Deadly aspect of vaping revealed as bombshell research blows preliminary principle out the water
A bombshell Manchester Metropolitan University study into the long-term effects of vaping suggests that e-cigs users face as much risk to their health as smokers
The dangers of vaping have been laid bare in a bombshell world-first study that revealed it can cause just as much damage to the body as cigarettes.
Inhaling nicotine vapour from e-cigarettes has been described by the NHS as “substantially less harmful than smoking”. But a study has found long-term users are equally at risk of dementia, heart disease and organ failure as smokers due to damaged artery walls and impaired blood flow.
Dr Maxime Boidin – whose team at Manchester Metropolitan University is carrying out an 18-month study – has now called for e-cigs to be available on prescription only.
He said: “We now know the long-term effects of vaping, and if we don’t act now we will see a health emergency in 10, 15 years.
“Smokers and vapers suffer the same degree of damage to arteries. 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. It’s much easier to vape continuously because you can do it in places where smoking might be less acceptable.”
He believes the damage is due to inflammation caused by nicotine, as well as the other substances found in vapes, reports Mirror.
Some sixty volunteers took part in the study, which is due to conclude next month, including student Adam Petrulevic, 25, who never smoked cigarettes but says he takes a puff of his vape “every few minutes” and only stops when he goes to sleep.
And Marine, 33, who began three years ago to wean herself off smoking, but says: “I didn’t smoke in the house but now I vape all day long. I’ve noticed that I’m out of breath more.”
Around five million Brits say they are regular vapers, despite more than a million of them having never smoked regularly.
And Public Health England is still advising that “vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking”.
But the bombshell findings come just weeks after Hollyoaks star Paul Danan died aged 46, months after revealing he’d had to be revived after suffering respiratory failure caused by excessive vaping.
Dr Boidin added: “At the beginning, 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.”
Disposable vapes will be banned from June but Labour MP Rachael Maskell has also backed tighter restrictions on vapes. She said: “This study adds to the body of evidence that vaping can cause significant harm. The government should take stricter measures in ensuring that vapes are only accessible as a smoking cessation intervention.”
Dr Marina Murphy, of the UK Vaping Industry Association, says: “Millions have been using vaping products safely for many years. All available data suggests vapes are unlikely to exceed 5% of the health risks associated with cigarettes.”
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