The spinMyth 07 of 14
“It’s too new. We have no idea what vaping does.”
PubMed lists 17,561 papers on e-cigarettes, and there are 80 randomised trials on quitting alone. We don’t have 40-year data — but “no idea” just isn’t true.
The evidence
E-cigarettes have been studied intensively for well over a decade. We know a lot. We don’t know everything.
As of 25 September 2026, PubMed — the US National Library of Medicine’s index of medical research — held 17,561 records on e-cigarettes and vaping, most added since 2014.69 The Cochrane review of vaping for quitting now includes 80 randomised trials and nearly 30,000 people.23
We also don’t have to wait decades to measure harm. Biomarker studies measure what ends up in people’s bodies, and exposure to the chemicals behind smokers’ cancers and lung disease falls dramatically when people switch completely.1514
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Why this site exists
Nicotine hooked me. Smoke nearly killed me. Vapour gave me my breath back.
Read my story →