Studies on the health effects of e-cigarettes continue apace and the emerging pattern is good news for vapers and the e-cigarette industry as a whole. Previous studies have shown that the dangerous chemicals found in tobacco smoke are not present in e-cigarette vapour, yet many people still argue that the safety of vaping is still unknown. Yet more and more studies are proving that, in the short-term at least, vaping is not just safer than smoking, but it is many, many times safer.
Whether the future legality of personal vaping devices will reflect these positive results is another matter entirely, as bans continue to increase in some places such as several cities around the United States, while a few other governments around the world seek other legislation to restrict their use.
Latest Study Proves E-Cigarettes Are Safer Alternative to Smoking
The latest study, published in the journal Addiction at the end of July this year, was conducted by the Center for the Study of Tobacco Products (CSTP), which is based at the Virginia Commonwealth University. Researchers there examined the health risks posed by electronic cigarettes and discovered nothing to contradict previous studies which also proved e-cigarettes to be a healthier alternative to tobacco smoking. In fact, the results of this latest study not only do not contradict previous studies but also add more and more weight to the argument that vaping on e-cigarettes is without a doubt many, many times safer than smoking tobacco products.
E-Cigarettes Reduce Health Risks
The co-director of the CSTB, Thomas Eissenberg, revealed after the study that “current evidence suggests that there is a potential for smokers to reduce their health risks if electronic cigarettes are used in place of tobacco cigarettes.” Again, this study reaffirms what e-cigarette supporters have been saying all along. “[E-cigarettes] are considered a step toward ending all tobacco and nicotine use.” Eissenberg continued. That is quite the statement when you consider this study was carried out in the heart of tobacco country that is Richmond, Virginia. Quite what the reaction to it of the board of directors of Philip Morris USA was is unknown at this time. However, it’s difficult to imagine them being overly enthusiastic about such a study happening in their own backyard.
Tobacco Giants Attempt to Cash In
To be fair, all the world’s tobacco giants are hardly fools and have been aware of the potential damage personal vaporisers such as the eGo 650 e-cigarette could do to their multi-billion pound tobacco industry for some time. Many of the big tobacco companies have even started buying up independent e-cigarette manufacturers and have started producing their own variety of e-cigs in an attempt to cash in on all the smokers and ex-smokers who are using e-cigarettes as a stepping stone to quitting altogether.
Long-Term Effects of E-Cigarettes
What mustn't be forgotten is that there is still work to do on the long term effects of vaping. While it is easy to look at the vast number of health damaging chemicals that are present in tobacco smoke which are simply not present in any way, shape or form in e-cigarette vapour, and come to the conclusion that vaping cannot possibly be as damaging as smoking, caution is still urged by various authority figures. Dr Norman Edelman of the American Lung Association has stated that he feels there is not enough evidence yet to truly understand the long-term effects of vaping, even if the short-term effects have already been proven to be far healthier than those of tobacco smoking.
E-Cigarettes Under Constant Scrutiny
Without a doubt, the studies on the health benefits of e-cigarettes will continue and the answers regarding long-term effects will be forthcoming eventually. Bear in mind too that the tobacco industry was able to establish itself originally by not revealing and/or actively hiding the ill effects of their products. The e-cigarette industry has been afforded no such luxury. The effects of vaping are quite rightly under constant scrutiny and that isn't changing any time soon.
And that too is great news for vapers, as the entire purpose of e-cigarettes is that they are a healthier alternative to tobacco smoking. The entire industry stands and falls by the truth of that statement. Study after study continues to prove it to be the truth, and further proof either way is welcomed in whatever form it may come. We can only hope that all this evidence will positively influence future government legislation on the use of e-cigarettes all around the world.
