Nicotine vapes best chance to quit smoking, major review finds

Experts say vaping, although not entirely risk-free, is far safer than smoking.

In the UK, there are now more over-16s using vapes or e-cigarettes than smoking cigarettes, figures show. Around 5.3 million people or 10% of adults say they smoke, while around 5.4 million use vapes daily or occasionally.

The review, external of the most recent and best quality evidence to date applies to regulated vapes that are checked for quality and compliant with strict safety laws.

It doesn’t look at unregulated ones that can contain illicit substances, like spice or THC.

One of the report authors, Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, cautioned: “Unlicensed e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous, with issues including unstable batteries and harmful chemicals.

“Anyone looking to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking should only purchase devices that have been tested and approved by their country’s regulatory body.”

The review found no evidence of any increased risk of serious harm from using e-cigarettes to quit.

The long-term risks of vaping are not yet clear though, and the NHS says children and non-smokers should never vape.

Doctors say vaping could lead to health harms in children and should be made “less attractive” to them.