E-Cigarettes, Nicotine Patches, Switching Cigarette to Vape is Completely ‘Safer’ than Smoking Tobacco, New Study Says

The debate is still on regarding whether the use of e-cigarettes is much safer than the use of tobacco filled smoke. Yet recently, a new study had shed light that e-cigarette usage is safer than tobacco use.

According to RTE, the study had been concluded as the longest research study on long-term tobacco users ever conducted. The British study then included 181 smokers and ex-smokers that used nicotine replacement therapy products were assessed. The study also included a third group which was e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement products.

Thus, the study funded by the Cancer Research UK had concluded that after six months, the cigarette users group who had switched to e-cigarettes were found to have far fewer toxins and less cancer-causing substances in their body compared to continual tobacco users.

Furthermore, Irish Times also noted that the study had e-cigarette users to have 97 percent lower levels of one toxic chemical associated with lung cancer which is NNAL compared to full-time smokers. Aside from NNAL, other substances called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that include highly carcinogenic acrylamide and cyanide-releasing acrylonitrile was found to be less present in e-cigarette users.

In addition, nicotine patches were also found to be safer than tobacco products due to results of saliva and urine samples. Thus they also stated that it is safe to switch from cigarettes to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and e-cigarettes completely. Still, it was also noted that those cigarette users have only a little difference compared to those who uses cigarettes and e-cigarettes at the same time.

It was also reported that the study’s lead author, Dr. Lion Shahab, from University College London, said that, “We’ve shown that the levels of toxic chemicals in the body from e-cigarettes are considerably lower than suggested in previous studies using simulated experiments.” Thus the lead author also stated that the doubts about e-cigarette being dangerous are false.

With the recent controversies pointing out vaping to be more dangerous than smoking, the researchers then noted that they hope that their study could help those people confused about smoking and vaping.