ACSH Labels Greek E-Cig Study as “Amateur Propaganda”

A recent study from Greek researchers suggesting the possibility of adverse side effects from electronic cigarette use has been labelled by the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) as “amateur propaganda.” In their criticisms of the study the ACSH also cited the Chest Journal and Harvard’s Centre for Global Tobacco Control for pushing the results of the study despite the fact that they are anything but conclusive.

The study suggests that one of the electronic cigarette’s side effects is inflammation of the airways and constricted breathing. According to the ACSH there are several problems with this assertion. First of all, anything that is inhaled, including the normal air we breathe every day, causes some sort of irritation to the airways. Second, the methods used to test airway constriction and inflammation in this study are not applicable to the results claimed. Third, the study sampled only 30 individuals without any control group, thus making it impossible to determine whether the abnormalities observed have the potential for long-term problems. Finally, researchers used subjects they termed as “healthy smokers” to test electronic cigarettes. According to the ACSH these facts make the entire study suspect.

In response to the study, Dr. Gilbert Ross of the ACSH said, “Anything you inhale will affect your airways. Airway constriction is non-specific and has nothing to do with lung problems like emphysema or lung cancer, which are associated with smoking. You can’t assume from these data that there would be any long-term harm. Further, I wonder what tests these folks used to detect airway ‘inflammation,’ which is not reflected in the airway dynamics they measured.”

For those who have switched to electronic cigarettes, there is no comparison between the way they felt when they were still using tobacco and the way they feel now. If the electronic cigarette’s side effects are nothing more than temporary inflammation of the airways, that certainly seems to be a vast improvement over lung cancer, emphysema, and all of the other diseases already linked to tobacco smoke. While we cannot say e-cigs are healthy, nor would we do so if we could, we can say that according to sources like the USFDA they are at least not as harmful as tobacco.

E-cig’s are far and away the best tobacco alternative out there. If you’re a smoker, we might suggest you try our range of electronic cigarettes from a company called VAPESTICK. They are a UK company founded by former smokers who wanted to sell only the best electronic cigarette products available. You may see their entire product line in our e-cigarette store.

To learn more about electronic cigarettes please visit the E-cigarette News Blog at www.electroniccigarettedirect.co.uk.