Let's accept the only decent alternative is actually quitting.
Vaping might increase the risk of cancers and heart diseases, a new study has found.
The paper, written by scientists at New York University, claims that nicotine inhaled from an e-cigarette could result in DNA damage as it is converted into chemicals which are harmful to the heart, lungs, bladder and DNA repair functions.
The study was carried out by testing the effects of e-cigarette vapours on healthy mice and human cells, which means further studies will be required in order to determine if e-cigarettes can harm human organs similarly.
The team exposed mice to e-cigarette smoke for three hours each day, five times a week for three months. In total, the amount of nicotine contained in the vapour was 10mg per mililitre, which would be as concentrated as the quantity typically inhaled by a human.
The research project has announced that its next project is a long-term experiment that looks at the development of tumours in mice exposed to e-cigarette vapour. However, the results of this study may take several years to determine.
This breakthrough follows on from a report published a week earlier (23 January), in which it was suggested that e-cigarettes can help adults to quit smoking conventional cigarettes.
At the same time, the report also found that their use among younger people increased the risk of them taking up conventional smoking when they're older.
There was also conclusive evidence that e-cigarettes can explode and cause burns and projectile injuries. Such risk is significantly increased when batteries are of poor quality, stored improperly, or are being modified by users, the study found.
Furthermore, while the use of e-cigarettes can help adults to stop smoking conventional cigarettes, the study found substantial evidence that e-cigarette use results in symptoms of dependence on e-cigarettes.
