How Dangerous Is Vaping?

Vaping is in the news again, after a teenage boy claimed that smoking the e-cigarettes almost 'killed him.'

Over the past year or so, there's been a steady stream of concerning reports about vaping. Earlier this year, a number of cities and states in the US banned or restricted vaping in response to 34 apparent deaths linked to the habit.

Yet, in the UK, there's been no ban and the Department of Health routinely encourages smokers to ease onto vapes on their journey to quitting the habit, deemed preferable to actually smoking tobacco cigarettes.

So, what's the deal with vaping? We've done some research and asked the experts...

What is vaping?

Essentially, nicotine - the same stimulant found in cigarettes - is inhaled through vapour rather than smoke. The e-liquid, which contains the nicotine and some other ingredients, is heated by the cigarette.

Is vaping better for you than smoking?

According to Public Health England (PHE) - and, therefore, the NHS - essentially, yes.

While they do not promote vaping, as such, they maintain it has a lesser health risk than smoking cigarettes. We're guessing after years of the pictures on cigarette packets and anti-smoking education since primary school, you're familiar with the health risks but, as a reminder, the NHS says smoking is one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK, it increases your risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions and each year around 78,000 people in the UK die from smoking.

Compared to smoking, PHE has said vaping is 'at least 95% less harmful' and poses 'only a small fraction of the risks of smoking, and switching completely from smoking to vaping conveys substantial health benefits over continued smoking'.

Is vaping dangerous?

Concerns have peaked again over the habit after Fisher's life-threatening illness came to light in the British Medical Journal.

The teenager, whose reaction is believed to be rare, told the BBC: 'Vaping has basically ruined me, I try to tell everyone and they think I'm being stupid, I tell my mates and they don't listen. I don't want anyone to end up like me and I don't want you to be dead.'

Fisher's doctors agreed that vaping is to blame, as he developed the condition hypersensitivity pneumonitis. When they tested the two e-cigarette liquids he used they found one of them triggered an immune reaction which then caused the condition.

The BMJ stressed a learning that should be taken from this story: 'We consider e-cigarettes as "much safer than tobacco" at our peril.'

In September, the UK government responded to the aforementioned concerning reports in the US. They clarified that the outbreak of illnesses in the country largely narrows to when THC-containing products have been in vape pens (THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis and not permitted in e-cigarettes in the UK).

'The outbreak does not appear to be associated with long term use of nicotine e-cigarettes, which have been used in the US for over 10 years,' the PHE said. '... The main chemicals under suspicion in the US such as THC and Vitamin E acetate oil are not permitted in e-cigarettes in this country.'

But PHE warned, that although nicotine e-cigarettes are more tightly regulated in the UK, the 'illicit drugs market is global' so it's possible similar products in the US could be available in the UK.

Is vaping safe?

First things first, despite PHE's claim that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking, the body stresses: 'It should be noted that this does not mean e-cigarettes are safe.'

No one is advocating that vaping should be taken up as a hobby, it is simply suggested as a way to eventually quit smoking cigarettes. Earlier this year, a study suggested vaping is almost twice as effective than nicotine replacement therapies, like patches and gum, for helping people stop smoking.

So, in conclusion, all smoking = bad. As PHE says: 'Smokers should consider switching completely [to e-cigarettes] and vapers should stop smoking.'

The British Lung Foundation also continues to support the stance that vaping is less harmful than smoking and could be a tool for quitting.

'We support e-cigarettes as a tool to help people quit smoking,' Rachael Hodges, senior policy officer at the foundation, told ELLE UK.

'If you do choose to use an e-cigarette to help you stop smoking, make sure you buy a regulated product and speak with your local stop smoking service who can give you advice on which product may work best for you. We’d also encourage people reduce the nicotine they vape and stop altogether when the time feels right so you won’t go back to cigarettes.

'While vaping is not completely safe, the important thing to remember is smoking is far more harmful.'

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. SIGN UP

Olivia Blair

Talent Editor

Olivia Blair is Talent Editor at Hearst UK, working predominantly across Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire and Harper's Bazaar. Olivia covers all things entertainment and has interviewed the likes of Margot Robbie, Emma Stone, Timothée Chalamet and Cynthia Erivo over the years.