WHO says e-cigarettes ‘undoubtedly harmful’

RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) — Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are “undoubtedly harmful” and should be regulated, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, as it warned against the use of vaping products by smokers trying to quit their deadly habit.

The growing popularity of e-cigarettes — battery-powered devices that enable users to inhale addictive nicotine liquids — has raised fears among policymakers worldwide of a new gateway addiction for young people.

While vaping exposes users to lower levels of toxins than smoking, the WHO said the devices still pose “health risks” to users.

“Although the specific level of risk associated with ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery systems) has not yet been conclusively estimated, ENDS are undoubtedly harmful and should therefore be subject to regulation,” the WHO said in a new report on the global smoking epidemic.

It aded that there was also “insufficient evidence” to support claims of their effectiveness in assisting smokers trying to quit conventional cigarettes.

“In most countries where they are available, the majority of e-cigarette users continue to use e-cigarettes and cigarettes concurrently, which has little to no beneficial impact on health risk and effects,” the report said.

Big tobacco companies have been aggressively marketing e-cigarette and heated tobacco products in recent years as they seek new customers.

They argue such products are far less dangerous than traditional cigarettes and can help some smokers completely switch to “safer” alternatives.