KUALA LUMPUR: A specific regulated system is needed to facilitate the usage and selling of e-cigarettes, says an expert.
Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre (Greece) Researcher and Leading Cardiologist Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos said careful thought on regulations was required for e-cigarettes taking into account consumer demand and at the same time ensuring public safety.
“It is obvious that e-cigarettes have a unique characteristic and a unique role to play in tobacco harm reduction.
“And for this reason, a specific regulated system is needed, separate from the tobacco and medicinal products regulations,” he said at the ‘E-cigarettes: Media Briefing by World Expert on Vaping Research’ here yesterday.
Dr Farsalinos, however, said it was important to make e-cigarettes legal to give options to smokers who want to reduce their
tobacco intake, and as a substitute to conventional tobacco.
He explained that e-cigarettes among others, have less nitrates and phenols (toxic substance in conventional cigarettes), as compared to conventional tobacco.
The e-cigarette has been a subject of debate among the public who are concerned about its chemical contents, claiming that it imposed a greater health risk as compared to consuming conventional tobacco. — Bernama