'Alarmist' e-cig report by WHO slammed by tobacco experts

Tobacco experts have slammed WHO's review of evidence on e-cigarettes and have claimed that it contains important errors, misinterpretations and misrepresentations.

According to World leading tobacco experts, the report contains important errors as it puts policy-makers and the public in danger of foregoing the potential public health benefits of e-cigarettes.

Lead author, Professor Ann McNeill from the National Addiction Centre, said that the negativity of the commissioned review, which calls for greater regulation of e-cigarettes, is surprising as it is misleading and not an accurate reflection of available evidence, and may raise the danger of foregoing the public health benefits these products could have.

McNeill added that though all answers aren't available about long-term health impacts of e-cigarettes, they are much safer than cigarettes which kill over 6 million people a year worldwide.

Experts also censured the alarmist language used in the report to describe findings and to present opinion as though it were evidence.

The study was published in journal Addiction.