Vaping could trigger the same cancer-causing changes to DNA as tobacco, new research suggests.
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, experts from the Keck School of Medicine in southern California discovered that young adults who vaped had the same genetic mutations in cells in their mouths as those found in many cigarette smokers.
When they go awry, these cellular changes can lead to cancer and other diseases.
The findings add urgency to Government plans to crack down on the rise of young people getting hooked on vaping – after the Royal College of Paediatrics called youth vaping an ‘epidemic’.
Research shows a record one in ten adults vape – roughly 5.6million people – while nearly a million under-18s have tried it.
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, experts discovered young adults who vaped had the same genetic mutations in cells in their mouths as those found in many cigarette smokers
As Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak planned to  ban single-use vapes
Shockingly, children as young as four have been hospitalised by vaping, and NHS England said doctors have seen a 276 per cent surge in patients of all ages being admitted for vaping-related disorders since 2020.
While in opposition, Sir Keir Starmer promised to support former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ban on single-use vapes and Labour ministers were said earlier this month to be drawing up plans to curb sales to children.
The new study, supported by America’s National Institutes of Health, is the latest in a growing body of research demonstrating the health risks of vaping.
Dividing a group of 30 young people into vapers, smokers and non-nicotine users, researchers looked at DNA methylation in the mouth cells of each group.
DNA methylation is a normal cellular process essential for growth and repair. But it can begin to occur in an abnormal way, damaging the cell.
This may increase the risk of various diseases, depending on where the cells are – including cancer, heart disease and reduced immune function. Smoking has long been known to damage DNA through this methylation process.
And now, scientists have found that vaping may have a very similar effect. In the cheek cells of the vaping group, researchers found extensive overlap in the type of DNA methylation with that of the smoking group.
Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour backed Tory plans to tackle vaping while in opposition and ministers were said earlier this month to be drawing up plans to curb sales to children
‘Our findings indicate that the changes in DNA methylation observed in vapers may contribute to the development of disease, including cancer,’ said Dr Stella Tommasi, associate professor of research population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine.
‘Electronic cigarettes are not as safe as some people claim they are, even if the level of most toxicants and carcinogens present in e-liquid and vapour is generally much lower than that found in cigarette smoke.
‘These findings have significant implications for public health and tobacco regulation that aim to keep vaping products away from young people, who are a particularly vulnerable population.’
The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, also found a number of genetic changes in the vapers that were not found in the smokers – likely due to the wide range of potentially harmful chemicals in e-cigarettes.
