Electronic cigarettes do not help smokers quit as marketers claim and may be toxic, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced.

The product has been marketed as a healthier alternative to tobacco and some individuals are using them to evade smoking bans in public places as they do not need to be lit, the UN health agency said.
"The World Health Organization knows of absolutely no scientific evidence whatsoever that would confirm that the electronic cigarette is a safe and effective smoking cessation device," stated Douglas Bettcher, acting director of the WHO's Tobacco Free Initiative.
Some manufacturers have implied that the WHO considers electronic cigarettes to be a legitimate form of nicotine replacement therapy, like nicotine gum, patches and lozenges.
"Manufacturers of this electronic cigarette around the world have included WHO's name or logo on their website, on package inserts or on advertisements," Bettcher said.
Dr Ala Alwan, assistant director general of WHO's noncommunicable diseases and mental health branch, called on electronic cigarette marketers to immediately remove any suggestion that the WHO considers it a smoking cessation aid from their websites and promotional materials. (pi)