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Why it鈥檚 wrong to say vaping is as bad for you as smoking

Vaping vs smoking: how the evidence on cancer and other health risks compare.

According to the World Health organisation, smoking kills some 7 million people every year. It is one of the world鈥檚 leading causes of preventable death.

Because smoking causes lung cancer and other awful health conditions, many smokers switch to vaping - using nicotine-based e-cigarettes.

But the World Health organisation is also concerned about vaping. Last year they said 100 million people around the world are now using e-cigarettes, including millions of children, and warned that they were fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction.

But how do the health risks of these two means of getting nicotine into your bloodstream compare?

According to a recent headline in the Daily Mail, they鈥檙e basically the same. Here鈥檚 the headline:

鈥淰aping is linked to lung and mouth cancer in major study, as experts warn: 'It is NOT safer than smoking鈥欌

But is vaping really just as bad for you as smoking?

CONTRIBUTOR:

Professor Lion Shahab, Co-Director of the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group

CREDITS:

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald
Reporter/producer: Tom Colls
Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown
Sound mix: Dave O鈥橬eil
Editor: Richard Vadon

Available now

9 minutes

Last on

Sun 10 May 2026 10:50GMT

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  • Sat 9 May 2026 04:50GMT
  • Sun 10 May 2026 04:50GMT
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  • Sun 10 May 2026 10:50GMT

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