Jury still out on whether electronic cigarettes are ‘totally innocuous’

Electronic cigarettes are less toxic than are traditional cigarettes but it is not possible at this time to say that they are ‘totally innocuous’.

This is the view ofRoberta Pacifici, director of the Italy Observatory on Smoking, Alcohol and Drug Use at the National Health Institute, who worked on a recent report by the Italian Ministry of Health on electronic cigarettes that was the subject of a story by Phobe Natanson and Ed Lovett for ABC News.

“We have to have a prudent approach towards this product as we know little about its worth in stopping people smoking or how toxic it is,” Pacifici told the Italian news agency ANSA.

Pacifici was quoted as saying that should the electronic cigarette’s efficacy as a means of curbing smoking be proven, it should be treated like all the other nicotine substitute products – as a medical device.

Her institute has recommended that electronic cigarettes should be sold with detailed health information.

For now, these products include warnings that they should not be sold to under-16 year olds and that they should be kept away from children.