title: Electronic Cigarettes for Curbing the Tobacco-Induced Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases: Evidence Revisited with Emphasis on Challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: Introduction. This review examines whether electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) implementation or vulgarization in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) could be helpful in curtailing the toll of tobacco smoking in the region.Discussion. There are about 1.3 billion smokers worldwide, with nearly 80% of them living in developing countries where the burden of tobacco-related illnesses and deaths is the heaviest. Studies report that e-cigs may facilitate smoking cessation, reduction, or abstinence and may pose only a small fraction of the risks of traditional tobacco cigarettes; e-cigs may also considerably reduce second-hand smoking. Thereby, implementation of e-cig use could help to substantially reduce the burden driven by tobacco smoking in SSA, in a particular context of lack of regulations and control policies towards this threat. However, the evidence is not clear on whether e-cigs are risk-free, especially if used in the long term.Conclusions. On the whole, if e-cigs were to be introduced in SSA, they should be strictly recommended to current and/or ex-smokers as a method to quit smoking or prevent relapse and never-smokers should be strongly encouraged to avoid using these devices. Bans on sales of e-cigs to youngsters should be legislated, e-cig advertisements prohibited, and their usage continuously controlled and monitored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé 1, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Sickle Cell Disease Unit, Mother and Child Centre of the Chantal BIYA Foundation, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
authors.forename: Jobert Richie N
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Nansseu
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Centre Pasteur of Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Sud XI, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Jean Joel R
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8018-6279
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bigna
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017281:Cost of Illness; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D012926:Social Control, Formal; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control