Seemingly-reliable sources give you diametrically-opposed views on vaping. Are e-cigarettes “95% less harmful” than cigarettes, or aren’t they? Are vapes gateway drugs that lead people to smoke, or are they a great way to give up smoking? Is it both? Neither?
In Episode 5 of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look into the research on the health effects of vaping and try to answer these questions - as well as explaining the origin of the fabled “popcorn lung”.
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Show Notes
The WHO praises India for banning vapes
Article on The Conversation arguing the “vaping is 95% less harmful than cigarettes” claim has been debunked
Long UK Government/King’s College London report defending the “95% less harmful” claim (2022)
Earlier (2018) Public Health England report with similar conclusions
New Nicotine Alliance (unaffiliated anti-smoking charity) report with useful references on addictiveness, risk, etc.
Popcorn lung: Science-Based Medicine piece illustrated with lungs full of popcorn; Johns Hopkins piece saying popcorn lung is a concern; American Lung Association piece agreeing; Cancer Research UK piece saying no cases ever linked to vaping
Study retracted for erroneously comparing different age groups; study retracted for time-travelling heart-attacks
UK cigarette smoking rate dropping in adults; dropping in children
Tom’s article on this from 2017
2017 study showing vaping and cigarette smoking correlate in teenagers
2022 Cochrane review on vaping and smoking cessation
Study of vaping in pregnant mice; press release; article in The Sun with scary headline
Study on vaping vs. nicotine patches for smoking cessation in pregnant women
People’s beliefs about vaping: increasing belief that it’s as dangerous as smoking in adults; in adults again; in children
Credits
The Studies Show is produced by Julian Mayers at Yada Yada Productions.
Episode 5: Vaping, smoking, and popcorn lung