E-cigs have positive image

Daily users of electronic cigarettes view them as almost as satisfying or even more satisfying than traditional cigarettes, according to a story by Henry L. Davis for buffalonews.com citing the results of a small study carried out by the University at Buffalo, New York, US.

Daily users also view the use of electronic cigarettes as being less harmful than the consumption of traditional cigarettes.

The study of 105 US Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers and their partners found that the study participants who vaped daily reported electronic cigarettes as being ‘at least as satisfying’ as cigarettes. Fifty-eight percent of them said that vaping was ‘much more’ satisfying.

Researchers reported also that the perceived level of danger posed by the use of electronic cigarettes decreased as frequency of use increased.

The research, which was funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, appears online in the journal Preventive Medicine Reports.

“The results argue that satisfaction, perceived harm or danger and product type seem to all work together to promote use or avoidance,” Lynn Kozlowski, lead author and a professor of community health and health behavior, said in a statement.

“The mistaken belief that e-cigarettes are more harmful than cigarettes can influence some smokers to not use e-cigs. If the type of product they use is less satisfying, this also can influence likelihood of use,” Kozlowski said.