St George’s Medical School (University of London) and the SSA produced a user-friendly set of factsheets to help integrate knowledge of substance use into the undergraduate medical curriculum. This factsheet examines e-cigarettes. After reading the factsheet, medical students will understand:
- the public health challenge presented by tobacco use and related harm
- the prevalence of e-cigarette use nationally and internationally
- the range of products available to deliver nicotine electronically
- the evidence of effectiveness of e-cigarettes as an aid to quitting smoking and the consequent improvement in smoking-related disorders
- the safety and hazards of e-cigarettes to users and bystanders
- the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in comparison to varenicline, bupropion, and nicotine replacement therapy
- the controversial issues and potential risks of e-cigarettes compared with cigarettes
