Banning e-cigarettes could do more harm than good, experts warn

E-cigarettes are a powerful tool for helping smokers kick the habit, the paper argued

Knee-jerk reaction bans on e-cigarettes could derail the efforts of millions of people trying to stop smoking traditional nicotine cigarettes, public health experts have warned.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported 48 deaths and 2,291 cases of serious lung injury linked to smoking e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, as of 3 December, prompting the American Medical Association to call for a blanket ban.

Amy Fairchild, dean of The Ohio State University College of Public Health, said that while the alarm was justifiable, the response needed to acknowledge the “powerful evidence” supporting the availability of legal nicotine products.

Caution against bans