The sight of people smoking on high streets or in local pubs is becoming increasingly rare. Nowadays, it is more common to see individuals using e-cigarettes or vaping, many under the impression that it is less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), approximately 5.3 million adults over 18 (10.6%) smoked cigarettes in the UK in 2024, the lowest number since records began in 2011. Meanwhile, around 5.4 million people aged 16 and over (10%) used an e-cigarette daily or occasionally.
A leading medical researcher has raised serious concerns about vaping, suggesting it could be more harmful than traditional tobacco. Dr William Li, a physician from the Zoe podcast, stated: "Vaping is definitely a cancer risk, and it's been well established in the lab. It's being seen in the clinic, and arguably, the chemicals in these vaping solutions are even more irritating, even more toxic, than traditional tobacco."
Dr Li added: "They're different, but we think that they actually may be even more DNA-mutating. For those people who think vaping is a safer alternative, you might be doing something even worse for yourself. Whether you're talking about vaping or cigarettes, pipes, or cigars, you're putting toxins into your lungs."
Dr Jeremy London, a surgeon with board certifications in general, vascular, and thoracic surgery, also rates vaping as a top-tier risk to human health. Speaking to Today, Dr London described smoking as "the single worst thing you can do for yourself" while expressing similar concerns about vaping. "Those who use these devices often struggle more with physical exertion and heart health. Although we don't have the data like we do with cigarettes over many years, I've personally seen some tragic outcomes in young individuals who vape."
Studies have shown that adults who regularly use electronic nicotine delivery devices exhibit worrying changes in cardiovascular function and perform considerably worse on exercise stress tests compared to those who do not use any nicotine products.
