“We need uniform rules on digital smoking throughout Europe”

“There is no good smoke. We know that every year of all those who want to quit smoking, only a small percentage succeeds, the rest continue to be smokers. If after so many decades we have not succeeded in getting these people to quit smoking, as doctors we must suggest less harmful products. What we know today is that in the United States the FDA, with very specific written rules, is examining all new tobacco products and e-cigarettes, deciding that the new smokeless products contain fewer harmful substances. In Europe, however, each state decides according to its own rules. The EU should instead have a process similar to the US in which all scientific documentation is examined and it is decided whether a product can be defined as having a lower risk ”. This was stated by Dimitri Richter, director of the Cardiology Department of the Euroclinic hospital in Athens, during the work of the session “Cardiovascular prevention – smoking habits” of the XVIII edition of the ‘Roma Cuore’ congress. Read also “Risk reduction is especially applicable in the fight against smoking – underlined Richter – because we know that nicotine is an addictive substance. So since we can’t get people to quit smoking for medical, cultural, addictive reasons, the best thing we can do is give them products that have overcome the legislative barrier. For this reason, in my opinion – he concluded – national regulatory agencies throughout Europe should decide if and which products can have this diversification of risk and reduced harm compared to classic smoking “.