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International experts on tobacco addiction head to Maastricht

E-cigarettes: special theme during the European conference on tobacco and nicotine research (MUMC+ news)

MECC Maastricht will host a conference on tobacco addiction from Thursday 10 to Saturday 12 September 2015. Leading researchers from more than thirty countries will discuss the latest developments in this field during SRNT Europe 16th Annual Conference. Special themes will include the controversial development of the e-cigarette. Conference organisers, professors Onno van Schayck and Marc Willemsen from Maastricht UMC+, are excited that Maastricht was chosen to host this year’s conference. 'Collaboration and knowledge sharing are extremely important in the scientific community. It's quite an honour that so many experts are coming together here in Maastricht.'

How important is genetic predisposition to smoking? What are the best methods for quitting smoking? Is the electronic cigarette a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes? These are just some of the tobacco and nicotine-related questions that researchers and clinicians are hoping to answer. Participants will discuss these and other issues during the sixteenth edition of the European conference for research on tobacco addiction.

Electronic cigarettes

A notable development currently sweeping the world is the significant rise in the number of e-cigarette users. While electronic cigarettes do contain nicotine, they have far fewer toxic substances than tobacco smoke. 'The question is whether e-cigarettes have any health risks,' says Van Schayck, professor of Preventative Medicine. 'Electronic cigarettes are quite popular among young people in many European countries, but we don't know if this can be considered a gateway drug to smoking "real" cigarettes.' A special symposium on electronic cigarettes will be held on Friday, which will include a review of the latest developments.

The SRNT Europe 16th Annual Conference will take place from 10 to 12 September at MECC Maastricht. This year's theme is: The bigger picture towards multidisciplinarity in nicotine and tobacco research. For more information about the conference and the programme, visit www.srnt-e2015.com.

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