Rio de Janeiro (AFP)

Electronic cigarettes are "undeniably harmful" and will have to be regulated, according to a report presented Friday in Rio de Janeiro by the World Health Organization (WHO), which advises these devices to those who want to stop smoking.

Vaping is the process of inhaling vapors created by high temperature heating of a liquid inside the electronic cigarette. Most of the time, these liquids contain nicotine.

Their growing popularity since their appearance on the market in the mid-2000s, especially among young people, worries lawmakers and health authorities around the world, who fear that vaping will lead young people to smoke tobacco.

Although these devices expose the user to fewer toxic substances than combustible cigarettes, they also pose "health risks," says the WHO report, which assesses the results of government measures (MPOWER) advocated by the Framework Convention for the Control of the Epidemic (CMCT).

The six strategies to discourage tobacco use are: controls on the consumption of these products and prevention policies, protection of the public against smoke, cessation aids, warnings of the dangers of tobacco, enforcing bans advertising, promotion or sponsorship, and finally increased taxes.

"Although the level of risk associated with NEANs (electronic nicotine delivery system) has not been conclusively measured, NSEAs are unquestionably harmful and will need to be regulated," says WHO.

She also points out that there is not enough evidence that e-cigarettes are effective at stopping smoking.

"In most countries where it is available, users (of e-cigarettes) generally continue to smoke fuel cigarettes at the same time, which has little or no positive impact" on reducing health risks, according to the report presented at Museu do Amanha (Museum of Tomorrow).

WHO also warns of the "real and real threat" of misinformation spread by the tobacco industry on e-cigarettes.

At the end of June, the very liberal Californian city of San Francisco became the first American metropolis to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes on its territory. China, which has the largest number of smokers in the world, is considering tightening its regulation.

Tobacco use is responsible for around 8 million deaths worldwide each year.

© 2019 AFP