Research

The issue of reliability in e-cigarette research is being brought into the limelight recently. So, in the manner of “A Rough Guide to Spotting Bad Science,” is there anything we should be on the lookout for when considering the findings of e-cigarette-related studies? Whether by incompetence or by design, there are many common problems with vaping related research - and how its often reported - that any critical reader of the science should keep an eye out for.

A new study looking at the factors associated with switching from cigalike e-cigarettes to advanced devices has provided more evidence that newer-generation devices are more effective when it comes to quitting smoking, and confirms what most vapers know: advanced devices are just better all round.

A new study claims to have found that watching ads for e-cigarettes featuring the act of vaping increases the urge to smoke for daily smokers and weakens intentions to continue abstaining for ex-smokers. However, taking a look at the details makes it obvious that this study must be interpreted with caution.

A new study from Dr. Konstantinos Farslinos and colleagues has provided further confirmation that e-cigarettes are vastly safer than cigarettes, including naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) e-liquids that use flavor directly extracted from tobacco leaves. Among other findings, NET e-liquids were shown to have over 200 times less nitrosamines than cigarettes.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

A new study from Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos has offered confirmation that previous formaldehyde scares were due to “dry puffs,” and that with more capable atomizers (even at high powers), the levels generated are vastly lower than from cigarettes. The study shows that vapers can easily identify dry puffs, and it's only in these conditions that cigarette-like levels of aldehydes are created.

New data from ASH UK has shown that – much like in the US – the false belief that e-cigarettes are as dangerous as or more dangerous than smoking is becoming more common in both smokers and the general population. The implication is depressingly clear: frequent misleading statements about e-cigarettes are discouraging smokers from switching to the reduced harm alternative.

A new study aims to further the anti-vaping agenda by combining two of the sources of the most indignation about the technology: advertising and the children. Stanton Glantz called the study “direct evidence that e-cig TV ads are recruiting kids to nicotine addiction,” but, as with most things that come out of his mouth, this is pretty much complete nonsense.

A new study looking at the effect of e-cigarette vapor on human airway cells has found no sign of toxicity, with the vapor-exposed cells faring about as well as the air-exposed ones. The new finding adds further evidence that the risks associated with vaping are likely to be very small, and almost certainly much less than the risks of smoking.

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.

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.

With widespread claims that e-cigarettes are a threat to public health, evidence-based assessments of the risks are desperately needed. Public Health England has just released such an assessment - updating their previous report in line with new evidence - and is strongly pushing the conclusion that e-cigarettes are 95 percent less harmful than smoking.

A new study being touted as evidence that vaping is a gateway to smoking really only shows that "teens who experiment continue to experiment," and actually provides a pretty solid blueprint for showing vaping is a gateway to anything you want. Here's how to design a study to "support" whatever gateway claim you like.

Just when you thought the whole formaldehyde issue had been abused enough, utterly debunked by subsequent research and relegated to the slush-pile of over-stated risks of e-cigarettes, it turns out there’s more. The Center for Environmental Health has announced that they’ve found “high levels” of cancer-causing chemicals in the majority of almost 100 e-cigarettes tested.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that a recent study found that teenagers are using e-cigarettes to vape pot. The headline finding is that almost one in five teens who’d tried vaping e-liquid had also tried vaping marijuana, but – as always – such an opportunity couldn’t be allowed to pass by without attempting to blame e-cigarettes for what happened. So, are e-cigarettes a gateway to marijuana now?

For those intent on claiming that e-cigs are a gateway to conventional cigarettes, the new Monitoring the Future study has a pretty devastating result: it turns out, most teen vapers don’t even use nicotine.