World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday stated that despite marketing advertisements, the electronic cigarette is not deemed to be legitimate therapy for smokers trying to overthrow the habit.

Dr Ala Alwan, WHO’s Asstt. Director-General for Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health confirms that the electronic cigarette is not proven nicotine replacement therapy, and there is no scientific evidence that confirms its safety and efficacy.

Resembling a cigarette, the electronic cigarette is made of stainless steel and stores various concentrations of liquid nicotine in a specially designed chamber powered by a rechargeable battery.  It does not need to be lighted nor produces any smoke, though when puffed on, it produces a fine, heated mist that gets absorbed in to the lungs.

Meant to help smokers break their tobacco addiction, the electronic cigarette was first developed in 2004 in China, and is now sold in various other countries, including Brazil, Canada, Finland, Israel, Lebanon, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and Britain.  However, WHO says that electronic cigarettes do not really help smokers to quit, rather a number of chemical additives in the product could prove to be toxic.

Electronic cigarette marketers have been called on to immediately remove any suggestion from their websites and promotional materials that the electronic cigarette has been officially sanctioned by the WHO.

The largest cause of preventable death worldwide, tobacco contributes to 5.4-million deaths from heart disease, stroke and other diseases annually, according to the agency.