E-cigarettes leave law behind
Doctors worried by nicotine-delivery devices’ evolution
DUBAI // Regulations and the latest advice on e-cigarettes are falling behind as researchers struggle to keep pace with the latest technology used to deliver a nicotine hit, doctors claim.
Experts in cardiovascular disease prevention from the American College of Cardiology were speaking at the launch of a year-long programme to help educate the UAE’s doctors on the latest advice to give patients to help reduce their risk of heart attack and stroke.
Various aspects of prevention will be discussed in three online seminars over the course of the year. Because smoking is a key cause of cardiovascular disease, a factor in about 20 per cent of UAE cases, e- cigarettes are becoming a popular alternative to conventional smoking. Dr Pamela Morris, from the ACC, said e- cigs offer a lower cancer risk than cigarettes, but urged caution in ruling them as a safe alternative.
“We must point out how little science we have on e- cigarettes,” she said. “These devices are evolving so rapidly. Studies were done five to eight years ago on devices that aren’t even in use today. There are completely new ones we know very little about.
“The consumer [ market] is moving faster than the science, so it is hard to give accurate advice.”
The college recently gathered experts from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to look at the latest research from the Food and Drug Administration on e-cigarettes.
Although the devices are not banned, they are tightly regulated by the US government.
“Experts pointed out there is far less harm from a nicotine-delivery device, as there are not the same combustibles as regular cigarettes,” Dr Morris said.
“Half the panel claimed e-cigarettes are a ‘less-harm strategy’, the others said we should ban nicotine and tobacco-delivery products altogether.”
The ACC is compiling a consensus group to prepare a full list of recommendations and guidelines on e-cigarettes, to be released later this year.
The college is working alongside the Emirates Cardiac Society to train doctors in online seminars in treating high-risk cardiovascular disease patients as part of the 2021 vision to halve rates of the disease within five years.
“We would like to be in a position to prevent the disease, rather than treat it,” said Dr Juwaira Yousif Tahir Alali, from the ECS.
“There is an ongoing survey in Abu Dhabi tracking patient information and risk factors, so that will be translated to offer the best advice.
“We have smoking-cessation programmes in the UAE with nicotine patches, but not e-cigarettes.
“Vapours are still getting some of the harm of nicotine, so I don’t see the current advice changing soon.”
In the UAE, it is illegal only to import or sell e-cigarettes.