E-cigarettes: A scientific review
This is a systematic review of the evidence on e-cigarettes. It covers both safety issues and the benefits of e-cigarettes for smokers trying to quit.
What They Found
The authors conclude that e-cigarettes are not proven to help smokers quit, that e-cigs are a source of “indoor air pollution” and that they threaten to renormalize smoking. It does acknowledge that e-cigs are safer than cigarettes, though.
What’s Wrong With it?
This review is what happens when you collect all these low-quality studies into one paper, mention the better-quality ones (but ultimately ignore them), and then make a raft of recommendations to doctors and policy makers.
For example, the authors conclude that e-cigs don’t help smokers quit, and cite five studies to support that conclusion.
Guess which studies they are?
The ones covered in this article and similar studies. You know, the ones that don’t even ask if participants are trying to quit smoking by vaping and specifically only include smokers who’ve already tried vaping but haven’t successfully quit.
Analysis of the Study
