May 30, 2014

In what could be a landmark moment for the electronic cigarette industry, 53 prominent health researchers have written to the World Health Organization (WHO) asking its members to “resist the urge to control and suppress e-cigarettes.” In an open letter to WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, this group of scientists from Europe, North America, Asia and Australia argued that e-cigarettes were “part of the solution” in the fight against smoking, not part of the problem.

(I’ll pause for deserved applause.)



Growing Support for Electronic Cigarettes as a Safe Alternative

This overwhelming support for electronic cigarettes is a notable occasion, as it’s the first time our industry has seen a group from the medical field come together to show appreciation of electronic cigarettes when compared to their tobacco cigarette counterparts. Yes, we’ve seen individuals speak out on our industry’s behalf. Sometimes even entire medical teams. But having 53 well-established scientists supporting the same cause – in writing – will undoubtedly add to the legitimacy and strength of our collective mission.



Professor Robert West, director of tobacco studies at University College of London, was one of the leading researchers to support this WHO communication, claiming electronic cigarettes “could be the most significant health innovation of the 21st century … perhaps saving hundreds of millions of lives.”

Finally, someone who understands…

Related: A Billion Lives: The Quest for Truth

How Will the WHO Respond?

The WHO said its position on e-cigarettes will be determined at a key meeting regarding the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), scheduled for Oct. 13-18 in Moscow, at which proposed regulations will be discussed.



This will be an uphill battle, for sure. It is likely the WHO will initially defend its established stance on e-cigarette legislation, which has been to regulate them in the same manner as tobacco products. In the WHO’s eyes, e-cigs are still a new product category, with a lack of long-term scientific evidence to support their safety. This has led the organization to reactively believe e-cigs lead to nicotine addiction and tobacco smoking.



As we know, scientists have said they were unaware of any credible evidence supporting this claim. And, there is also growing belief that treating electronic cigarettes in a similar regulatory fashion to tobacco could actually prolong the use of tobacco cigarettes and related health side-effects.

Related: Do E-Cigs Really Serve as a Gateway to Smoking?

After seeing 53 researchers come together to support fair e-cig legislation, these findings will likely receive more attention, and hopefully the proof needed to end the squabbling.

Will There Be a True Agreement?

Unfortunately, the outspoken nature of the media and e-cig opponents will likely mean we will never reach a truly universal consensus in support of electronic cigarettes over tobacco. But one positive outcome from these ongoing debates is the amount of further research that results from them. As has been well-established on these pages, it will be research and education that advances this industry. If naysayers and detractors are the ones that inadvertently encourage this growth, so be it.

Related: Public Health England’s Evidence-Based Review of E-Cigs

The World Health Organization is facing a very interesting dilemma in the months to come, and we can only hope it continues to remain open-minded and non-reactive to e-cig legislation, just as it has done for a wealth of other health issues over the years. In the meantime, we should consider this a victory for the e-cigarette community. The support of 53 powerful voices is something we didn’t have yesterday, but a factor that could potentially result in a positive shift toward e-cig understanding.