E-cigarettes can lead to asthma and heart disease, report finds

E-CIGARETTES do pose a risk to health, according to major review of their safety which has just been carried out in England.

Vaping can worsen heart disease and lung disorders while the risks posed by inhaling ingredients used to flavour them are still ‘unknown’, according to the research which was backed by the British government.

The research said e-cigarettes should only be used as an aid to quit smoking, and warned that users who do not already smoke tobacco ‘risk negative effects on their health’ by vaping.

Health threats to bystanders were considered low — but they can suffer an increased heart rate from high nicotine exposure if they stand near someone vaping, said the report.

Professor Alan Boobis who led the report said it was wrong to consider the devices ‘harmless’. He said: ‘Our assessment on ecigarettes largely reinforces the scientific consensus to date on their relative safety — that, while not without risk, they are significantly less harmful than smoking.’

Many health experts view them as a crucial tool in the fight against tobacco but others are concerned about unresolved safety issues and use by young people.