Vaping is safer than smoking cigarettes, according to long-term study

[Sharrivz]

Every few months, a new study about the effects of smoking e-cigarettes concludes the opposite of whatever came before it. It’s a cycle that started when the popularity for the cigarette alternatives exploded a few years ago and has led to a lot of confusion over whether vaping is bad for your health.

We have, over the decades, mostly come to a consensus on the dangers of smoking combustible cigarettes—a conclusion founded on countless long-term studies. Until now, e-cigarette studies have simply either analyzed the product or investigated the effects on animal and cell models.

A new study funded by Cancer Research UK is the first to explore the effects of e-cigarettes by looking at long-term human body-level exposure. The results are promising.

The study looked at five groups: combustible cigarette users, former smokers who now smoke e-cigs, former smokers on nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and current smokers who also smoke e-cigs or also use NRT.

The study concluded that e-cigarette-only and NRT-only users had significantly lower levels of carcinogens than combustible cigarette-only, smokers of both cigarettes and e-cigs, and smokers of cigarettes who are also NRT users.

After analyzing the urine and saliva of 181 participants, researchers found that levels of NNAL, a chemical linked to cancer, was 97.5 percent lower in ex-smokers who vape compared to continuous smokers.

“The take-home message for smokers and e-cigarette users is that using e-cigarettes long-term is likely to carry substantial health benefits, certainly in relation to cancer risk, compared with continued smoking. E-cigarettes are certainly safer than combustible cigarettes,” Lion Shahab, one of the scientists working on the study, told Digital Trends.

Cancer isn’t the only risk when smoking cigarettes. Shahab says the next test will need to look at smokers over a longer period of time to determine their respiratory and cardiovascular health.

Until that happens, e-cigarette smokers can worry more about their devices exploding than anything else.

H/T Digital Trends

https://www.dailydot.com/debug/e-cigarette-vaping-effects-long-term-study/?fb=ss&prtnr=22words

 

[aktorsyl]

The study is also mentioned in this article: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/is-vaping-bad-for-health/
That article is bound to infuriate many.
PS: What a gasbag that Prof. Stanton Glantz is, right? Although if my parents named me Stanton...

 

[craigb]

The study is also mentioned in this article: https://www.dailydot.com/debug/is-vaping-bad-for-health/
That article is bound to infuriate many.
PS: What a gasbag that Prof. Stanton Glantz is, right? Although if my parents named me Stanton...

A third to half as dangerous works for me.

Are any of these proper, peer reviewed and published studies? I believe the peer review system is rather rigorous and should be the cornerstone upon which general opinion and legislation should be formed.

Lastly, something I know many hear hold true is that if it's better than smoking, in just one aspect even, it's a win.

Come up with something healthier than vaping and I'm sure many of us will jump ship to the new technology. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.

 

[aktorsyl]

A third to half as dangerous works for me.

Are any of these proper, peer reviewed and published studies? I believe the peer review system is rather rigorous and should be the cornerstone upon which general opinion and legislation should be formed.

Lastly, something I know many hear hold true is that if it's better than smoking, in just one aspect even, it's a win.

Come up with something healthier than vaping and I'm sure many of us will jump ship to the new technology. Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.

Yup, but the Glantz guy is falling into the trap of confirmation bias. Because he's conducting the study to determine whether vaping helps people to quit smoking with the sole objective of finding it false.

 

[craigb]

Yup, but the Glantz guy is falling into the trap of confirmation bias. Because he's conducting the study to determine whether vaping helps people to quit smoking with the sole objective of finding it false.

Thanks, I struggle to get through these sorts of articles these days, I start skimming after a couple of paragraphs usually and miss the really meaty stuff.