Vaping could be more dangerous than smoking

Vaping may be worse for you than traditional smoking, according to a new study.

Greek researchers have discovered that the aroma contained in electronic cigarettes damages the lungs by causing inflammation.

Experiments conducted on mice showed that even in the short term, the inflammation that they caused was similar or worse than that of conventional cigarettes.

Dr. Constantinos Glynos said: "The adverse effects observed in the lungs on exposure to electronic cigarette vapors in animal models underscore the need for further research into the safety and toxicity of these rapidly expanding devices in the whole world."

The researchers conducted their experiment by exposing different groups of mice to cigarette smoke, various e-cigs or pure air four times a day, each session being separated by intervals of 30 minutes without smoke.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Physiology, show that e-cigs and refills are not well regulated and that their long-term health effects are unknown.

Glynos, from the University of Athens, said: "Electronic cigarettes are touted as a less harmful nicotine delivery system or as a new tool for quitting smoking. Our results suggest that exposure to e-cig vapor can trigger inflammatory reactions and negatively affect the mechanics of the respiratory system. "

Glynos added, "We conclude that e-cigarettes and traditional smoking have a negative impact on lung biology."

His findings follow a British study earlier this year, which also suggests that vaping is more harmful than previously thought.

Scientists from the University of Birmingham extracted cells from lung samples provided by healthy non-smokers and exposed them to e-cig liquid, condensed vapor or nothing for 24 hours . Steam exposure increased cell death and the production of inflammatory chemicals.

Public Health England claims that e-cigarettes are 95% safer than traditional cigarettes. And they suggest that smokers consider switching to vaping to help them quit. Critics warn, however, that vaping can cause lung disease, keep people hooked on nicotine, or encourage children to smoke.