An international team of researchers led by Australian scientists has found vaping is likely to cause lung and oral cancer.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) described the study as “one of the most detailed efforts” yet to understand the health risks of vaping.
The researchers noted only long-term studies will be able to demonstrate the exact risks, but said: “Our conclusion was that vaping causes cancer.”
Vapes
E-cigarettes first became available in Australia in the late 2000s. Initially, they were marketed as a “safer” alternative to cigarettes.
The growing popularity of disposable vapes in a range of flavours in recent years prompted international governments to crack down.
In July 2024, Australia became the first country in the world to ban the sale of all vapes outside pharmacies.
Research
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The UNSW-led research team reviewed more than 100 existing global studies of cancer-causing chemicals in vapes, including results from experiments on people and animals.
The team concluded “the evidence points strongly in one direction”: vaping causes cancer.
Review co-author Professor Bernard Stewart described the finding as “unavoidable.”
“We can hardly say that e-cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes,” he said.
The scientists noted it took almost 100 years of research to officially confirm smoking caused lung cancer, from the 1800s to the 1960s.
Review co-author Professor Freddy Sitas said: “E-cigarettes were introduced about 20 years ago. We should not wait another 80 years to decide what to do.”
The review’s authors say the findings will support governments and public health officials’ decision-making around vaping.
