England’s public health agency has said that vaping is possibly as much as 95 percent safer than smoking, in its first official statement on the safety of e-cigarettes. They “have the potential to make a significant contribution to the endgame for tobacco,” Public Health England said, and it suggested the devices might one day be prescribed as a cigarette alternative. “I want to see these products coming to the market as licensed medicines,” said England’s chief medical officer. “This would provide assurance on the safety, quality, and efficacy to consumers who want to use these products as quitting aids, especially in relation to the flavourings used, which is where we know least about any inhalation risks.”
