E-cigarettes shouldn’t be used as a stop smoking tool because there is not enough evidence to prove they are safe, a researcher has claimed.
Dr Stuart Flint, a psychologist at Leeds Beckett University, believes it is premature to call the trendy gadgets a ‘healthier alternative’ to traditional cigarettes.
In a strongly worded letter published in a prestigious journal, he urgently called for more studies delving into their supposed health benefits.
Dr Flint branded health organisations ‘irresponsible and unethical’ for promoting the gadgets as a cessation tool – their original purpose.
He wrote: ‘We need to understand more about the potential health effects of e-cigarettes before they’re used as an alternative for stopping smoking.
