FIU: Public health researcher ignites debate on e-cigarettes

Wasim Maziak, M.D., Ph.D., one of the world’s leading experts in nicotine and tobacco research, has come out strong against promoting e-cigarettes as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.

Professor and chair of epidemiology at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Maziak published an op-ed piece in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, “Harm Reduction at the Crossroads: The Case of E-Cigarettes” and letters in JAMA and The Lancet noting that e-cigarettes are being marketed to young consumers and they are hearing that message—and responding to it in alarming numbers.