Islanders welcome study that shows vapes are less harmful than cigarettes

Islanders who use e-cigarettes instead of smoking are welcoming news that they are much less harmful than regular cigarettes.

It comes after the first long-term study of its effects in ex-smokers.

After six months, people who switched from real to e-cigarettes had far fewer toxins and cancer-causing substances in their bodies than continual smokers, scientists found.

Alan Wilson, gave up smoking two years ago after switching to a 'vape'. He told ITV News, since making the switch he feels healthier.

Experts hope the findings will reassure would-be quitters who have been confused by mixed messages about the safety of e-cigarettes.

Some previous studies suggesting that vaping is as harmful as smoking have little in common with real-world experience, it is claimed.

The new findings also show that to be safe it is necessary for smokers to switch over completely to e-cigarettes or nicotine replacement therapy.

Study participants who failed to make a clean break still had significant amounts of tobacco-related toxins in their saliva and urine.

The Cancer Research UK-funded scientists studied a total of 181 individuals including smokers and ex-smokers who had used e-cigarettes or NRT products such as patches and nasal sprays for at least six months.

A third group had continued to smoke at the same time as using e-cigarettes and NRT products.

Compared with full-time smokers, e-cigarette-only users had 97% lower levels of one toxic chemical, NNAL, that is strongly associated with lung cancer.

But there was little difference in NNAL levels between cigarette-only users and those who both smoked real cigarettes and vaped e-cigarettes.

Other substances called volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including highly carcinogenic acrylamide and cyanide-releasing acrylonitrile, were also far less present in the bodies of e-cigarette users.