Vaping could trigger the same carcinogenic changes in DNA as tobacco, new research suggests.
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, experts at the Keck School of Medicine in Southern California found that young adults who vaped had the same genetic mutations in their mouth cells as those found in many cigarette smokers.
When they go wrong, these cellular changes can lead to cancer and other diseases.
The findings add urgency to the government’s plans to combat the rise in young people becoming addicted to vaping, after the Royal College of Pediatrics branded youth vaping an “epidemic”.
Research shows a record number: one in ten adults vape (approximately 5.6 million people) while almost a million children under 18 have tried it.
In the most comprehensive study of its kind, experts found that young adults who vaped had the same genetic mutations in their mouth cells 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 hospitalized for vaping, and NHS England said doctors have seen a 276 per cent increase in the number of patients of all ages admitted for vaping-related disorders. vaping since 2020.
While in opposition, Sir Keir Starmer pledged to support former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ban on single-use vapes and earlier this month Labor ministers were said to be drawing up plans to curb sales to children.
The new study, backed by the U.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, the researchers looked at DNA methylation in the buccal cells of each group.
DNA methylation is a normal cellular process essential for growth and repair. But it can begin to be produced abnormally, damaging the cell.
This can increase the risk of various diseases, depending on where the cells are located, including cancer, heart disease, and reduced immune function. Smoking has long been known to damage DNA through this methylation process.
And now, scientists have discovered that vaping can have a very similar effect. In the cheek cells of the vaping group, the researchers found a large overlap in the type of DNA methylation with that of the smoking group.
Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party backed Conservative plans to tackle vaping while in opposition and ministers earlier this month were said 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 diseases, including cancer,” said Dr. Stella Tommasi, associate research professor in population sciences and public health at the College of Keck Medicine.
‘Electronic cigarettes are not as safe as some people claim, even if the level of most toxicants and carcinogens present in the liquid and vapor of electronic cigarettes is generally much lower than that found in cigarette smoke. .
“These findings have important 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 vapers that were not found in smokers, likely due to the wide range of potentially harmful chemicals in e-cigarettes.