Claim: WHO says e-cigarettes, 'smoke-free' products do not help reduce cancer.
Verdict: SUPPORTS

Retrieved passages:
title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: e-cigarettes is better than smoking combustible ones. The American Cancer Society concluded in early 2014, "Because the American Cancer Society doesn’t yet know whether e-cigarettes are safe and effective, we cannot recommend them to help people quit smoking. There are proven methods available to help people quit, including pure forms of inhalable nicotine as well as nasal sprays, gums, and patches." The American Diabetes Association states "e-cigarettes are not supported as an alternative to smoking or to facilitate smoking cessation." In 2015, the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology released a statement noting that

title: Electronic cigarette
text: replacing tobacco cigarettes with lower risk products to reduce death and disease. E-cigarettes can reduce smokers' exposure to carcinogens and other toxic substances found in tobacco, and are very likely less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. This is a motivation for many e-cigarette users. Hazards associated with products currently on the market are certainly much lower than smoking. However, harms could be reduced further through appropriate product standards. The British Medical Association encourages health professionals to recommend conventional nicotine replacement therapies, but for patients unwilling to use or continue using such methods, health professionals may present e-cigarettes as a lower-risk option

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: reported in 2013 that there was a possibility for smoking cessation benefits, but had concerns that e-cigarettes are less regulated than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and that there was no peer reviewed evidence concerning their safety or efficacy. In May 2014, Cancer Research UK released a statement including, "Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are almost certainly much safer than tobacco cigarettes and may help smokers to cut down or quit smoking. We support the use of high quality e-cigarettes because we believe that they have significant potential to help smokers who aren't otherwise ready or able to quit smoking by providing them

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: a less harmful way than smoking, and may reduce health risks for smokers". The Canadian Cancer Society has concluded, e-cigarettes "have not been scientifically proven to help people quit" smoking tobacco. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation has stated, "While early studies show some potential benefits, the effectiveness of e-cigarettes with nicotine as a smoking cessation device is not fully conclusive," and expressed concerns about the lack of long term studies with regard to health effects to the user as well as second hand exposure. They also note public health officials' concerns about renormalizing smoking behavior undermining current tobacco control

title: Safety of electronic cigarettes
text: is no long-term research concerning the cancer risk related to the potentially small level of exposure to the identified carcinogens in the vapor. In May 2014, Cancer Research UK stated that there are "very preliminary unpublished results that suggest that e-cigarettes promote tumour growth in human cells." The e-cigarette vapors triggered DNA strand breaks and lowered cell survival "in vitro". A 2013 study found some samples of e-cigarette vapors had cytotoxic effects on cardiac muscle cells, though the effects were less than with cigarette smoke. In October 2012, the World Medical Association stated, "Manufacturers and marketers of e-cigarettes often claim

title: Electronic cigarette
text: than tobacco smoking. The American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) suggests those who are unwilling to quit tobacco smoking or unable to quit with medical advice and pharmaceutical methods should consider other nicotine containing products such as electronic cigarettes and smokeless tobacco for long term use instead of smoking. Tobacco smoke contains 100 known carcinogens, and 900 potentially cancer causing chemicals, none of which has been found in more than trace quantities in e-cigarette vapor. A core concern is that smokers who could have quit completely will develop an alternative nicotine addiction instead. A 2014 review stated that promotion

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: the e-cigarettes, whether it contains nicotine or not, can alleviate cravings and withdrawal symptoms, but their ability to help quit smoking has not been proven. The Ministry of Health of New Zealand has stated, "There is not enough evidence to be able to recommend e-cigarettes as an aid to quit smoking" and recommends more established treatments for smoking cessation. They also point interested readers to the 2014 WHO statement for further information. The Cancer Society of New Zealand released a position statement which states, "Currently, there is limited evidence of the safety of e-cigarettes or their suitability as a smoking

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: way for the public health, medical community or consumers to know what chemicals are contained in e-cigarettes or what the short and long term health implications might be." The American Cancer Society supports every smoker using any way they choose who are contemplating trying to quit smoking and in 2018 they stated to use FDA regulated medicine that have a track record of effectively helping efforts to stop smoking. For some smokers who do not try to quit smoking cigarettes using FDA regulated medicine they recommend to choose the least unsafe tobacco product and they stated transitioning to only using

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: their use either as tools to help quit smoking or for harm reduction. The Philippine Medical Association has also taken a strong position against the use of electronic cigarettes, citing safety concerns. The Spanish Society of Pneumonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) released a position statement which states that the substances found in aerosol from e-cigarettes have not been demonstrated to be safe, and a number of chemicals which are carcinogens and can damage the lung have been found, though usually in concentrations smaller than conventional cigarettes. Studies done to date have been small in size and have had significant methodological

title: Electronic cigarette
text: no identified health risks to bystanders". A 2014 review recommended that regulations for e-cigarettes could be similar to those for dietary supplements or cosmetic products to not limit their potential for harm reduction. A 2012 review found e-cigarettes could considerably reduce traditional cigarettes use and they likely could be used as a lower risk replacement for traditional cigarettes, but there is not enough data on their safety and efficacy to draw definite conclusions. In an interview, the director of the Office on Smoking and Health for the U.S. federal agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that there

