Vaping is seen by many people as an alternative to smoking.
Special e-cigarettes – also known as vapes – heat liquid nicotine to make an inhalable vapour.
Public Health England says vaping is much less harmful than smoking and can be used as an aid to giving up cigarettes.
But there has been a big debate about the smoking alternative.
One study suggests that vaping can damage important cells that protect our body.
While another report, by the science and technology MPs’ committee, want to see rules around e-cigarettes relaxed so they can be more widely used and accepted in society.
They say vaping is much less harmful than normal cigarettes and e-cigarettes should be made available on prescription to help more people quit smoking.
What is vaping?
Using an e-cigarette is known as vaping. Vaping allow people to breathe in nicotine in a vapour rather than using cigarettes to smoke.
These special e-cigarettes don’t produce tar or carbon dioxide, which are harmful to a person’s lungs.
They work by heating a liquid that contains a mixture of nicotine, additives and flavouring.
Users can choose whether to use a liquid that contains nicotine.
E-cigarettes are regularly used by ex-smokers to help them quit.
Is vaping safe?
While the NHS acknowledges that e-cigarettes are not entirely risk-free, it emphasizes that they carry only a fraction of the risk associated with traditional cigarettes. Public Health England echoed this sentiment in its February report, presenting “overwhelming evidence” supporting the notion that e-cigarettes are safer than smoking and proposing their availability on prescription. However, a recent study challenges these assertions, suggesting that e-cigarettes might pose more harm than initially believed. Conducted by the University of Birmingham, the research indicates that vaping can adversely impact crucial cells in the immune system, vital for combating viruses and bacteria. Furthermore, the study notes similarities in the effects of vaping with those observed in regular smokers and individuals suffering from chronic lung diseases.
What are the rules for e-cigarettes?
The UK tightly controls how e-cigarettes are sold and advertised.
They can not be sold to under-18s and adults cannot buy them for under-18s.
They also can’t be advertised in newspapers, online or on radio and television.
The Government also places strict limits on how e-cigarettes are packaged and what is on their labels.
They can be purchased from special vape shops, pharmacies and other retail outlets but they’re not currently available from the NHS.
