There is a lot of confusion as to the health benefits of vaping, with arguments for and against in the media. So what is vaping? Is it safe, and is it a choice for COPD patients?

What is vaping? Its using an electronic device – an ‘e-cigarette’ – to inhale nicotine in a water vapour aerosol instead of it being carried in smoke particles. As tobacco burning isn’t involved, so health harming tar and carbon-monoxide aren’t carried along with the nicotine.

So is vaping safer than smoking tobacco? On the face of it, with the absence of tar and carbon monoxide, it seems to be a lot safer. But e-cigarette liquids contain propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and flavourings. A quick google reveals that these might include ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, some chemicals that have been linked to serious lung disease, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals such as nickel, tin, and lead. The jury is out on whether these will cause harm when inhaled in a vape aerosol cloud.

Although here in the UK e-cigarette liquids are covered by tight quality and safety regulations designed to protect vapers, the wide range of products and outlets may mean that some low quality products are reaching the market. The BBC have recently reported on illegal vapes in schools.

Also it shouldn’t be forgotten that vape aerosol contains nicotine which itself can be harmful, causing acute increases in blood pressure, heart rate and respiration, and raising the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, or a heart attack.

On balance it seems that vaping is safer than traditional tobacco smoking: the NHS say that vaping is not completely risk-free, but poses a small fraction of the risk of smoking cigarettes. However the long-term risks of vaping are not yet clear.

Will vaping help you get off cigarettes? E-cigarettes have become a popular tool to help people quit smoking. The NHS says that thousands of people in the UK have already stopped smoking with the help of an e-cigarette. A 2021 review found that using e-cigarettes to quit smoking, when combined with expert face-to-face support, can be up to twice as likely to succeed as other nicotine replacement products, such as patches or gum. In the end though, it comes down to personal motivation. A good place to find out more is here: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking/

Is vaping OK if you have COPD? For smokers recently diagnosed with COPD vaping may be one of the tools to help reduce and then stop smoking, with proper support from a health professional. However some research studies have reported users experiencing headaches, mouth and throat irritation, coughing and nausea, and breathing difficulties as a result of vaping.  In view of these risks, and the general uncertainty over the safety of vaping, vaping shouldn’t be thought of as a risk-free long term habit for people with COPD. The safest health option is to stop smoking tobacco and not use e-cigarettes at all.

Will vaping cause young people to take up smoking and become future COPD patients? Research has found that e-cigarette use by young people is increasing. There is concern that e-cigarette marketing is being targeted at teenagers who do not smoke rather than smokers trying to quit.

Whilst several studies have suggested that vaping may be a ‘gateway’ to tobacco smoking in teenagers and young people it’s possible that the same young people who try e-cigarettes would also be more likely later to smoke cigarettes anyway. A study reported in Addiction journal found no statistically significant linkage between vaping and taking up tobacco smoking.Yet again the jury is out on the issue.

Is e-cigarette vapour harmful to others? In research terms it’s still early days and there’s little evidence that vaping causes harm to other people, unlike second-hand cigarette smoke, which is known to be very harmful to health.

So what is the conclusion? Overall, vaping is less harmful than smoking, but not risk-free. There is still a lot that remains unknown about e-cigarettes and while their use shows potential in helping smoking cessation, smokers wanting to quit will need to use conventional smoking treatments and professional support as well to be truly free of smoke.

Cornwall Breathers.com says that until the research is clear COPD patients considering vaping should be very careful about their choices, and always seek and follow medical advice.

1. Seek Professional Support – Talk to your GP or COPD specialist nurse. They can help you decide whether vaping, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), or other cessation approaches (or a combination) is best for your situation.

2. Use Regulated Products – If you do choose to vape, use regulated, reputable products and avoid homemade or unregulated e-liquids.

3. Aim for Complete Cessation – If vaping helps you stop smoking, you may later aim to reduce or stopvaping altogether, depending on your health goals and doctor’s advice.

Disclaimer: This summary is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. If you have COPD (or any other health condition) and are considering changing how you manage nicotine intake, you should discuss your individual situation with a qualified healthcare professional.