Jump to full article: UN News Service, 2008-09-19
Intro: The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) said today that, contrary to claims by advertisers, the electronic cigarette - a battery-powered product usually made of stainless steel and resembling a real cigarette - has not been proven a safe or legitimate nicotine replacement therapy for smokers trying to quit.
Marketers have claimed that the product helps smokers break their addictions to tobacco, with some even going so far as to imply that WHO views it as a legitimate nicotine replacement therapy like nicotine gum, lozenges and patches.
"The electronic cigarette is not a proven nicotine replacement therapy," said Dr. Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General of WHO's Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health Cluster.
"WHO has no scientific evidence to confirm the product's safety and efficacy. Its marketers should immediately remove from their web sites and other informational materials any suggestion that WHO considers it to be a safe and effective smoking cessation aid."
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