Mr. Chris Macey:

The evidence to date shows quite strongly that it is less harmful than smoking. As stated previously, when you light a cigarette 4,000 poisons come from that, including elements of rocket fuel and rat poison. There would be very little chance it could be as toxic or more toxic. What we do not know is how damaging vaping will be over time. We have only the evidence from the general sale of these products for the past 15 years or less to work on and so the harm has not been fully worked out. We know they are harmful; it is the extent to which they are harmful that is the question. It is not likely that they are going to be found to be as harmful as cigarettes. That is it.

What we would say to people is that they should only try e-cigarettes if they have tried every other quit means out there. If they cannot quit in any other way, then they should try e-cigarettes because the chances are that that will reduce the harm that they suffer from smoking. We know plenty of doctors who take that view. As I said, cigarettes are becoming more addictive. It is really difficult to give up. Those of us who have gone through it know just how difficult it is. Doctors are encouraging people to try the other quit methods that are safer and, if they do not work, as a last resort, to try e-cigarettes because they will not be as damaging in all probability.