It Might Take Another Decade Before We See the Real Health Risks of Vaping

E-cigarettes were introduced as a tool to help people quit smoking, but they’ve become a trend among teenagers and young adults—some of whom never smoked before.

Research on the long-term health impact of vaping is still incredibly limited because the devices are relatively new and unregulated. Still, experts worry about the potential emergence of cancers and diseases as a result of vape use in the coming years.

“Vaping has been widely advertised as being a safer alternative to cigarette smoking and has been popularized among young people,” Chi-Fu Jeffrey Yang, MD, a thoracic surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, told Verywell.

“A consequence of this is that many young people are unknowingly putting themselves at higher risk of developing lung diseases in the future,” Yang added. “What particularly concerns me is that all of the health risks of vapes have not yet been well established.”

While the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized 23 e-cigarette products, there are more than 2,000 vape products on the market as of June 2022, according to the tobacco control group Truth Initiative.

In some cases where vaping products get banned, companies simply change their brand name and continue selling them.

How Toxic Are the Chemicals in Vapes?

Lung cancer diagnoses have actually declined in recent years because fewer people are smoking. Currently, there’s no data to show that vaping increases lung cancer risk.

“That’s not to say that vaping does not increase lung cancer risk, but rather just that there hasn’t been enough time and research to fully understand if there is an association between vaping and lung cancer risk,” Yang said. “We do know that vaping promotes inflammatory changes in the lungs, which may result in increased lung cancer risk.”

Emerging evidence suggests that vaping is associated with chronic lung diseases, asthma, and heart disease. Flavored vapes often contain an additive called diacetyl, which can cause lung damage when inhaled. Vaping has also been shown to promote inflammation of the gums and mouth, Yang said.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University tested tobacco-flavored liquids by four popular brands and found several toxic additives and thousands of unknown chemicals.

Some chemicals that are released when the e-liquid gets heated, such as formaldehyde and benzene, are classified as carcinogens.

Nicotine on its own is not cancer-causing, but it’s incredibly addictive and known to have negative effects on smooth muscles and other organs in the body, according to Mary P. Martinasek, PhD, CPH, a respiratory therapist and fellow at the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC).

The two common solvents for e-liquids—propylene glycol and glycerin—are considered respiratory tract irritants. While the FDA classifies them as “generally recognized as safe” for use in foods and beauty products, they can have harmful effects when inhaled, Martinasek said.

Can Vaping Cause Cancer?

Martinasek said she expects to see cancers caused by vaping in the future despite having limited data now.

“Because of the novelty of these products, we do not have any solid evidence of cancers, but animal models are starting to suggest the possibility of pre-cancerous formations,” she said.

Generally, it takes more than 20 years for a lifetime cigarette smoker to develop cancer, according to researchers at the New York University School of Medicine. If e-cigarettes are truly carcinogenic, the emergence of human cancer from vaping may not happen for another decade.

There's also evidence to show that vapes can harm the brains of teens and young adults, including cognitive function decline, memory issues, and poor executive functioning.

“Unfortunately, it will take time to see if the use of these products increases the risk of cancers and lung diseases. In the time being, I think focusing on the data we do have and educating the public about these data are important,” Yang said.

Beyond vaping, new smokeless products such as nicotine pouches are gaining popularity among young people. However, these too have been found to contain cancer-causing chemicals.

“Oral nicotine pouches have been shown to irritate gingival tissue,” Yang said. “In general, anything that increases inflammation does raise the concern that it could potentially increase cancer risk in the future.”