E-cigarettes deliver the goods

Under normal use conditions, both second generation (G2) and third generation (G3) electronic cigarette devices deliver cigarette-like amounts of nicotine, and result in significantly lower levels of exposure to a potent lung carcinogen and cardiovascular toxicant, according to a paper published online on Tuesday by Tobacco Control.

And G3 devices match the amount and speed of nicotine delivery of a conventional cigarette.

The researchers, led by Dr. Theodore L Wagener of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, US, said that these findings had significant implications for understanding the addiction potential of electronic cigarettes and their viability/suitability as aids to smoking cessation.

Electronic cigarettes’ viability as a public health strategy to end smoking would likely be determined by their ability to mimic the pharmacokinetic profile of a cigarette while also exposing users to significantly lower levels of harmful/potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs), according to an introduction to the paper presented in an abstract.

The study examined the nicotine delivery profile of G3 versus G2 electronic cigarettes, and their users’ exposure to nicotine and select HPHCs compared with cigarette smokers.

The paper abstract is at: http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2016/10/11/tobaccocontrol-2016-053041.abstract?papetoc