Who is more harmful than e-cigarettes or cigarettes? FDA Researchers Say Electronic Cigarettes Reduce Harm by Up to 95%

               * Smoking is harmful to health, minors are prohibited from using e-cigarettes, non-smokers are not recommended to use e-cigarettes*

The harm reduction of e-cigarettes has once again been confirmed by authoritative public health institutions.
Recently, one of the world’s most authoritative public health institutions – the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) researchers published in the journal “Tobacco Control” research paper pointed out that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, and have a certain harm reduction. When smokers switch to e-cigarettes, the levels of biomarkers of multiple carcinogens (such as benzene, 1,3-butadiene, acrolein, etc.) in their urine will decrease, up to 95%.

Public Health England confirmed in 2015 that e-cigarettes can reduce harm. The reason is clear: tobacco burning process will produce 69 kinds of carcinogens, e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, no combustion process, so can reduce the harm of cigarettes 95%. But specific to a certain carcinogen, such as tobacco-specific nitrosamines, benzene, etc., can e-cigarettes reduce their harm, and to what extent can they reduce harm?
The FDA is authorized by the US Congress and is the highest law enforcement agency in the United States specializing in food and drug administration. The researchers searched and screened more than 5,000 relevant studies from August 2013 to February 2021, and came to the following two main conclusions:
1) On the degree of harm, e-cigarettes are smaller than cigarettes
The study divided the survey into two groups of e-cigarette users and cigarette smokers, and the data showed that e-cigarette users generally inhaled less carcinogens than cigarette smokers. For example, benzene, a class of carcinogens associated with leukemia (metabolite S-PMA), studies have shown that the level of S-PMA in the urine of e-cigarette users is significantly lower than that of cigarette smokers, and there is no significant difference with non-smokers.
However, the study did not analyze data on tobacco-specific nitrosamines, carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In the introduction to the paper, the FDA researchers said that a number of studies around the world have confirmed that the biomarker levels of these three substances in the urine of electronic cigarette users are either extremely low or undetectable. There is no doubt that e-cigarettes can reduce the main harm of cigarettes.

2) E-cigarettes have harm reduction effect, smokers can choose to switch to e-cigarettes
Since e-cigarettes are less harmful, can smokers switch to e-cigarettes improve their health? FDA researchers conducted a survey and data showed that smokers who switched to e-cigarettes had significantly reduced levels of harmful biomarkers inhaled: the level of biomarkers for benzene, a class of carcinogens in urine, fell by 87% to 94%. , Class I carcinogen 1,3-butadiene decreased by 55% -95%, Class II carcinogen acrolein decreased by 70.5% -91%, Class II carcinogen acrylonitrile decreased by 78% -94%.

In addition, after smokers switch to e-cigarettes, the level of biomarkers of carcinogens such as acrylamide, ethylene oxide, and vinyl chloride in the urine will also be reduced. Some of these carcinogens are associated with heart and lung disease. Others are eye, respiratory, liver, kidney, skin, or central nervous system irritants that can be harmful if inhaled for a long time.
“More smokers are switching to e-cigarettes and we hope our findings will inform scientific research, clinical practice and health policy.” Marzena Hiler, a member of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products and one of the paper’s lead authors.