Robert West, PhD, the director of tobacco studies at University College London is yet another leading health figure to endorse electronic cigarettes. In a WebMD article I mentioned a few days ago, West took issue with the World Health Organization (WHO) after it published a negative report on ecigs that drew a number of erroneous conclusions.
In West’s comments he notes that persuading a million smokers to switch to an e-cigarette could lead to 6,000 lives being saved each year “even in the event that e-cigarette use carries a significant risk of fatal diseases.” Kudos to Mr. West for calling it like it is.
We all are aware that we would be better off not inhaling anything into our lungs, but if we can significantly decrease the risk of doing so, why would a “health organization” object? Or as West puts it, “”given that smokers smoke primarily for the nicotine but die primarily from the tar, one might imagine that e-cigarettes would be welcomed as a means to prevent much of the death and suffering caused by cigarettes.” Well said.
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