Switching to electronic cigarette from regular cigarettes is a safer alternative and can significantly improve one’s health.

Abu Dhabi — Here’s some good news for those who are finding it difficult to kick the habit. Electronic cigarettes may be safer than regular cigarettes. Results of the largest survey on e-cigarettes — conducted by Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos, principal investigator and researcher from Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre in Athens, and his associates — has revealed that switching to an electronic cigarette from tobacco will significantly improve one’s health, including those with chronic diseases.

The survey, which involved 19,441 participants (19,353 were smokers) from all over the world, was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in April 2014.

“We found significant health benefits associated with switching from regular cigarette to e-cigarette, which were characteristically more prominent in those who had completely quit smoking compared to those who only reduced smoking,” said Dr Farsalinos, who is also a cardiologist.

The study showed that more than half of the participants reported better breathing, improvement in olfactory and gustatory senses, endurance and physical status in general after initiation of e-cigarette use. More than one-third reported better quality of sleep, while smaller proportions mentioned improvements in mood, appetite and sexual performance.

Those suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, thyroid disease, coronary artery disease (CAD), asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also reported significant improvements after switching to e-cigarette. The highest proportion reporting improvements were participants with COPD (75.7 per cent) where more than one-third reported reduction in dosage/number or complete cessation of medications.

Less harmful, more popular

“There is no doubt that e-cigarettes are by far less harmful than the regular tobacco cigarettes. We have enough evidence from scientific studies to support this, we just need more years to accurately quantify how much the risk is reduced,” Dr Farsalinos told Khaleej Times.

Speaking ahead of the 16th edition of the World Conference on Tobacco or Health (WCTOH), which will be held in Abu Dhabi on March 17-21, Dr Farsalinos said that based on current evidence “we can estimate that the risk of e-cigarette use is between 1 and 5 per cent (1/100th to 1/20th) of tobacco smoking.”

On the addiction factor, he said: “One of the main reasons for the success of e-cigarettes is that they provide nicotine to the users. Smokers are already addicted to nicotine, so nothing changes when they switch to e-cigarettes. It is important to mention that nicotine has minimal adverse health effects.”

“In fact, smoking-related diseases and deaths are caused by the combustion products that smokers inhale, not from nicotine. E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco and there is no combustion. Considering that it is extremely hard to quit smoking, even with the use of approved medications, e-cigarettes are a golden opportunity to reduce smoking-associated diseases by using them as tobacco substitutes,” he pointed out.

According to Dr Farsalinos e-cigarette is popular among the age group of 25-45. “This is expected, because it is a technology product … and this age group is more acquainted and attracted to technology products.”

Citing international data, he said there are more than seven million e-cigarette users in the European Union in 2013, three million in the UK and about 15-20 million Americans, three to four million of whom have quit smoking by using e-cigarette.

The success rate of those who quit smoking after use of e-cigarette is currently estimated at about 10-30 per cent with many more significantly reducing their cigarette consumption. But Dr Farsalinos believed that actual rate can be higher.

He said misinformation and misrepresentation of e-cigarettes is currently the biggest obstacle in getting smokers to switch. “Smokers are so much confused by hearing misleading information about the risks of e-cigarettes (which is either completely false or is presented in a biased way and without comparing them with the devastating effects of regular tobacco smoking), that they are discouraged from using e-cigarettes. As a result, they continue to smoke.

“It is unfortunate that more than 1/3rd of smokers currently believe that e-cigarettes are equally or more harmful than smoking. This is completely wrong and I should emphasise that providing proper and reliable information is the obligation of every scientist… so that smokers can make informed decisions,” he stressed, adding that there is a large variability of e-cigarette devices with different characteristics that would suit individual needs of smokers.

Side effects

Compared to its benefits, side effects associated with e-cigarette use were mild and temporary, said Dr Farsalinos. The most commonly reported symptom was sore or dry mouth, while only a small number reported gum problems and cough, according to the 2014 survey.

At the five-day scientific conference, latest developments in tobacco control and global efforts to reduce tobacco use in all its forms will be presented by experts. On the fourth day of the conference, Dr Farsalinos will present the different e-cigarette devices and the way early adopters are using this technology.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com