E Cigarette Reviewed Takes WHO to Task Over E-Cig Claims

TUSTIN, Calif., April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- The World Health Organization's (WHO) report on electronic cigarette has attracted much criticism, but they are yet to revoke their calls for a ban on e-cigarettes. E Cigarette Reviewed is publicly calling on WHO to provide some credible evidence to support their position. The site claims that the report willfully refrains from quoting any positive studies about e-cigs, yet includes references to four studies which supposedly call their safety into question.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130410/CG91034)

WHO's argument for banning e-cigarettes revolves around their Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which advised a "norm change" with regards to tobacco usage. The theory is that bringing about changes in social norms will reduce tobacco use. Since e-cigarettes look similar to tobacco cigarettes, they are thought to undermine this aim.

The report references analyses conducted at labs in Korea, Brazil, Malaysia and Bulgaria. The Korea analysis was reported to reveal 10 (unnamed) toxicants. The Bulgarian and Malaysian research looks at reported nicotine levels and the Brazilian study concludes that the liquid in e-cigarettes is extracted from tobacco.

E Cigarette Reviewed points out that none of these studies are referenced or even cited in author-date form. The results of the Bulgarian and Malaysian studies weren't mentioned, and the Brazilian study merely confirms a known fact (nicotine is extracted from tobacco for patches and gums too). The Korea study is poorly reported (the specific "toxicants" and their quantities aren't mentioned) and the study is impossible to locate. With no information regarding the results or the methods to achieve them, WHO presents no reliable information whatsoever.

The most troubling aspect of the report is the notion that e-cigs "normalize" smoking. A spokesperson for E Cigarette Reviewed comments, "E-cigs don't normalize smoking, they help people stop doing it. WHO is rejecting the one product which has the potential to really reduce tobacco usage." Studies showing that e-cigs are effective at reducing cigarette consumption are cited in response.

The site claims that since existing quit smoking tools have been shown to be only effective 11.9 percent of the time after six months in a Cochrane Review, e-cigarettes (with a reported 31 percent success rate) are the only thing that can effectively de-normalize cigarettes.

They issue a simple challenge, asking that WHO support their arguments with evidence and clear referencing, considering the entire spectrum of research before forming a damaging conclusion. 

About E Cigarette Reviewed

E Cigarette Reviewed is the leading source of electronic cigarette reviews. Electronic cigarette buyers use the site to compare and select the best e-cigarettes based on peer reviews. E Cigarette Reviewed aims to bring transparency to the electronic cigarette industry by extensively testing and reviewing the latest products on the market and offering an unbiased opinion to the users. For more information visit: www.ecigarettereviewed.com.

Media Contact:

Lindsay Fox E-Cigarette Reviewed, (949) 232-0470, [email protected]

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SOURCE E Cigarette Reviewed