New research finds vaping ’95 per cent safer than smoking tobacco’

Not only are e-cigarettes less harmful, the products may be contributing to falling smoking rates among adults and young people, according to the review. He suggested that “local stop smoking services should look to support e-cigarette users in their journey to quitting completely”.

Mr Hajek said: “Smokers differ in their needs and I would advise them not to give up on e-cigarettes if they do not like the first one they try”.

A recent study by AHA cited youth exposure to e-cigarettes advertising skyrocketed over 250% from 2011 to 2013, effectively reaching 24 million young people.

“However, we believe e-cigarettes are a commercial product and should remain so – they should not be prescribed by the NHS”. The review could prove quite beneficial for the supporters of e-cigarette advocates, who already term it as a tool for adults to quit smoking.

The study commissioned by health authority Public Health England (PHE) found that so-called “vaping” electronic cigarettes was 95 percent less dangerous than smoking traditional tobacco cigarettes.

E-cigarettes should be prescribed to smokers to help them quit the habit, British public health experts recommended in a study on Wednesday. One in five people currently think they are as harmful or more harmful than tobacco and which could preventing people form quiting.

According to the study, e-cigarettes could be the best ad cheapest way to reduce or quit smoking in less fortunate areas where appropriate devices are not available and smoking is rampant.

The Food and Drug Administration is considering adding warning labels on the liquid nicotine used in electronic devices and is also mulling a requirement for the liquid to be sold in child-resistant packaging.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of health charity Ash, said there are still nearly 8 million smokers in England, many of whom would benefit from switching to electronic cigarettes but who may have been put off doing so because of unfounded health concerns.

On the contrary, Reuters reports that another publicly-funded study led by Professor Kevin Fenton from Public Health England showed that e-cigarettes do not contain chemicals that cause smoke-related diseases.

The UK decision comes as US health officials are moving to regulate e-cigarettes.