Bangkok – The Department of Disease Control has warned the public about the dangers of electronic cigarettes, saying they are by no means a tool to help stop smoking.

In a seminar on the facts about e-cigars, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, Dr Kachornsak Kaewchamras revealed 3.3 percent of teen smokers aged between 13 and 15 were found to be smoking e-cigars as they were under the impression that e-cigars were safe, according to a survey in 2015.

Dr Kachornsak explained that the liquid used in e-cigarettes contains nicotine. The vapor they produce is addictive and poses the risk of lung cancer or esophageal cancer and other health problems.

He disclosed that the World Health Organization had announced e-cigars were not a tool for withdrawal from cigarettes, as no regulatory bodies had confirmed their safety. The WHO Country Office in Thailand has issued a statement warning about the dangers of e-cigars for smokers and persons close to them, with pregnant women and children the most susceptible to passive smoking.

Dr Kachornsak suggested that those planning to quit smoking call Thailand National Quitline at 1600 or consult tobacco withdrawal clinics at hospitals supervised by the Ministry of Public Health across the country.