E-Cigs May be Harmful, Should be Regulated

A Roswell Park faculty member is co-author of a new policy statement from two major oncology organizations, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), advocating for federal and state regulation of electronic cigarettes.

Maciej Goniewicz, PhD, PharmD, Assistant Professor of Oncology in the Roswell Park Department of Health Behavior, is one of the crafters of the document, which summarizes the findings of research to date on e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and recommends several steps to guide their use and regulation. The document was published in both the AACR’s Clinical Cancer Research and ASCO’s Journal of Clinical Oncology.

E-cigarettes, the authors write, “may be beneficial if they reduce smoking rates or prevent or reduce the known adverse health effects of smoking. However, ENDS may also be harmful, particularly to youth, if they increase the likelihood that nonsmokers or formers smokers will use combustible tobacco products or if they discourage smokers from quitting.”

The statement also highlights the importance of further study of the devices.

Graham Warren, MD, PhD, an adjunct faculty member with the department, is also among the co-authors.

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