Vocabulary
E-cigarettes (电子烟)
Battery-powered devices that simulate smoking.
(一种模拟吸烟的电池供电设备。)Lethal (致命的)
Capable of causing death.
(能够导致死亡的。)Carcinogens (致癌物)
Substances that can lead to cancer.
(可能导致癌症的物质。)Comprehensive (全面的)
Thorough and complete.
(全面和完整的。)Retrospective (回顾的)
Looking back at past events.
(回顾过去事件的。)Abstinence (戒断)
The act of refraining from something.
(戒绝某物的行为。)Speculative (投机的)
Based on conjecture rather than knowledge.
(基于推测而非知识的。)
Listening
Reading
E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices that simulate the effects of smoking. While e-cigarettes do not contain the same lethal chemicals and carcinogens as cigarettes, however health experts warn that there is still no comprehensive research into the risks of frequently inhaled vapor.
A recent study on the effects of e-cigarette vapor on human lung cells found that it could change gene expression in a similar way to tobacco. It discovered that cells grown under medium exposure to e-cigarette vapor changed in a fashion similar to those exposed to tobacco smoke.
A retrospective analysis comparing smoking cessation initiatives found that e-cigarettes can be an effective cessation aid, more effective than over-the-counter nicotine replacement aids. However, the study design casts doubt on this conclusion. Smokers who used e-cigarettes in the previous year were 63% more likely to quit than those using over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy and 61% more likely to quit than those using no cessation aids according to the study.
Data was analyzed from a UK national surveillance program known as the Smoking Tool Kept Study. This study collected information from 5,863 smokers aged 16 or older using in-person interviews and computer-assisted surveys. All participants had made at least one quit attempt in the past year, between 2009 and 2014.
464 made a quit attempt using e-cigarettes only, 1,922 used over-the-counter nicotine replacement only, and 3,477 tried to quit cold turkey. E-cigarette users reported higher rates of abstinence compared with those using nicotine patches and those who used no aids.
Despite some positive findings, the study's design has drawn criticism. It is noted that only 10% are able to quit smoking using the patch, and those who used nothing fared better than those using the patch.
E-cigarettes may be effective for smoking cessation, or they may become another unhealthy lifestyle risk factor. Without consistent research powered by quality study designs, these claims remain speculative.
A U.S. study of 12 e-cigarette brands found that toxicants were present, but levels were between 9 and 450 times lower than smoke from combusted tobacco. A study at the University of Auckland (2011-2013) recruited 657 smokers who wanted to quit. Two groups were given a 13-week supply of either patches or e-cigarettes that delivered nicotine vapor. Another 73 was given e-cigarettes without nicotine.
The success rate among the nicotine e-cigarette group was 7.3%, compared to 5.8% in the patch group and 4.1% in the non-nicotine e-cigarette group. While users of e-cigarettes fell off in their use of the product, researchers noted that long-term safety remains unclear.
E-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, were modestly effective at helping smokers quit and had a similar achievement of abstinence as nicotine patches, with few adverse events. Despite this, the place of e-cigarettes in tobacco control is uncertain, and more research is needed to establish their overall benefits and harms.
Quiz
