delivery systems

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Jury's Still Out On Electronic Cigarettes The debate continues over the benefits of smoking tobacco-free electronic cigarettes as some .schools and public bodies ban them A way to stop smoking, or an encouragement to start? The role of the e-cigarette is a controversial one, but already some schools, social venues and public bodies have decided to treat them as they would normal cigarettes and ban them. But those who support their use say they provide an alternative way to ingest nicotine without the harm caused by smoking, and say millions of lives could be saved if smokers chose that alternative. Surveys suggest the use of electronic cigarettes by young people is limited to those who already smoke them. But schools like Burton Borough School in Newport, Shropshire, are taking no chances. "Any product that could potentially glamorise smoking is not welcome here," says Head Teacher David Hills. "As far as I'm aware, the BMA are wanting to ban them like they have with cigarettes." The industry says there are many misconceptions regarding what is a relatively new product. Katherine Devlin, President of the Electronic Cigarette Industry Trade Association (ECITA), said it was wrong to think that the products are not regulated. She said the industry would welcome more legislation in some areas, especially regarding age. "We do want to see a mandate to restrict the age for sales of these products to mirror those for tobacco products," she said. "These products are for adult smoking consumers, they're not for children." ECITA members do not claim their products are an aid to quitting smoking. If they did then the liquids that are vaporised in the e-cigarettes would have to be classified as medicine, and so be subject to much stricter legislation and regulation. But many companies, particularly those online, do break the rules, and claim that e-cigarettes are a way to quit. Figures provided by the anti-smoking lobby ASH show that among current smokers, the use of e-cigarettes has risen from 3% in 2010 to 11% in 2013. Almost half the ex-smokers surveyed (48%) said they had used e-cigarettes to help quit smoking and almost a third (32%) used them to prevent reverting to tobacco use. But their use amongst children was said to be extremely rare, with only 1% of young people who do not smoke saying they had tried e-cigarettes once or twice, with none saying they would continue to use them. Some public bodies have also banned their use, like NHS Fife. It initially introduced the ban because of the fire risk presented by the delivery systems, which heat up the liquid they contain to create the vapour which the user inhales. Its director of public health, Dr Edward Coyle, said he would like to know more about the long-term health risks of the product itself. "We review policies here very regularly, and if it was shown that e-cigarettes could be effective as a smoking cessation device, we could consider overturning the ban," he said. ASH believes that e-cigarettes can provide a less harmful alternative for smokers who want to cut down or quit smoking but that the products need to be regulated and their marketing controlled. ASH chief executive Deborah Arnott said: "E-cigarettes offer a potentially safer option for smokers wishing to reduce their risk of ill-health from tobacco use. "However, these products need to be regulated to ensure that they are reliable, effective and not targeted at children. "E-cigarettes should be brought under the control of medicines regulation to ensure that they are safe to use and marketed appropriately."