PCRS Position Statement - E-cigarettes

PCRS believe that it is the responsibility of every healthcare professional to treat tobacco dependency systematically and effectively. PCRS advocate that people wishing to quit using tobacco should be offered the most effective but also the least harmful methods first to support a quit attempt. People wishing to use nicotine e-cigarettes to quit should be encouraged to use the support offered by NHS stop smoking services including the ‘swap to stop’ scheme in England. A tobacco quit attempt should be followed ultimately by stopping e-cigarette use as well due to safety concerns. When cutting down the level of nicotine in an e-cigarette it should be done at a rate that still enables abstinence from using tobacco.