What we know about e-cigarettes and what we don’t know.

What does an e-cigarette/vape mean and what do they look like?

E-cigarettes can also be called vapes. To make vapour, they heat liquids. People can inhale it. Nicotine, which is an addictive chemical found in cigarettes, can be found in e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes have been shown to cause serious health issues according to studies. These studies were usually conducted on lab animals and cells, not humans. Ecigarette vapour concentrations can be much higher than those experienced in real-life.

These studies can be useful in exploring the effects of electronic cigarettes but not as a basis to determine real-world human impacts.

Your location may influence the way that the debate is conducted. The US was responsible for nearly 70 deaths and thousands of cases of respiratory illness in 2019. These headlines are misleading as these cases were not due to regular vaping, but rather contaminants in illegal products. The UK did not experience a similar outbreak, and all chemicals of concern have been banned.

Evidence is overwhelming that e-cigarettes pose a greater risk than smoking. The levels of nicotine in vaping users who quit smoking were significantly lower, according to a study. These levels were comparable to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) users. It is not known if second-hand vapour from electronic cigarettes can cause harm.

However, e-cigarettes remain relatively new. E-cigarettes remain relatively new, and not enough research has been done to assess their long-term effects or how they impact people who have never smoked.

"Vapers almost always are ex-smokers or smokers." Bauld says it is difficult to link these risk factors. Safety questions may require many years of research to find definitive answers.

There are many more things to be learned.

Researchers have discovered that tobacco has many harmful effects over the years. Experts agree that ecigarettes pose a lower risk than smoking. Researchers and public health agencies have agreed on this.

Is it possible for me to quit smoking using e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes are proven to decrease smoking. A 2015 English study comparing e-cigarettes to smoking cessation found that 18,000 people could quit using them.

Research shows that stop smoking services are the best way to quit smoking. These services can include counseling and prescription medication. To help people quit smoking, e-cigarettes can be used in combination with stop smoking services.

Bauld states that smoking is still the leading cause of cancer. It is also linked to 15 types of cancer. It is important to prevent cancer by encouraging smokers to quit and young people to give up e-cigarettes. Researchers are studying e-cigarettes as a means to quit smoking.

There is still much to learn. There has not been much research on the effectiveness and efficacy of different nicotine flavours in helping smokers quit smoking.

Although the UK's smoking rate is declining, it remains higher for those most in need than those least fortunate. To reduce inequality, experts are particularly interested in best e cigarette. Recent research has shown that people with lower socioeconomic status are more likely to use e-cigarettes. This could indicate that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit.

Youth vaping is a gateway to smoking cigarettes

Another question that is frequently asked is about youth vaping. Can people quit smoking by using e-cigarettes instead? This is known as the "gateway effect".

There is no evidence that the UK has a gateway effect. Although vaping is growing in popularity among younger people, very few vapers use the UK regularly. A representative survey of 1,926 11-18 year-olds in Great Britain revealed that none reported daily vaping.

Research has shown that electronic cigarettes use is more common among young people. This is a difficult situation to overcome as vaping is more common among young people who smoke than in those who do not. Experts believe that young people are more likely to smoke, vape, or drink alcohol. Research has shown that youth are more likely to vape than smoke.

Good news: Electronic cigarettes are becoming more popular among young people. It doesn't appear that e-cigarette have stopped young people from quitting smoking.

There is no evidence that vaping makes young people smoke or that it makes those who have never smoked to vape more. We will monitor vaping among young people.

Is it legal to vape and smoke simultaneously?

There is no evidence to suggest that vaping or smoking are worse than smoking cigarettes. The best way to achieve health benefits is vaping.

Many questions remain unanswered. It is possible that there may be a transition period during which people stop smoking and begin vaping. We don't know what the mechanism is or how individuals differ.

Experts must understand the reasons people smoke and vape, and what they can do to help.

Find the answers

Bauld identifies the major gaps in our current research, and says that we don't have enough information about how people use electronic cigarettes over time. This includes whether or not they quit and how their use patterns change over time. Very few studies have been done. Unfortunately, there is not enough information available on the long-term health effects of these devices.

Cancer Research UK funds a lot of research on e-cigarettes and smoking cessation. These funds are in addition to the extensive research that is being conducted worldwide to address these important issues. We work closely with policymakers to ensure regulations reflect the constantly changing research. To provide accurate information, we also interact with the public.

We partnered with the US National Cancer Institute in 2020 to launch Cancer Grand Challenges. This global funding platform provides support for top-notch researchers who are working to solve the most difficult problems in cancer research. International researchers are invited to address the challenging issue of e-cigarettes.

It is crucial to conduct large-scale, long-term studies on topics like youth use, harms, or patterns.

These studies will allow us to determine the impact of different regulations on the global population. These studies will enable governments and health agencies to create laws to protect young vapers but also allow for e-cigarettes to help people quit smoking.

There are many things that can be done to improve vaping's effectiveness, but evidence is mounting. Cancer Research UK suggests that everyone who has ever smoked stop vaping. Anyone who has never smoked is discouraged from vaping.