Researching electronic cigarettes

Fumus Electronic Cigarettes, a UK-based supplier of electronic cigarettes, is commissioning research into some of the issues surrounding these relatively-new products.

According to a Journalism.co.uk story, Fumus has asked TeessideUniversity, Middlesbrough, to undertake two research projects for which it is now looking for volunteers nationally.

The first research project is seeking 100 or more adult smokers who want to quit smoking tobacco and who are prepared to use electronic cigarettes as an aid to achieving that goal.

The second research project is centred on smoking in the workplace. For this research the university is looking for employers who are prepared to allow their employees who smoke to use electronic cigarettes in the workplace.

This second research project will try to measure whether allowing the use of electronic cigarettes and, therefore, cutting out smoke breaks, leads to any improvement in a company’s productivity and/or to relations between smokers and non smokers.

Fumus spokesperson, Jim Gillespie, said that his company had been selling electronic cigarettes in the UK since 2009 and had received many e-mails and testimonials from customers thanking Fumus for helping them to quit smoking.

“The UK government is investigating the use of e-cigs this year, so we felt it was appropriate to commission some independent research that we can share with government, to hopefully assist them in making an informed decision on the use of e-cigs in the UK,” said Gillespie.