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Risks posed by e-cigarettes downplayed by health experts

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By Liam Smedley

Researchers have said the devices could save thousands of lives and are critical of the World Health Organisation’s claim that e-cigarettes can lead young people to take up smoking later in life.

The health experts, from University College London, have suggested that

Julian Vaughan holds a letter of a customer who made the switch to e-cigarettes.
Julian Vaughan holds a letter of a customer who made the switch to e-cigarettes.

around 6,000 premature deaths could be prevented for every 1 million smokers should they made the switch to e-cigarettes.

Researchers from the University also refuted the claim made by the WHO that e-cigarettes could re-normalise smoking for young people.

The figure citied that suggest the number of smokers aged 16-25 has remained at around 30%, even when the use of e-cigarettes has increased across the UK.

Area manager of Smokers D’lite, Julian Vaughan, feels that the WHO should re-think the amount of damage e-cigarettes can have on people.

He then added that he thought the claim that the devices can act as a gateway to regular tobacco smoking for young people is laughable.

He said: “If you walk down a street right now then you are probably inhaling much worse stuff from car exhausts and building materials than anything that can be found in an e-cigarette.

“As far as kids go, yes they come into the shop, but we kick them straight back out. So I think that’s a horror story the news has come up with.”

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