Electronic cigarettes are not the harmless devices their
manufacturers would have you believe and are “potentially carcinogenic”
according to a French consumer advocacy group, who say that some are
even as harmful as normal tobacco.
The report, published by monthly magazine 60 Millions Consommateurs
(60 Million Consumers), details the findings of the National Consumers’
Institute who utilised a new and intelligent method to analyse 10
separate reusable and disposable e-cigarette models.
Their analysis follows the French
government unveiling plans back in May this year to prohibit electronic
cigarettes from public places in France, which may cause some degree of
upset to the estimated one million smokers of the devices in the
country.
According to the National Consumers’ Institute, the tests
showed that three out of 10 e-cigarettes contained a similar quantity of
formaldehyde as regular cigarettes, in addition to other hazardous
chemicals such as acrolein, chrome, nickel and propylene glycol – which
can cause various respiratory and immune deficiency problems.
Thomas Laurenceau, editor of the National Consumer Insitute magazine,
wrote: “We detected a significant quantity of carcinogenic molecules in
the vapour of these cigarettes which have thus far gone undetected. In
three models out of ten the levels of the carcinogenic compound
formaldehyde come close to those of a conventional cigarette. The highly
toxic molecule acrolein was also detected in the vapours of
e-cigarettes, sometimes at levels even higher than in traditional
cigarettes.”
However, the report was also scathing in its assessment of certain
models not having safety caps as the nicotine levels within the liquid
of an electronic cigarette may prove lethal if ingested by children.
Mr Laurenceau continued: “It’s not a reason to ban them, but a good reason to control them.”
Just five months ago during an interview with a radio station, French
health expert Professor Bertrand Dauzenberg spoke of his belief that
e-cigarettes were counter-productive and having the opposite affect that
they were meant for, commenting: “These electronic cigarettes could
also lead children to start smoking and sale should be banned to minors.
However for heavy smokers, I believe these will reduce the health
risks, but the best way to quit smoking is the patch or chewing gum.”
The furore in France follows similar apprehensions regarding the
safety of e-cigarettes in the UK, following the announcement in June
that from 2016 The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency
(MHRA) will regulate e-cigarettes as medicines when new European-wide
tobacco laws are due to be introduced.
This means electronic cigarette manufacturers will face much stricter
regulations than previously, being forced to adhere to strict safety
standards or risk a ban on the sale of their products. Part of the
concern is that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can be highly
addictive and can lead to heart problems.
Perhaps quitting smoking,
and not just reverting to e-cigarettes, is the recommended path to take
for smokers. It is clear that many e-cigarettes and all regular
cigarettes can cause a varying degree of health problems. Fortunately,
Medical Specialists Pharmacy is able to help you quit smoking with the
aid of the smoking cessation medication Champix,
which mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to
smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the
enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on
the treatment.
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