The American Cancer Society (ACS) has released a position statement on e-cigarettes in which the organisation encourages smokers unwilling to quit smoking to switch to e-cigarettes from conventional cigarettes.

The American Cancer Society Board of Directors approved of the position statement in February.
In the scientific summary of the position statement, ACS said that existing scientific data on e-cigarettes suggests that “using current generation e-cigarettes is less harmful than smoking cigarettes”, even though health effects from vaping over a long period of time are not known yet.
In the position statement, the organisation said it supports any approach that a smoker may use to quit smoking. The organisation advised health care clinicians to do the same as well as help individuals quit smoking by recommending their patients use FDA-approved cessation medications that have been shown to help individuals quit smoking.
The organisation, however, noted that not all smokers are trying to quit. ACS said, “Despite firm clinician advice, [these individuals] will not attempt to quit smoking cigarettes and will not use FDA approved cessation medications.” ACS added, “These individuals should be encouraged to switch to the least harmful form of tobacco product possible; switching to the exclusive use of e-cigarettes is preferable to continuing to smoke combustible products.”
The organisation advised physicians to still regularly encourage individuals to discontinue use of all tobacco products, in the position statement.
ACS also urged “the FDA to regulate all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, . . . to determine the absolute and relative harms of each product” and to “assess whether e-cigarettes help to reduce tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, and the impact of marketing of e-cigarettes on consumer perceptions and behaviour.”