E-cigarettes might make for a healthier alternative to smoking after all, according to the results of a first-of-its-kind long-term study. Researchers compared the intake of potentially harmful chemicals in e-cigarette users to that of people using nicotine patches and combustible (regular) cigarettes. Their findings suggest that the switch to e-cigarettes significantly reduced the subjects’ carcinogenic chemicals, while their nicotine intake level stayed the same. Levels of potentially harmful chemical intake was also low in nicotine patch users. Using e-cigarettes or nicotine patches while continuing to smoke combustible cigarettes does not seem to offer the same benefit. These results suggest that e-cigarettes and nicotine patches act as a healthier smoking cessation; although researchers note that individuals must stop smoking completely to get the full health benefits.
Authors:
Lion Shahab, Maciej L. Goniewicz, Benjamin C. Blount, Jamie Brown, Ann McNeill, K. Udeni Alwis, June Feng, Lanqing Wang, Robert West
Corresponding author:
Lion Shahab, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, Email: lion.shahab@ucl.ac.uk
Original paper published in Annals of Internal Medicine on February 7, 2017.
