SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Electronic cigarettes that heat propylene glycol and glycerol, with or without nicotine and flavours, have been found to be safe based on a new meta-analysis of studies:
An update to the Cochrane review on electronic cigarettes [DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub3] [DX] has restated the findings of the initial research, which was completed two years ago. It found that e-cigarettes are potentially a valuable smoking cessation aid, although there was not enough evidence to conclude that they helped people quit smoking confidently.
The updated review now also includes observational data from an additional 11 studies which found no serious side-effects from using e-cigs for up to two years. Aside from throat and mouth irritation, which commonly dissipated over time, the review's co-author, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, said "in the short to medium term, we didn't find any evidence that they were associated with any serious side-effects."
Evidence from two trials found that e-cigarettes helped smokers to quit in the long term, but "the small number of trials, low event rates and wide confidence intervals around the estimates" meant that the researchers could not conclude with confidence that e-cigs helped smokers quit more than other cessation aids.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 16 2016, @05:04AM
Something really needs to be done about this issue of selling "science" and calling it science. This article was behind a paywall. In searching for a nonpaywalled version I came across an identically named article from 2013 by 4 of the same authors here [researchgate.net]. What an unsurprising coincidence. Anyhow the reason I wanted a nonpaywalled version is to check the declared conflicts of interests. And more unsurprising coincidences there.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Within the last three years HM has undertaken educational sessions sponsored by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, manufacturers of
smoking cessation medications.
Within the last three years PH has provided consultancy to GSK, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson, manufacturers of smoking cessation
medications.
Due to these two interests, this review is not compliant with the Cochrane commercial sponsorship policy, as updated in 2014. At the
time the protocol was published it was compliant.
Two authors (HM, CB) have additional declarations:
CB and HM were investigators on a study of ECs from an EC manufacturer (Ruyan Group, Beijing and Hong Kong). Ruyan supplied
the ECs used in the trial and contracted with Health NZ Ltd. to undertake the study. Health New Zealand Ltd funded The University
of Auckland to conduct the trial, independently of Ruyan Group (Holdings) Ltd. The trial design conduct, analysis and interpretation
of results were conducted independently of the sponsors.
CB and HM were investigators on the ASCEND EC trial funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand that used product
supplied at no charge from PGM international, a retailer of ECs.
JHB has no conflicts of interest to declare.
The abbreviations are all 4 authors of this "study" as well:
HM = Hayden McRobbie
CB = Chris Bullen
JHB = Jamie Hartmann-Boyce
PH - Peter Hajek
In other words. Paid consultants and speakers of e-cig industry declare them safe. Nicotine is one of the deadliest substances known to man. It is a natural insecticide intended to protect the tobacco plant's seeds (which contain no nicotine) from insects. The LD50, or the amount it takes to kill, is lower in mice than even cyanide. More "science" has tried to cast uncertainty on this doubt as it relates to humans. For obvious reason we do not have precise LD50 values on humans for most substances. The "science" rebuttal of that is that it may be possibly up to 10 times safer than cyanide, which is rather like the difference between choosing whether you'd like to get hit in the head with a fired bullet or a slung sledge hammer.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by sjames on Friday September 16 2016, @06:46AM
Nicotine is one of the deadliest substances known to man. It is a natural insecticide intended to protect the tobacco plant's seeds (which contain no nicotine) from insects.
Much like caffeine in other plants. Much like capsaicin keeps mammals from eating seed pods in other plants.
If you extract the arsenic from the amount of potatoes an average American eats in a year, you'll have enough to kill a horse.
Warfarin, the popular anti-coagulant drug used to be used as rat poison, but the rats evolved immunity.
It's all a matter of doses. Many common foods have things in them that could kill if concentrated and administered as a single dose. If containing a natural insecticide is a no-go for you, you must avoid coffee, tea, chocolate, mustard, pepper, wasabi, ginger, any sort of radish, and on and on.
As for conflicts of interest, note that GSK, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson would very much like to see e-cigs disappear from the market.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 16 2016, @02:01PM
Can you show me any evidence that nicotine causes cancer? I couldn't seem to find any. Thanks in advance.