An unpublished piece of research out of Manchester Metropolitan University has been picked up by the media, resulting in misleading, fearmongering headlines warning of the ‘deadly side effects’ of vaping, further feeding in to the perpetuation of vaping myths.
But taking a closer look at this research to separate the fact from the speculation demonstrates just how damaging headlines can be when they are based on research that may not have even been considered by experts to assess its validity.
What has this research actually found?
Participants of this study are aged between 18 – 45, with an average age of 27, and all had similar levels of fitness and physical activity. They completed regular stress tests which aimed to measure the elasticity of their blood vessels and the speed at which they flowed to the brain.
Dr Boidin, of the University’s Institute of Sport, revealed that the FMD (flow-mediated dilation) test showed a flat reading between smokers and vapers, signalling lower dilation in the arteries which is an early indicator of future cardiovascular problems like heart disease. However, he goes on to say that he believes this is due to inflammation caused by nicotine.
This does not mean that vaping can be isolated as the cause, because a crucial factor in this study is that the participants are all former or current smokers. Even some of those who are vapers are still using tobacco products alongside an e-cigarette, muddying the results of the study. This makes it impossible to be able to identify whether these results were affected by former or current tobacco use, as well as other factors like caffeine intake, diet, etc.
The study is currently unpublished, making it impossible to know if it has yet been subject to peer review. This is a key step in scientific research where experts assess the validity and objectivity of the findings and is crucial before the findings can be considered reliable. However, the study has been picked up by the Mirror and other news outlets, who do not require any such assessment before they will publish the findings and frame them as indisputable fact.
Another important thing to recognise about the study is that is the first controlled study of its kind into the long-term effects of vaping, meaning there is no other data to compare it against. Additionally, the study does not actually conclude until next month, meaning these conclusions have been drawn before all of the data can even be collected.
Dr Marina Murphy, scientific spokesperson for the UK Vaping Industry Association, has weighed in on these findings, saying:
“Millions of people have been using vaping products safely for many years. All the available data suggests that vapes are unlikely to exceed 5% of the health risks associated with cigarettes.”
How does nicotine affect the body?
Nicotine has been the subject of much villainization and misunderstanding over the years. Yes, it is highly addictive substance and is not completely risk-free, but its association with cigarettes and smoking has led to the common misconception that it is itself a dangerous substance capable of causing cancer and many other health issues.
However, nicotine is not a known carcinogen, meaning it is not known to cause cancer, and its effects on the body are actually quite comparable to that of caffeine. It will increase your heart rate and the amount of oxygen you use, while activating the dopamine receptors in your brain. It is also known to constrict the blood vessels, which is one of the main focuses of testing in the Manchester Metropolitan University research. We look closer at this in our post 'Is nicotine harmful to the body?'
The main issue with nicotine is that it is the substance responsible for an addiction to cigarettes, which are filled with many toxic substances like arsenic, tar, and carbon monoxide. The use of cigarettes means the continued inhalation of tobacco smoke filled with these substances, which can lead to many health problems including lung disease, many different forms of cancer, and cardiovascular problems.
However, the reason that authorities like the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities are able to confidently say that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking, is that although it may include nicotine it does not include these many other much more harmful chemicals. When smokers make the decision to switch to an e-cigarette, they are able to effectively manage their nicotine addiction without the need for combustion or the continued inhalation of a myriad of harmful substances. This allows them to quit smoking without having to worry about withdrawal symptoms, and makes it much more likely that they will successfully quit smoking.
The evidence that vaping is a much less harmful alternative to smoking is ever growing, and is strong enough to allow stop smoking services and the NHS to recommend and offer it as an effective smoking cessation tool, and even for the Government to launch their ‘Swap to Stop’ scheme which provides smokers with a vape kit.
Why is mispresented research so dangerous?
This unpublished research has not yet even been completed and is already leading to headlines warning of the ‘deadly side effects’ of vaping. Many readers may not realise that this research likely has not been peer-reviewed and that its validity is still in question, nor that the use of other tobacco products by participants undermines any effort to actually understand the health risks associated with vaping.
The main focus of the Mirror article and the research it revolves around is on the effects of vaping, but it seems to be that the study is actually looking closer at the effects of nicotine. Yet, there is no mention of the inclusion of other nicotine replacement therapies like lozenges, patches, and gum.
With statements about how the study is ‘set to blow apart the advice that e-cigs are a healthier alternative to cigarettes’ and the mention of illnesses like heart disease, organ failure, and dementia, this is at first glance a scary read for anyone who is using or considering using a vape.
However, this misinformation and blatantly biased view framing vaping as the villain is unfortunately not uncommon in the media. Research from Action on Smoking and Health revealed that four out of ten smokers in Britain incorrectly believe that vaping is harmful or more harmful than smoking. Much of this misunderstanding is due to the negative perception often displayed by the media and the misconceptions that they perpetuate.
Not only does this mean that many people are incorrectly informed about vaping, but it also means they may be less likely to try it as an alternative to smoking, which could be preventing millions of smokers from successfully making a quit attempt. Speaking on the need for this misinformation to be tackled, Deputy Chief Executive of ASH Hazel Cheeseman said:
“The Government has backed a vaping strategy as its path to reduce rates of smoking, but this approach will be undermined if smokers don’t try vapes due to safety fears.”
It is likely that we will see more experts within the scientific community speaking out against this research. In the meantime, we can only hope that those looking at vaping as an alternative to smoking can access information which better demonstrates the risk vaping poses in comparison to smoking, and that it does not deter them from making a stop smoking attempt.
Sources
mmu.ac.uk 03/10/2023
themirror.co.uk 23/02/2025
nih.gov 10/03/2016
gov.uk 29/09/2022
ash.org.uk 23/08/2023
gov.uk 11/04/2023
onlinelibrary.wiley.com 29/06/2022
rsph.org.uk 13/08/2015
nih.gov 13/02/2009
