Electronic cigarettes are allowed on the marketplace without being subjected to the comprehensive testing required of medicinal products," said Deborah Arnott, director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). "We would recommend that anyone trying to quit should use medicinal nicotine products such as patches, gum or the inhalator, which have been tested and found to be both safe and effective, rather than electronic cigarettes."However, anti-smoking campaigners argue that the risks posed by electronic cigarettes are still lower than those of ordinary cigarettes. "Cigarettes contain thousands of different chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic and are particularly dangerous when burnt, and kill half all long-term smokers," Ms Arnott said.