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: cessation aid" and "Before they are widely promoted, evidence is needed to ensure that e-cigarettes are a safe harm reduction alternative to tobacco smoking, that they are a safe and effective cessation aid, that they don’t undermine motivation to quit, and that they don’t act as a gateway to nicotine addiction for young people." The Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines released a statement saying that there has been little evidence published about the health effects of electronic cigarettes, including whether they help quit smoking. The statement concluded that the available evidence does not support those who advocate for

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: Branch of the National Cancer Institute to provide information to help quit smoking, did not recommend the use of e-cigarettes, saying "The bottom line is that we just don’t know enough about e-cigs, so we don’t recommend that you use them". In late 2016, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states that users of e-cigarettes are exposed to many different types of chemical compounds, very small particles, and hazardous metals. Chemicals emitted in e-cigarette aerosols can include carcinogens such as formaldehyde, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, as well as various organic compounds that are irritating to the lung. Among flavoring

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: when used as intended, how much nicotine or other potentially harmful chemicals are being inhaled during use, or whether there are any benefits associated with using these products. Additionally, it is not known whether e-cigarettes may lead young people to try other tobacco products, including conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death." In 2015, the United States Preventive Services Task Force concluded there is insufficient evidence to recommend e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, and recommended clinicians instead recommend more proven smoking cessation aids. In early 2015, Smokefree.gov, a website run by the Tobacco Control Research

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: medical associations in the United States, Latin America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, released a statement in which they argued that e-cigarettes have not been demonstrated to be safe and their benefits as a smoking cessation tool or in harm reduction has not been adequately studied. They recommended banning their use, or regulation as medicines or tobacco products if not banned, until adequate studies are performed. In May 2018, the Forum of International Respiratory Societies released a position statement, stating "ENDS are devices that deliver aerosols of nicotine and other volatile chemicals to the lung. Their use has rapidly escalated among

title: Safety of electronic cigarettes
text: with cancer is unknown. A 2014 Cochrane review found no serious adverse effects reported in trials, but serious events have been reported in case studies. The evidence suggests they produce less harmful effects than combusted tobacco. The most frequently reported less harmful effects of vaping compared to smoking were reduced shortness of breath, reduced cough, reduced spitting, and reduced sore throat. Many health benefits are associated with switching from tobacco to e-cigarettes including decreased weight gain after smoking cessation and improved exercise tolerance. Vaping is possibly harmful by virtue of putting off quitting smoking, serving as a gateway to tobacco

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: applauded the 2014 WHO report's recommendation for tighter regulation of e-cigarettes due to concerns about the safety of e-cigarettes and the possible increased nicotine or tobacco addiction among youth. In October 2012, the World Medical Association released a statement which stated, "Due to the lack of rigorous chemical and animal studies, as well as clinical trials on commercially available e-cigarettes, neither their value as therapeutic aids for smoking cessation nor their safety as cigarette replacements is established. Lack of product testing does not permit the conclusion that e-cigarettes do not produce any harmful products even if they produce fewer dangerous

title: Tobacco harm reduction
text: granted on 23 February 2015. Smokers remain confused about tobacco harm reduction. In a 2004 survey, about 80-100% of participants incorrectly perceived low-yield cigarettes as harm-reducing, while 75-80% mistakenly believed that switching to smokeless tobacco conferred no risk reduction. Similar confusion exists about electronic cigarettes. In the UK, research commissioned by the anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health found that in 2016, more than three times as many people think e-cigarettes are as harmful or more harmful than smoking than in 2013 (25% vs 7%), the highest proportion since the survey began. They expressed concern that the proportion of

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: for harm reduction if smokers use them as substitutes for cigarettes. However, although firm evidence is lacking, there are concerns that e-cigarette use and acceptance of e-cigarettes has the potential to renormalize smoking behavior, sustain dual use, and initiate or maintain nicotine addiction. Their use also could serve as a gateway to reinitiation of smoking by ex-smokers. Unregulated e-cigarette use also has the potential to erode gains in smoking cessation and smoke-free laws." Another statement released that month by the American Lung Association argued that the FDA should begin its regulatory oversight of electronic cigarettes, because otherwise, "there is no

title: Positions of medical organizations on electronic cigarettes
text: youths and they are now the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents. Initiation of electronic cigarette use is strongly associated with the subsequent initiation of combustible tobacco product use among adolescents." In January 2014, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease released a statement asserting that the benefits and safety of e-cigarettes have not been scientifically proven. The statement highlighted concerns with regards to "re-normalization" of smoking behavior and exposure of third parties to possibly dangerous emissions from e-cigarettes, and strongly supported regulation of electronic cigarettes, preferably as medicines. The World Lung Foundation (now known as Vital Strategies)

title: Safety of electronic cigarettes
text: how safe it is to inhale some substances in the e-cigarette vapor into the lungs." The Canadian Cancer Society has stated that, "A few studies have shown that there may be low levels of harmful substances in some e-cigarettes, even if they don’t have nicotine." Since 2009, the FDA has pointed out that e-cigarettes contain “detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals to which users could be exposed.” In the UK a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline did not recommend e-cigarettes as there are questions regarding the safety, efficacy, and quality of these products. The