Potential benefits and hazards associated with the use of e-cigarettes - a guide for practitioners and current status in Poland.

Abstract

The use of electronic cigarettes has dynamically increased over the last few years. Meanwhile, the knowledge regarding their safety has been rapidly changing, which could be a challenge for a medical practitioner. The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest reports and to verify statements on e-cigarettes influence on health, including the context of the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Awareness of the benefits of e-cigarettes can provide vital support for doctors caring for patients who smoke traditional cigarettes. Nevertheless, the attention should be paid to the dangers of the medically unjustified use of electronic cigarettes. Despite the idea of releasing e-cigarettes to the market as a harmless alternative to traditional ones, this product also has a negative impact on health. A replacement of traditional cigarettes with e-cigarettes provides well documented benefits to patients with certain indications, such as hypertension and asthma, as well as to smokers who intend to minimize negative effect of passive smoking on their environment. Moreover, it could be valuable for patients who are willing to permanently overcome a nicotine addiction, especially when previous attempts to quit smoking with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) monotherapy were unsuccessful. Electronic cigarettes are a rapidly developing technology and an innovative form of a well-known addiction, so it is essential for practitioners to stay informed.