Switch to electronic cigarettes, the solution? | HEALTH AND CONVENTIONAL CIGARETTES | L & # 39; UNIVERSAL

At the 2018 Concord Summit for the Americas in Bogota, researchers, the scientific community and authorities discussed public policies applied to innovations such as electronic cigarettes and vaporizers adopted by countries such as the United Kingdom, a pioneer in the field and validated studies on the potential low risk of these products.

A report from the Royal College of Physicians in the UK notes that "most of the damage caused by smoking does not come from nicotine, but from other components of smoking, smoking, and health. The life expectancy of today's smokers could radically improve by encouraging as many people as possible to switch to a nicotine source without smoke. "

In this regard, the Dr. Delon Human, who has been advisor to the Director General of the WHO and the UN Secretary-General, said that e-cigarettes have the power It is significantly less risky than smoking.

"This view is fully in line with the views of many respected health agencies around the world, including the United Kingdom, where a very progressive approach to e-cigarettes is being adopted.

British organizations such as Public Health England (PHE) and the Royal College of Physicians have estimated that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than conventional cigarettes, suggesting that they are a real alternative to adult smokers who are looking for a potential option with less risk than smoking. "

On the future of these devices, Dr. James J. Murphy, a graduate in chemistry from Queens University in Belfast, Ireland, and head of the Substance Reduction Unit Irrigation for British American Tobacco, said that the vaping devices represent one of the types of products designed to reduce the damage of According to the study of emissions, exposure and the risks we have developed from our vaporizers, electronic cigarettes could be far less dangerous than tobacco. "

Are these cigarettes effective?
Based on the evidence presented, there is a significant body of research demonstrating that e-cigarettes can be an effective tool for smokers seeking to quit.

For example, a 2014 University College of London study of 5,863 smokers polled between 2009 and 2015 found that people who try to quit without the help of a professional is about 60% more likely to report success if he uses electronic cigarettes than he uses only will or nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches or chewing gum

. The UK has developed a national campaign called NHS Stoptober, recommending e-cigarettes, demonstrating the government's position on the potential of these products to help people quit smoking and reduce the effects of smoking.

For its part, the World Health Organization said that "if the vast majority of tobacco smokers who can not or do not want to quit, could change without delay the use of Another source of nicotine with fewer health risks and ultimately stop using it, this would represent an important achievement for modern public health. "

In the United States, the FDA He stated publicly: "We need to imagine a world in which there are less harmful alternative means that effectively provide adequate levels of nicotine to adults who need or need it."

Is it sustainable in Colombia ?
With respect to the tax burden, according to Dr. Human, it is suggested that if e-cigarettes are considered to pose a much lower risk, since tobacco smoke is one that contains toxic compounds, should not

For Analucia Saraiva, an expert for more than 15 years in managing the R & D, science and regulatory affairs roles within British American Tobacco, proper regulation is crucial for S & # 's 39 Ensuring that consumers get guarantees They deserve

A regulatory framework for e-cigarettes must take into account the safety of consumers, the quality of "Because e-cigarettes are different, they can not be regulated or applied to the same tax burden as burning.It is necessary that adult smokers have the information and the conditions necessary to choose this option, in order to help reduce the impacts of smoking, "Saraiva said.

The challenge is to be able to establish a program for smoking. debate that includes viable and less risky alternatives to cigarettes. One of the conclusions of the working group on this issue is that excessive regulation and tax burden without differentiation are not viable.