Clearing the air: protocol for a systematic meta-narrative review on the harms and benefits of e-cigarettes and vapour devices

Introduction:
This text summarizes the protocol for a systematic meta-narrative review on the harms and benefits of e-cigarettes and vapour devices. The review aims to clarify the issues around the use of these devices and inform pressing regulatory and public health decisions. The review is being conducted using an integrated knowledge translation approach, with public health researchers and knowledge users working collaboratively throughout the project.

Key points:

* The review aims to answer five research questions: (1) What are the health risks and benefits of vapour devices, and how do they compare to cigarettes? (2) What is the harm reduction potential of vapour devices for individuals, the environment, and society? (3) Does youth vapour device experimentation lead to cigarette use? (4) Can vapour devices be effective aids for tobacco cessation? and (5) What is the potential toxicity of second-hand vapour?
* The review is using a meta-narrative synthesis approach, which involves categorizing papers into research traditions to understand different perspectives on the evidence for each research question.
* The search strategy includes academic publications and grey literature, with the help of a research librarian.
* The review will compare and contrast the evidence from different research traditions to answer the research questions, identifying overarching meta-narratives.
* The full team will draft recommendations to be disseminated through a variety of knowledge translation strategies.

Main message:
The main message of the text is that the review aims to clear the air around the contentious debate on the harms and benefits of e-cigarettes and vapour devices. By using a systematic and even-handed approach, the review seeks to offer clear-headed recommendations for policy, regulation, and future research. The text emphasizes the importance of this review in informing pressing regulatory and public health decisions, not only in Canada but internationally as well.

MacDonald, Marjorie, Renee O’Leary, Tim Stockwell, and Dan Reist. “Clearing the air: Protocol for a Systematic Meta-Narrative Review on the harms and Benefits of e-Cigarettes and Vapour Devices.” Systematic Reviews 5, no. 1 (December 2016): 85. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-016-0264-y.