition, the report also discussed heated tobacco products. Among smokers who wanted to switch from smoking in 2021, 1.6% reported using heated tobacco products to switch from smoking.

Source: Trenasia