Study claims E-Cigarettes are ‘99% Less Harmful Than Smoking’

A 2013 study by Professor Igor Burstyn, Drexel University School of Public Health, claims that e-cigarette use poses no danger to users or to bystanders.

Professor Burstyn reviewed 9,000 observations (peer reviewed papers and ‘grey’ papers) of the chemicals found in e-cigarette use and found the levels of harmful chemicals to the user or the ‘passive vapour’ were ‘insignificant’.

As well as the obvious good news for our bodies this is also great news for the movement to allow e-cigarette use in pubs and clubs, as the primary objections raised have revolved around the harm to bystanders ‘passively vaping’.

The study was funded by The Consumer Advocates for Smoke-free Alternatives (CASAA) Research Fund, a not-for-profit, donation funded body who saw the need for an in-depth study into the effects of the dangers of vaping.  CASAA President Elaine Keller picks up the story:

 "Over the years, there have been a lot of small studies of e-cigarette liquid and vapor, but those studies were either ignored or misinterpreted. Those that showed even the slightest contamination were used for propaganda by those who object to e-cigarettes because they look like smoking. We realized that an expert review was needed to give an unbiased explanation of the available scientific evidence for our membership and policy makers. We reached out to our membership and they enthusiastically donated to make it possible."

The paper suggested that even those undesirable contaminants found in e-cigarette vapour were of no health concern as they were found at levels CASAA described as ‘trivial’. Even Nicotine itself has been compared to caffeine in terms of the relatively low risk of ill effects on the body.

By pulling such large quantities of data together this study is a valuable tool into gauging the comparative safety of e-cigarette use versus regular cigarettes.

The cost of employing smokers

The New York Times reports that the cost of hiring smokers vs non-smokers for employers in the USA could be as high as $5800 (approximately £3700 sterling).

The study was carried out by researchers at Ohio state university who found that employees who smoke tend to take five breaks per day as opposed to the three breaks taken on average by their non-smoking counterparts. The financial cost of these extra cigarette breaks accounts for over $3000 of the total sum. The remainder of the cost is made up by health costs and sick days as smokers tens to take 2.5 more sick days than non-smokers.

The NY Times also quote Micah Berman assistant professor of public health and law at Ohio State who cuts to the heart of the matter:

“We as a country, as communities, need to be making more efforts to address smoking systematically, not just through cessation but prevention,”

The findings appeared online in June in the journal Tobacco Control. You can read the NY Times article here http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/07/the-cost-of-a-smoker-5816/?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0

 More evidence that making the switch to e-cigarettes can make a big change to not only your pocket but to your bosses profits too!