E-cigarettes are 95% less harmful to a persons health than traditional tobacco cigarettes, according to Public Health England (PHE).
The report, titled ‘E-cigarettes: an evidence update’, found that ‘vaping’ with e-cigarettes can be significantly less harmful than smoking tobacco and can help smokers quit smoking, and the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) has declared its support working towards a tobacco-free generation by 2025.
‘We are very happy that smoking rates in the UK are in a steady decline but more attention is needed to bring a stop to this deadly habit,’ Dr Nigel Carter OBE, chief executive of the BDHF, said.
‘This report has shown conclusively that the use of e-cigarettes has the potential to further reduce levels of smoking and save people from the many deadly diseases that are caused by tobacco, such as mouth cancer.
‘Smoking is the cause of many serious oral health problems including worsening gum disease, which is one of the most common causes of caries in UK adults.
‘It is also responsible for the majority of mouth cancers and is the direct cause of thousands of deaths every year.
‘There has been a major trend recently towards the use of e-cigarettes, and they are now the number one quitting aid used by smokers.
‘Getting smokers to use safer forms of nicotine such as these can be highly effective in helping people to quit and something that we fully support.
‘We need to spread the message that e-cigarettes, while not risk free, are much less harmful than smoking, as currently nearly half the population are not aware of this.
‘The review also highlighted that there is no evidence that e-cigarettes are a pathway for people to start smoking.
‘This is an accusation that has been levelled on the industry and one now that is likely to be incorrect.’
