'Vaping myths deter smokers quitting', says study

People are more likely to give up smoking and switch to vaping if they understand the reduced harm of e-cigarettes, according to a new study.

The study was carried out by researchers at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS).

Researchers said the study revealed young adults who smoked at the age of 23/24 who perceived vaping as less harmful than smoking were more likely to switch from smoking to vaping six years later.

Lead author Dr Katherine East, associate professor in public health at BSMS, claimed "misperceptions" of vaping was a factor in "deterring adults who smoke from switching to vaping".

"While vaping is not without risks, the evidence is clear that vaping is much less harmful than smoking and can help people successfully quit smoking," she said.

The research, supported by the UK Medical Research Council, Wellcome, University of Bristol, Cancer Research UK and Society for the Study of Addiction, says in England in 2024, 85% of adults who smoked inaccurately perceived that vaping is equally or more harmful than smoking, or did not know the relative harms.

Cancer Research UK stated that while legal e-cigarettes do not contain tobacco and other toxic chemicals contained in cigarettes, they are still a relatively new product so "we don't yet know their long-term effects".

The organisation said the harmful side effects of vaping included throat and mouth irritation, headaches, coughing and feeling ill.

It also pointed out there was "no good evidence that vaping causes cancer".

Dr Jasmine Khouja, senior author and senior research associate, tobacco and alcohol research group integrative cancer epidemiology programme, said: "The study highlights the need for interventions to improve the misperceptions about vaping that are currently observed among people who smoke.

"Our study shows that these beliefs could be stopping some people from switching from smoking to vaping as a less harmful alternative.

"It is important for people who smoke to understand that although vapes are not risk-free, switching to vaping could dramatically reduce their risk of developing smoking-related diseases."

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