95% Safer than Smoking!

Public Health England (PHE) has published an expert independent evidence review which concludes that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful to health than tobacco and have the potential to assist smokers in quitting smoking. The review, led by Professor Ann McNeill (King’s College London) and Professor Peter Hajek (Queen Mary University of London) and commissioned by PHE, suggests that e-cigarettes may be contributing to falling smoking rates among adults and young people. Key findings of the review include the current best estimate that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than smoking, and that nearly half the population (44.8%) are unaware of this fact. The review also found no evidence that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers. PHE has published a paper on the implications of the evidence for policy and practice following the review.