Study by Public Health England Safety Concerns of Vaping

E-cigarettes: an evidence update A report commissioned by Public Health England

About Public Health England Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation's health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health.

The role and impact of electronic cigarettes has been one of the great debates in public health in recent years and we commissioned this independent review of the latest evidence to ensure that practitioners, policy makers and, most importantly of all, the public have the best evidence available. 

Many people think the risks of e-cigarettes are the same as smoking tobacco and this report clarifies the truth of this. In a nutshell, best estimates show e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful to your health than normal cigarettes, and when supported by a smoking cessation service, help most smokers to quit tobacco altogether. We believe this review will prove a valuable resource, explaining the relative risks and benefits of e-cigarettes, in terms of harm reduction when compared with cigarettes and as an aid to quitting. We will continue to monitor the position and will add to the evidence base and guidance going forward. 

Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive, PHE

Types and flavors of e-cigarettes used among adults 

When those who had tried EC in the 2015 ASH survey were asked about which EC they used first, 24% reported a disposable, 41% a rechargeable with replaceable pre-filled cartridges and 28% rechargeable with tank/reservoir filled with liquids (7% didn’t know/couldn’t remember). The different types were in the same order of popularity for first use regardless of smoking status (Figure 3). 

For those still using EC from the same survey, only 5% were now mostly using a disposable, 26% a rechargeable with replaceable pre-filled cartridges and 66% rechargeable with tank/reservoir filled with liquids (2% didn’t know/couldn’t remember). This suggests that a considerable proportion of those who continue to use EC over time switch to the tank models. 

Type of e-cigarettes first used and currently used:

Clearly, Rechargeable with Tank is the most successful at quiting smoking altogether.  If FED regulations take place without HR2058, one can see that the simple vape pen disposable or rechargeable will not work for smokers.  They will simply go back to smoking cigarettes.

This report clearly states that, while the potential negative effects of vaping aren’t completely clear as of this time, they are incredibly comfortable comparing ecigs to analogue cigarettes. In doing so, they see such a huge gap between the potential dangers that ecigs MAY have and the well-documented dangers that tobacco cigarettes DO have. They go as far as recommending that the UK’s National Health Service give out free ecigs as one of their quit smoking aids.

This type of support is simply remarkable and even more so because of the source. Public Health England is an executive agency of the Department of Health in the United Kingdom, which basically means it is an arm of the government there. This isn’t some biased group who if funded by interest groups, this is an agency that is specifically looking out for the best interests of the citizens in the United Kingdom. 

When they recommend giving out free ecigs to help smokers, it isn’t because they want to help the bottom line of electronic cigarette companies. They believe ecigs will work great as quit smoking aids and that every smoker should have them. 

See the full Report - click here

We applaud Public Health England for taking an objective look at all the material out there and keeping the consumer in mind as they stake out their opinions. It is clear through the language they use that their concern is in saving the lives of smokers, not dilly-dallying on the finer points that are still up for debate. The full extent of electronic cigarettes and their impact is still being released, but in the meantime we stand with Public Health England in urging all smokers to take a chance on ecigs so they can see firsthand how lifechanging the switch to vapor can really be.

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