How unhealthy are e-cigarettes? Find out if vaping really is safe

E-cigarettes have become a popular way for smokers to quit their tobacco habit but a former health minister says there has not been enough research into vaping’s long term effects.

Norman Lamb, chairman of Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee, says consumers need to know more about the potential damages electronic cigarettes could cause.

E-cigarettes are commonly considered to be a safer nicotine fix than tobacco, with the NHS even suggesting smokers switch to vaping during this year’s Stoptober campaign.

In 2015, Public Health England released a report which found e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than inhaling tobacco

But MPs sitting on the Parliamentary committee have launched an inquiry, which aims to find out more about vaping’s long-term effect.

The probe will look at the impact of e-cigarettes on human health, the “suitability” of regulations guiding their use, and the financial implications of their use on business and the NHS.

Mr Lamb said: “Almost three million people in the UK now use e-cigarettes, but there are still significant gaps in the research guiding their regulation and sale.

“They are seen by some as valuable tools that will reduce the number of people smoking ‘conventional’ cigarettes, and seen by others as ‘re-normalising’ smoking for the younger generation.

“We want to understand where the gaps are in the evidence base, the impact of the regulations, and the implications of this growing industry on NHS costs and the UK’s public finances.”