British American Tobacco welcomes new Public Health England report on e-cigarettes

A report issued today  [19 August 2015] by Public Health England, entitled 'E-cigarettes: an evidence update', has been welcomed by British American Tobacco.

The report concludes that:

•  E-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than tobacco
•  Nearly half the UK population don’t realise e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking
•  There is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers
•  The review shows that almost all of the 2.6 million adults using e-cigarettes in Great Britain are current or ex-smokers
•  E-cigarettes have the potential to help smokers quit smoking

Commenting on the report, Chris Proctor, Chief Scientific Officer, at British American Tobacco said:

"This report by Public Health England, which concludes that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful to health than cigarettes, is an incredibly important milestone for the e-cigarette industry and its consumers.

"The review helps to de-bunk the myths around e-cigarettes and equip adult smokers with the facts they need to make informed choices.

"There are many misconceptions around this new product category and this review has provided adult smokers with greater clarity around the relative safety of e-cigarettes which should give them greater confidence to use them rather than cigarettes.

"We’re confident that by making research on the relative safety of e-cigarettes available to consumers, and by ensuring proper product quality and safety, this important product category with the potential to have a positive impact on public health can prosper."

British American Tobacco is committed to offering adult smokers a range of quality reduced risk products that provides them with greater choice and assurances regarding product quality.