The e-cigarette industry has successfully repositioned vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. But the evidence tells a more complicated story. A major 2023 meta-analysis found that adolescents who use e-cigarettes are 3.5 times more likely to take up conventional cigarettes within two years than those who have never vaped.
Aerosol from e-cigarettes contains ultrafine particles, heavy metals including lead and nickel, and flavouring compounds associated with severe obstructive lung disease.