Those poor cigarette companies hey, first they’re stopped from peddling their wares through advertising and now people are claiming that e-cigarettes are a far healthier option – when will they catch a break?

Over in the UK cigarettes have been dealt another mortal blow after Public Health England (PHE) publicly proclaimed, for the first time, that e-cigs are far less damaging to one’s health than smoking tobacco. They even went as far as saying that they are around 95% less harmful, claiming they may one day be dispensed as ‘a licensed medicine in an alternative to anti-smoking products such as patches.

Here’s something of a damning graph courtesy of the Guardian, one that’s sure to make those smug folk smoking e-cigs grin from ear to ear.

The message was repeated by the government’s chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, who said they should be used as a method to quit the pesky habit:

“I want to see these products coming to the market as licensed medicines. This would provide assurance on the safety, quality and efficacy to consumers who want to use these products as quitting aids, especially in relation to the flavourings used, which is where we know least about any inhalation risks.”

Peter Hajek of Queen Mary University, London, went one further and basically blew smoke up the backside of e-cig producers:

“My reading of the evidence is that smokers who switch to vaping remove almost all the risks smoking poses to their health. Smokers differ in their needs and I would advise them not to give up on e-cigarettes if they do not like the first one they try. It may take some experimentation with different products and e-liquids to find the right one.”

Ecita, a trade association of e-cigarette manufacturers, are pretty keen to see their products get on board with the NHS. It helps that their pockets will be lined with taxpayers’ money, no shit, so don’t be surprised if you see a host of ‘independently-funded reviews’ showing the benefits of doing just that.

There you have it e-cig users, the day is growing nearer when you can really turn your noses up at the lowlifes who insist on poisoning their bodies with real, actual tobacco. Tisk tisk, they really should know better.

[source:guardian]