Study Suggests Shift to Vaping Could Reduce Future Cancer Rates

Islamabad: A new U.S. study suggests that the growing shift from traditional cigarette smoking to e-cigarettes and other non-combustible nicotine products could contribute to lower cancer rates in the future, although researchers emphasize that more evidence is needed to fully understand the long-term health effects.

Published in the JNCI Cancer Spectrum journal, the study analyzed data from U.S. federal health surveys conducted between 2015 and 2023.

Researchers found a significant decline in conventional cigarette smoking across nearly all age groups during the study period, with the sharpest decrease among adults aged 18 to 34. At the same time, the number of people using only alternative nicotine products—particularly e-cigarettes—increased.

According to the study’s lead author, Professor Kenneth Michael Cummings of the Medical University of South Carolina, the findings suggest that many smokers are switching entirely to vaping rather than using both cigarettes and e-cigarettes simultaneously.

The study reported that the proportion of people using both conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes remained relatively stable at around 2% to 3% throughout the study period.

Researchers also developed a Population Harm Reduction Index to compare the use of combustible cigarettes with non-combustible nicotine products. They said a higher index indicates that more people are moving away from traditional cigarettes toward alternatives that may expose users to fewer cancer-causing chemicals.

The study found that adults aged 55 and older were much less likely than younger people to switch from cigarettes to alternative nicotine products, despite potentially gaining greater immediate health benefits from quitting smoking.

Among those aged 18 to 24, vaping has now become more common than cigarette smoking, according to the research.

Professor Cummings said the greatest concern is that long-term older smokers are not transitioning to lower-risk non-combustible nicotine products as quickly as younger users, even though they could benefit the most from giving up cigarettes.

The research was funded by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The authors stated that the vaping industry did not provide financial support for the study.

Note: While some evidence suggests that switching completely from combustible cigarettes to certain non-combustible nicotine products may reduce exposure to harmful chemicals, vaping is not risk-free, and the long-term health effects are still being studied. People seeking to quit smoking should consult a healthcare professional for advice on the most appropriate cessation methods.