Published: 01:00 BST, 26 August 2026 | Updated: 11:52 BST, 26 August 2026
Swapping cigarettes for vapes does not put users 'at risk of serious harm' – is the surprising conclusion of a major review into e-cigarette safety.
Experts behind the report promoted the use of the devices as a stop-smoking treatment, saying doctors should be 'reassured' of their safety.
The review also found that e-cigarettes are at least two thirds more effective at stopping people smoking than nicotine gum and patches.
The advice comes a week after the publication of a stark review that linked vaping to a host of health conditions in young people, including respiratory problems including wheezing and coughing, depression and panic disorders.
The authors, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), also found a higher incidence of allergies, sleep and eye symptoms in young vapers.
'There is much we do not yet know about [vaping's] long term impact on children and young people…but a clear and concerning picture is emerging,' said the College's Vice President for policy, Dr Mike McKean.
Meanwhile, paediatrician and author of last week's study, Professor Will Carroll, said vaping 'should not be seen as a harmless part of growing up,' adding that it is 'clearly linked with respiratory symptoms and nicotine dependence'.
However, the authors of the new review, published in the prestigious Cochrane Library, argue that the risks of vapes 'pale in comparison' to smoking.
Evidence now suggests that vaping is not nearly as safe as once thought
'With every update, the evidence has become stronger that vapes play a crucial role in supporting people trying to quit smoking,' Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, senior author of the review from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said.
'Based on the consistency of the findings here, it’s clear they are not only substantially less harmful than smoking, but a proven and viable option for people wishing to quit traditional cigarettes.'
The number of Britons aged under 16 who vape overtook the number of smokers of the same age for the first time this year, official figures show.
Prof Carroll told the Daily Mail that the new report neglects the risk of the devices to young people.
'One person's exit from the perils of tobacco smoking might be a child's entry into a lifetime of nicotine addiction and subsequent poorer health,' he said.
