It's among the most important public health problems in the world — preventing the devastation wreaked by smoking. Experts predict the global death toll of cigarettes will approach 1 billion lives lost this century. But misguided or agenda-driven public health officials worldwide are condemning one hope for slowing this catastrophe — electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigarettes," and certain low-risk tobacco products that have the potential to reduce the risk caused by smoking.

Public health officials are gathered at a conclave in Seoul, South Korea, for the revision of an international tobacco treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Theyll be taking up e-cigarettes and perhaps even calling for a ban.

The logic employed by these critics is that since e-cigarettes look like actual cigarettes, they must be curbed as well.

But what the critics see as a bug is actually a feature: e-cigarettes can work as a public health tool precisely because of their resemblance to the real thing.

E-cigarettes work by giving addicted smokers the nicotine they crave, without the toxic smoke. They supply a variable amount of nicotine in a watery vapor and produce a red glow at the tip when puffed upon.

E-cigarette users — they call themselves vapers — get the satisfying drug but none of the tarry smoke. Thats why many smokers who switch to e-cigarettes succeed in staying smoke-free

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