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<br />Safety concerns were addressed recently. Two analyses reviewed toxicological, laboratory <br />and clinical research on the potential risks. They concluded that e-cigs are by far less <br />harmful than smoking, and that ‘significant health benefits are expected in smokers who <br />switch from tobacco to e-cigs’. Yet governments and the WHO remain unconvinced about <br />the benefits of e-cigs. There is deep distrust of tobacco companies. This is borne out by <br />article 5.3 of the framework convention, which requires that ‘in setting and implementing <br />their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, parties shall act to protect these <br />policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance <br />with national law’ — i.e., avoid any interaction with tobacco companies. But this policy is <br />impossible to implement in countries where democratic law-making processes require <br />interaction with all stakeholders, or where the government owns a tobacco company. <br />Moreover, it limits the potential to make use of scientific discoveries by tobacco companies. <br />At a WHO tobacco control conference last October, governments stressed the need to <br />protect tobacco-control activities from all commercial and other interests. That effectively <br />means not talking to researchers developing new and safer products. They also wanted <br />governments to consider prohibiting or regulating e-cigs as tobacco products — which <br />would be a huge boost to the deadly status quo.