Have you heard about electronic cigarettes? Apparently they’re healthier than normal cigarettes.
I was intrigued to read the BBC story which reported the managing director of the Electronic Cigarette Company as saying; "They are certainly healthier than smoking cigarettes. Tests have been done on mice and in the lab and they have shown they are not harmful.”
E-cigarettes or electronic smoking devices typically contain liquid nicotine that is vapourised from a heated device powered by a battery. There is no actual smoke, and the electronic smoker inhales a fine heated mist
Doctors are being asked about e-smoking and I wondered what the evidence was for the safety and effectiveness of the claims being made.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) advise that contrary to the marketing claims made for electronic cigarettes they are not a proven smoking cessation treatment. The WHO state they have no scientific evidence of the product’s safety or efficacy.
What’s the bottom line?
I think the best we can say is “If you're a mouse then this is great news. These devices have been tested on your friends. If you are human, then these are untested devices, and if something sounds too good to be true, then it usually is."