The myth of quitting
Vaping is often promoted as a tool to help people stop smoking, yet the data tells a different story. Although 85% of e-cigarette users report starting vaping to quit cigarettes, a 2013 study across four countries published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found they were no more likely to quit than those who never vaped. In fact, reports show that vaping often reduces the likelihood of quitting altogether, with around 70% of users becoming dual users—continuing to smoke while vaping.
What’s actually in the vapour
A 2017 Harvard study analysing 24 flavoured e-cigarette brands found that every single one contained at least one aldehyde or flavouring chemical listed as “High Priority” by FEMA or classified by the FDA as Harmful or Potentially Harmful. Despite this, these products are inhaled repeatedly every day.
We also don’t fully understand how common ingredients—propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavourings, and other additives—behave when heated and aerosolised, especially when used 20 to 30 times a day beyond their original FDA approval context.
Lung injury and toxic exposure
The risks became highly visible during the 2019 outbreak of vaping-associated lung injuries, which resulted in 2,807 hospitalisations and 68 deaths in under a year. One major contributing factor was vitamin E acetate—an additive whose harmless-sounding name masked its severe effects when inhaled.
Research from Johns Hopkins examining 56 e-cigarette devices found that many produced aerosols containing potentially unsafe levels of lead, chromium, manganese, and nickel. These metals originate from heated metal coils and are linked to lung, liver, immune, cardiovascular, and neurological damage, as well as certain cancers. The danger is amplified by ethyl maltol, a common artificial sweetener shown to facilitate the transport of heavy metals into cells.
Cardiovascular and clotting risks
Vaping also exposes users to high concentrations of ultra-fine particles and toxins at levels comparable to conventional cigarettes. These particles activate platelets, increasing their tendency to clump together—an important contributor to clot formation and cardiovascular disease.
Research from Poland suggests that chemicals such as acrolein and formaldehyde, created during e-liquid heating, accelerate arterial hardening and narrowing by more than 1.6 times. Studies from the University of California, San Francisco found that daily e-cigarette use doubles the risk of heart attack, while dual users face a fivefold increase compared to non-smokers.
Hormones, fertility, and pregnancy
The effects extend beyond the lungs and heart. A 2022 study found that vaping doubles the risk of erectile dysfunction in men aged 20 and over. A separate 2020 study of 1,221 men showed a 34% reduction in total sperm count among e-cigarette users compared to non-users.
E-cigarettes contain endocrine-disrupting compounds capable of interfering with hormonal balance and reproductive function. In women, a large study involving 71,940 participants found that unfavourable birth outcomes increased by 62% among those who used e-cigarettes during pregnancy.
Immune suppression and hidden contaminants
Vaping weakens the body’s ability to fight infections. A 2018 study published in BMJ Thorax showed that e-cigarette vapour damages alveolar macrophages—key immune cells responsible for clearing pathogens, toxins, and allergens from the lungs.
Additional concerns come from contamination: an analysis of the ten top-selling U.S. brands detected endotoxins above the limit of detection in 23% of samples tested, adding another layer of inflammatory risk.
Beyond health: society and the environment
Beyond physiology, there is a broader cost. The argument that vaping benefits society is weak when considering its environmental impact. Each disposable vape contains a lithium-ion battery; in the UK alone, the lithium discarded annually in vapes could produce around 1,200 electric vehicle batteries.
On a social level, vaping increasingly functions as an emotional crutch—an “adult pacifier” that outsources stress regulation and potentially disrupts brain chemistry and hormonal balance rather than addressing underlying causes.
The real experiment
E-cigarette use continues to grow rapidly, while robust long-term research on its health effects remains limited. What we do know already points to serious risks—many of which mirror or compound those of smoking itself.
Don’t be society’s guinea pig. It’s time to confront the dark side of vaping.
