ALL YOU NEED IS LOAF Honey-fruited soda bread Ingredients

Expert Martin Mckee, Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has concerns.

He said: “I fully accept they are safer than conventional cigarettes but they are not 95 per cent safer. That figure is little more than a guess. They have a significant number of problems associated with them.”

He believes chemicals present in the liquid are the main worry. And specialist shops are cropping up on High Streets everywhere, selling hundreds of flavours, from blueberry and mint to garlic and hot dog.

He said: “The effects on the cardiovascular system are there but it’s hard to know what is precisely causing the problem.

“Some problems are definitely caused by e-cigarettes but it is hard to know which particular component of what is inhaled is causing the problem. The flavours are probably the main thing but there’s also concern about micro- particulates – solvents which form tiny droplets.

“Inhaled into the lungs, this can cause an inflammatory reaction both in the lungs and to the cardiovascular system.

“Flavourings are basically food additives. When you eat, it goes into your gut – we’re used to ingesting toxic things, gs, we evolved to deal with it as blood from the gut goes es first to the liver.

“If you i nhale through the lungs you can’t detoxify poisons in the liver.”

More than seven n million people still smoke oke regular cigs. Public Health England says vaping is safer but not without risks and that non-smokers should not start.

Sophia Lowes, from Cancer Research, said: “E- cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive, but they don’t contain

Serves 6.

40g honey, 150g mixed dried fruit, 300g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting, large pinch of fine sea salt, 200ml buttermilk, 2tbsp olive oil.

Method

1 At least 30 minutes before making the bread, mix the honey with 3tbsp tepid water. Stir in dried fruit and rub so they are well coated in the honey syrup. Leave to soak. 2 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/GAS 7. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Add the honeyed dried fruits and mix well.

3 Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour the buttermilk and oil into the well and mix with a wooden spoon or one hand until the ingredients come together. 4 Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Dust the top with flour and knead until the dough feels even, then shape into a rough round. Place on a baking sheet and press out to form a circle 20cm/8in in diameter. Mark a cross shape into the dough with a knife, going almost down to the baking sheet. 5 Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is brown all over. Best eaten on the same day, or keep in an airtight container for a day or two and serve toasted.

From Spoonfuls of Honey by Hattie Ellis.