E-Cigarettes: A Perspective for the Primary Care Physician
E-Cigarettes: A Perspective for the Primary Care Physician
Research has indicated that the use of e-cigarettes helps in reducing the numbers of cigarettes smoked and that they may be as effective as the nicotine patch for smoking cessation. Continued health risks persist for dual users. e-Cigarettes are not approved by the FDA; however, regulation is pending to include information on labeling and to discourage the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. More research is needed to evaluate whether e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking. It will be many years before large longitudinal trials are available to establish the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation and harm reduction. In the meantime, physicians must remember that it is the burning smoke in cigarettes that imparts the major health risk, not e-cigarettes.
Conclusions
Research has indicated that the use of e-cigarettes helps in reducing the numbers of cigarettes smoked and that they may be as effective as the nicotine patch for smoking cessation. Continued health risks persist for dual users. e-Cigarettes are not approved by the FDA; however, regulation is pending to include information on labeling and to discourage the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. More research is needed to evaluate whether e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking. It will be many years before large longitudinal trials are available to establish the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation and harm reduction. In the meantime, physicians must remember that it is the burning smoke in cigarettes that imparts the major health risk, not e-cigarettes.
Source...