A landmark study detailing the long-term effects of vaping suggests that it is not much different to smoking.
Researchers from the Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport have been comparing the cardiovascular health of 20 vapers, 20 smokers, and 20 people who do neither.
"To ensure the long-term impacts of vaping and smoking is being assessed, all participants will be tested in a fasted state, having had no food, caffeine, cigarettes or vapes that day," MMU said in 2023.
The results, which will be published in full in July, show that 'the dangers for someone who keeps vaping are no different from smokers' and carry the same risk of developing dementia, heart disease, and organ failure for long-term users.
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“At the beginning (of the study), I also believed that vaping was more beneficial than smoking. You see a lot more people vaping these days because they don’t think it’s too bad. Many will be horrified to know the truth,” Dr Maxime Boidin, who led the study, told The Mirror.
“Smokers tend to go outside and smoke, and once a cigarette is finished, they have to light up another to keep going. But with vapes, you just keep going, and it’s much harder to know how many puffs you’ve had.
“It’s much easier to vape continuously because you can do it in places where smoking might be less acceptable.”
While the NHS's stance on vaping as a tool for smokers to work towards quitting remains the official advice, Dr Boidin thinks this study could change the idea that vaping is 'substantially less harmful than smoking'.
The sample group, with an average age of 27, was assessed on their lifestyle and activity levels before joining the study, MMU previously explained.
"This is to ensure that results reflect only whether health is impacted by vaping, and not an individual’s fitness levels, which can also affect cardiovascular health," they said.
Dr Boidin noted that last year's ban on the sale and supply of all single-use vapes remains a 'step in the right direction'.
The cardiac rehabilitation expert said: "These products primarily target younger individuals, whereas older adults tend to use refillable options.
"From a health perspective, the ban should reduce access among the younger population, as refillable vapes are generally more expensive and less accessible.
"From an environmental standpoint, we frequently see single-use vapes - and their packaging - littering pavements.
"In the end, the ban is a step in the right direction.
"But it represents only a small part of the broader educational and cultural change that’s needed."
Anish Vij