“It’s dependent upon the device, the battery, how much it heats up and what’s in the liquid,” he said. “So in general, are they safer? Probably. But not exactly.”
There are also no long-term data on e-cigarettes, he added.
The evidence on how e-cigarettes affects traditional smoking habits is also mixed.
Some studies have indicated that e-cigarettes use can be helpful in kicking a traditional cigarette habit, said Jill Poole, MD, of the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
A survey by the U.S. Census Bureau found that, in the 2014-2015 data collection year, about 60% of smokers of combustible cigarettes who also smoked e-cigarettes tried to quit smoking combustibles, compared to 40% of those who didn’t smoke e-cigarettes. And 8% of e-cigarette users were successful over 3 months, compared to 4% of nonusers.
Thomas R. Collins/ Frontline Medical News
Dr. Jill Poole
But data reveals risks for kids who’ve never smoked and then start using e-cigarettes.
“Does noncigarette tobacco use among never smoking youth determine subsequent smoking initiation?” she said. “The answer is yes.”