The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) report that not
enough reliable research data has been published on the safety
and health effects of electronic cigarettes, nor on their
effectiveness in smoking cessation. There is so far very little
scientific evidence regarding the health effects of electronic
cigarettes. "According to the reliable research available,
electronic cigarettes contain the same components that endanger
health as conventional cigarettes, some that even cause cancer,"
says the Director General of THL, Pekka Puska. The long-term
effects on the functioning of the respiratory organs are not
well known. Research has also shown that the quality of the
liquids used in electronic cigarettes varies greatly, and that
the product descriptions do not always match the real contents.
"FIOH urges workplaces to treat the smoking of electronic
cigarettes in the same way as that of real cigarettes. A non-
smoking workplace is the most advisa