E-Cig Survey Shows 50 Percent of Physicians ‘See A Role’ For Harm Reduction

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Research presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Meeting by Venkatkiran Kanchustambham, M.D., of Saint Louis University School of Medicine, showed that 50 percent of physicians “see a role for e-cigarette as part of a harm reduction strategy,” according to a story on Healio.com. Kanchustambham said that few studies, however, have researched long-term safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes.

Kanchustambham’s findings came from an anonymous online questionnaire sent to all residents, fellows and faculty in the departments of internal medicine and surgery at Saint Louis University. Fifty-one percent responded (114 people).

The study showed:

• 57 percent knew what vaping meant


• 9 percent were “very familiar with e-cigarettes


• 26 percent were not familiar with e-cigarettes


• 15 percent of physicians said they would advise to patients e-cigarettes as nicotine-replacement therapy


• 19 percent were aware of a presence of carcinogens in e-cigarettes


• 38 percent were aware of polyethylene glycol


• 91 percent were aware of nicotine


• 76 percent of respondents were worried about the lack of evidence regarding long-term safety


• 50 percent were worried about the idea of e-cigarettes as starter products for nonsmokers


• 51 percent were worried about the FDA regulation


• 42 percent were worried about marketing to youth


• 54 percent wanted stricter regulation


• 53 percent wanted warning labels similar to tobacco products


• 36 percent wanted restricted advertising


• 34 percent wanted banned sales to minors


• 25 percent wanted banned use in public areas


• 50 percent of the physicians surveyed saw a role for e-cigarettes as part of a “harm reduction strategy.”

For the full story, visit http://www.healio.com/pulmonology/smoking-and-tobacco/news/online/%7Bcd5dd4e0-d333-4fe4-b65e-a7abf1ab069f%7D/e-cigarette-survey-reports-knowledge-gap-among-physicians.

 

E-Cig Survey Shows 50 Percent of Physicians ‘See A Role’ For Harm Reduction