Following years of reports hailing vaping as the ultimate solution to quit smoking, more recently the trend has been hitting the headlines with less positive reviews.
After a number of e-cigarette smokers claim to have fallen ill due to their habit, now the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency reports receiving 74 health complaints suspected to be linked to vaping over the past five years.
Out of the figure, 49 were deemed 'serious', with complaints including heart disorders, chest pains and pneumonia. And according to a dossier seen by the Sunday Times, the number of health problems could be as high as 200.
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Experts in the UK are now calling for a national surveillance system to record all of the health issue complaints received, in a bid to assess whether or not vaping carries a risk.
The news arrives after countries including India, Brazil, Singapore and Thailand have banned the use of e-cigarettes. The American government is considering a similar strategy, as health experts are blaming the devices for a mysterious spate of lung diseases.
Per recent statistics reported by The Mirror, 13 people in the US have died from lung disease believed to be linked to vaping, while 805 people are reported to have suffered from lung injury attributed to e-cigarette use.
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Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state health officer for the state of Oregon, said in a statement: "People should stop vaping immediately.
"If you vape, whether it's cannabis, nicotine or other products, please quit. These are addictive substances, and we encourage people to take advantage of free resources to help them quit."
Over in the UK, doctors recommend for anyone who vapes to seek medical help if they develop breathing problems.
In the light of the media storm surrounding e-cigarettes, Public Health England (PHE) has come under fire for its claim that vaping is 95 percent safer than smoking. However, the government agency recently spoke out to say it stands by its claim.
Martin Dockrell, tobacco control lead at PHE, stating: "A full investigation is not yet available but indications are that the US cases have been linked to people using illicit vaping fluid bought on the streets or home-made, some containing cannabis products like THC oil or synthetic cannabinoids like spice, and others Vitamin E acetate oil.
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"This is not the same as using UK regulated nicotine products. Unlike the US, all nicotine-containing e-cigarette products in the UK are tightly regulated for quality and safety by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and they operate the Yellow Card Scheme, encouraging vapers to report any adverse effects.
"Public Health England's advice remains that vaping carries a small fraction of the risk of smoking."
Featured Image Credit:Topics: UK News, Smoking, vaping