Can e-cigarettes be a “safe alternative” to cigarettes?

E-cigarettes are harmful to health. The "China Smoking Hazards Health Report 2020" released by the National Health Commission pointed out that "there is sufficient evidence to show that e-cigarettes are unsafe." Studies have found that cells exposed to e-cigarette smoke extracts are more susceptible to DNA damage and death than unexposed cells. E-cigarette filling fluids of various flavors/brands and their aerosols are cytotoxic. These research evidences fully show that there are harmful substances in e-cigarettes. Of course, due to the large differences in e-cigarette product types, production processes, quality supervision measures, and harmful substance detection methods, the comparability between research results is very poor, and a systematic evaluation system is urgently needed in the field of e-cigarettes. However, it is undeniable that the use of e-cigarettes does harm your health.

Author｜Science Rumor-Refuting New Media

Review丨Zhang Yu, researcher/PhD, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national health science expert