Key takeaways
- Little is known about the long-term side-effects of vaping, as it’s relatively new. But we do know it’s safer than smoking.
- Short-term side-effects of vaping include throat and mouth irritation, headaches, coughing and feeling sick
- Vaping can help you quit smoking because vapes contain nicotine, which you can gradually reduce
- It’s important that children do not vape and it’s advised not to vape around babies and children
Electronic cigarettes are also known as e-cigarettes or ‘vapes’. They heat a liquid that becomes a vapour people can breathe in. Vapes usually contain nicotine, which is the addictive chemical in cigarettes, but do not contain tobacco, which is the cancer-causing ingredient in cigarettes. Because of this, vaping is safer than smoking, and is an effective nicotine replacement therapy for people who want to quit. However, little is known about the long-term side effects of vaping, so only people who want to stop smoking should vape, not children or people who have never smoked. In this article, Perci’s Lead Cancer Nurse Specialist Rachel Rawson answers five key questions about vaping.
1. What is vaping?
‘Vapes’ or ‘E-cigarettes’ are a relatively new product that heat a liquid into an often-scented vapour people can breathe in. This is known as ‘vaping’.
2. Is vaping safer than smoking?
While vapes contain nicotine – the addictive substance in cigarettes – they do not contain cancer-causing tobacco or the other harmful chemicals in cigarettes. Some potentially harmful chemicals have been found in e-cigarettes, but levels are usually low.
This makes vaping safer than smoking. It also makes passive vaping (breathing in someone else’s vape smoke) safer than passive smoking. However, it doesn’t mean that vaping is harmless. If you do vape it’s important to buy vaping products from a reputable supplier like a specialist vape shop, pharmacy, supermarket or a UK-based online retailer, so they are covered by UK safety and quality regulations.
3. What are the side-effects of vaping?
Short-term side-effects include throat and mouth irritation, headaches, coughing and feeling sick. It’s too soon to know about other long-term side-effects of vaping. As yet, there is no good evidence that vaping causes cancer.
4. Is vaping addictive?
Yes, because vapes contain nicotine – the addictive substance also found in cigarettes – they are addictive. However, nicotine isn’t thought to be harmful to health.
5. Can vaping help someone stop smoking?
Cancer Research UK recommends that vapes should only be used by adults who want to stop smoking tobacco. Because vaping is less harmful than smoking, a person’s health could benefit by switching, and their cancer risk could be reduced.
Evidence shows that nicotine vapes are actually more effective than nicotine replacement therapies, like patches or gum, as long as they contain enough nicotine to reduce withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. After switching to vapes, someone can gradually reduce the nicotine strength in their e-liquid and vaping frequency, and then stop altogether.
Almost two-thirds of people who use a vape along with support from their local Stop Smoking Service successfully quit smoking. If you’re thinking about stopping smoking, speak to your doctor or pharmacist, free local Stop Smoking Service, or download the NHS Quit Smoking app to get support.
Perci’s cancer nurse specialists are trained in discussing cancer risk and can offer guidance and support around quitting smoking.
While we have ensured that every article is medically reviewed and approved, information presented here is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to one of our healthcare professionals or your primary healthcare team.
References:
‘Is vaping harmful?’, Cancer research UK, March 2023, https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/is-vaping-harmful
‘Vaping myths and the facts’, NHS, accessed April 2024, https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/vaping-myths-and-the-facts/