Research

A new study has investigated the flavoring chemicals in e-liquids, and has generated some concern in the media about their risks, with Time using the headline “E-cigarette flavors may be dangerous, study says.” But is this another example of overstating a minor risk for the purpose of spreading mistrust of e-cigs, or is there actually something to it?

The picture frequently painted for the public is that nicotine alone creates the addiction to smoking, and that nicotine in itself – whether consumed by smoking or vaping – is hugely addictive. But is this really true? Here's everything you need to know about e-cigarettes and nicotine addiction.

A new study looking at one-year quit-rates for smokers purchasing their first e-cigarette has found that around 41 percent quit smoking entirely and another 25 percent reduced their cigarette consumption by at least half. The finding contradicts claims that there is no evidence e-cigarettes help you quit smoking, and joins other research in suggesting that quit-rates with e-cigs dwarf those obtained with over-the-counter NRT.

A new piece of research looking at Korean adolescents has led to loud proclamations that e-cigs are a gateway to smoking addiction. The finding echoes concerns of late from hysterical anti-smoking campaigners and groups such as the CDC that e-cigs are some type of Trojan horse through which smoking is going to re-capture society.

If you want a constant stream of junk science on a topic, one thing you’ll need is some researchers willing to crank out a shoddy paper in support of your cause, ideally without putting too much work into it. And the University of North Carolina's Rebecca Williams has mastered the art.

A new systematic review from Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos and Prof. Riccardo Polosa looks at 97 pieces of research on e-cigarettes and their ingredients, providing a comprehensive summary of the body of knowledge to date on e-cigs.

The New England Journal of Medicine formaldehyde study made a lot of people scared about formaldehyde in e-cig vapor. The research was heavily criticized, but the authors brushed off issues as "speculation." They can't do that anymore. Now yet another peer-reviewed study has clearly demonstrated that the original study's method was massively flawed.

The authors of a new paper into the carbonyl output of e-cigarettes (things like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde) and how the PG/VG ratio and voltage used influence it decided that the best way to disseminate their findings was through the New York Times.

Two recent studies from the US and UK continue to track the problem of the public misunderstanding of the relative risks of vaping and smoking. Science says vaping is much safer than smoking, but people - especially in the US - don't know it. So what's the problem?

A new study from Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos looking at existing evidence on the metal emissions from e-cigarettes has determined that vapers don’t need to be concerned about metal exposure. Vapers’ exposure to chromium, cadmium, copper, nickel, lead and cadmium was found to be between 2.6 and 37.4 times lower than the maximum allowable levels in inhalable medicines.

The cancer risk associated with formaldehyde consumption from long-term high-voltage vaping is 5 to 15 times greater than the formaldehyde-related risk from long-term pack-a-day smoking, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, when you look more closely, the finding isn't quite what it seems.

In December, the 2013 Health Survey for England was released, adding more evidence that non-smokers – children or adults – are not particularly interested in e-cigarettes, and that vaping is confined almost entirely to smokers or ex-smokers. Yet again, the idea of a potential gateway to smoking has been slapped down by cold, hard numbers.

A new study from the UK looks at the effectiveness of different methods for quitting smoking using real-world data. The results show that vaping is the most effective approach, helping more smokers quit than Chantix, NRT and all other approaches.

As ex-smokers, many vapers have actually tried nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) before. This encompasses things like gums and patches, which offer some nicotine in the hopes of minimizing withdrawal symptoms when you try to quit smoking.

Passive vapor may be no more harmful (and probably way better smelling) than smoke and vapor-free human breath and even outdoor air.

A new study takes aim at flavoring mixtures used for DIY e-liquid mixing, finding that some concentrated flavors contain nicotine. However, with only an uninformative extract available, the details about what they found are fuzzy. We take a look at the full paper, which shows that only two flavor concentrates out of 30 contained quantifiable levels of nicotine.

A new survey examines the differences between dedicated vapers (who don't smoke) and dual users (who switch between e-cigs and cigarettes).

A new study has revealed that perceptions of the risks of vaping vs. those of smoking influence the chance of successfully switching. Dual users who thought vaping was dangerous were less likely to quit.

A new study has offered further evidence of the harm reduction potential of e-cigarettes, finding that e-cig vapor is less toxic to lung cells than cigarette smoke, and that it also produces less oxidative stress.

The CDC has released the next set of National Youth Tobacco Survey data, and despite spending the last few years continually harping on about the rising use of e-cigarette by youth and its potential as a gateway to smoking, the “concern” is growing less and less believable, as the data strongly suggests that e-cigarettes are actually causing dramatic declines in youth smoking.