電子煙可能不利於身體健康,但無論如何都勝過抽菸

Electronic cigarettes may be less risky than the regular kind, but that still doesn't mean they're safe, according to the most exhaustive review of the research yet.

最詳盡的研究綜述表示：電子煙帶來的危害可能比普通煙少，但這並不意味着電子煙就是安全的。

The booming, $10-billion vaping industry is expected to grow to $34 billion by 2021, but there's still a lot scientists don't know about how e-cigarettes affect health. So Congress asked a panel of experts to wade through more than 800 scientific studies. The result, published today by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, reports that swapping e-cigarettes for the regular kind reduces some of the health risks associated with smoking. But overall, the report calls for more research into the health effects of vaping, especially since e-cigarettes are the favored tobacco product of middle and high school-aged students.

這個蓬勃發展的電子煙產業身價超過100億美元，預計到2021年將達到340億美元，但科學家尚未完全清楚電子煙給人體健康帶來的影響。所以國會要求一個專家小組讀完800多份科學研究資料。研究結果由美國國家科學院、工程和醫學院於今日發表，報道表明：用電子煙取代普通煙降低了一些與吸菸相關的健康風險。但整體而言，報告呼籲開展更多有關電子煙對人體健康帶來何種影響的研究，尤其是因爲電子煙是最受初、高中生青睞的菸草產品。

The researchers grouped their conclusions by the amount of evidence supporting them. In the best-supported category, the team reports conclusive evidence that completely switching to e-cigarettes can cut down on a smoker's exposure to the toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in regular cigarettes. But e-cigarettes also pose new and unusual risks, the review says: "e-cigarette devices can explode and cause burns and projectile injuries" and "intentionally or unintentionally drinking or injecting e-liquids can be fatal."

研究人員通過一系列支撐證據將研究結論分類。在最受支持的這一類結論中，研究小組報道了確鑿的證據，表明完全轉向抽電子煙可以減少吸菸者接觸普通煙中的有毒的、致癌化學物質。

In the second-best supported category, the team reports substantial evidence that the puff of vapor from an e-cig can contain metals and chemicals known to damage DNA, like formaldehyde. The nicotine in e-cigs can cause a short-term boost in heart rate, and smoking them can lead to dependence, the report says. teens who vape are also more likely to try smoking regular cigarettes and there's moderate evidence that this could set teens up for heavier cigarette use later on.

在支持率排第二的結論中，研究小組報告了大量的證據，表明電子煙的蒸汽可能含有已知的會損害DNA的金屬和化學物質，比如甲醇。報告表示，電子煙中的尼古丁會導致心率短期升高，而吸入這些尼古丁會讓你上癮。抽電子煙的青少年更有可能嘗試抽普通煙，一定的證據表明，這會讓青少年以後的煙癮更重。

When it came to kicking the smoking habit, there weren't enough randomized controlled trials to say how e-cigarettes stacked up against, say, nicotine gum or just going cold turkey. But there were hints that people who used e-cigarettes more often were also more likely to quit smoking the regular kind of cigarettes.

在戒菸方面，並沒有足夠的隨機對照試驗來說明究竟是電子煙好，還是尼古丁口香糖亦或是直接戒掉好。但有些跡象表明，抽電子煙的人更有可能戒掉普通煙。