UKVIA responds to University College London study on vaping

By Staff Writer in Industry News 20th March 2024

The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has responded to scientists at University College London who said their research shows vaping is not risk-free.

Analysis of 3,500 cheek cell samples found “significant” genetic changes in smokers that were linked to lung cancers and growths and e-cigarette users were found to have the same changes, even if they had smoked fewer than 100 real cigarettes in their lives.

Study author Dr Chiara Herzog said: “We cannot say that e-cigarettes cause cancer based on our study, but we do see e-cigarette users exhibit some similar genetic changes to smokers.”

The UKVIA has amplified the point in the latter statement concerning cancer which it seeks to clarify.

It said it welcomes research into the health impact of vaping so that the relative risks of vaping and smoking can be better understood.

However, it stressed that while the study data – which one leading academic has described as ‘crude’ – implies a link to changes in cheek cells which could potentially cause cancer, the study authors said their findings did not prove that e-cigarettes caused cancer.

“What we do know is that smoking causes at least 15 different types of cancer, is the biggest cause of cancer in the world and is responsible for 250 deaths in the UK every day.

“The study authors said their findings showed that vapes ‘might not be as harmless as originally thought’ but it is important to make clear that nobody in the vape industry ever said that vaping was harmless. There are risks from vaping but they are tiny compared to smoking.

“When Public Health England published its first evidence review of nicotine vaping in England in 2015 it was confident enough to say that vaping was ‘at least 95% less harmful than smoking.”