Study argues e-cigarettes are not as user-friendly as some think them to be

May 27, 2014 09:39 GMT  ·  By

Specialists who have taken the time to research e-cigarettes and the behavior of the people who have chosen to buy them and use them argue that these devices are not as user-friendly as folks think them to be.

Writing in the journal Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, scientists detail that, first off, e-cigarettes makers and marketers are yet to provide conclusive evidence that such devices do in fact help smokers cut back.

What's more, they argue that, for the time being, evidence that e-cigarettes can help individuals kick smoking for good is still very much lacking, EurekAlert informs.

“Despite the apparent optimism surrounding e-cigarettes and their purported therapeutic role in smoking cessation, there just simply is not enough evidence to suggest that consumers should use e-cigarettes for this purpose,” says allergist Andrew Nickels.

One other issue that specialists are worried about is the fact that, too often, people who own and use e-cigarettes still light up regular ones while at home. In doing so, they endanger the health of folks who are exposed to their smoke.

“Dual use of both e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes carries the risk of secondhand smoke exposure, causing worsening respiratory effects on children and asthma sufferers. It also promotes ongoing nicotine dependence,” explains specialist Chitra Dinakar.

Lastly, people thinking about turning to e-cigarettes need be made aware of the fact that the scientific community is still working on pinning down and assessing the health risks associated with the use of these devices.

Hence, it may be that, contrary to what e-cigarettes makers and marketers would have people believe, these devices might pack a punch, meaning that the compounds they contain could irritate the lungs and have a negative impact on one's overall wellbeing.