Vaping causes less damage to our DNA than smoking, according to new research

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3D illustration of the human body

A new study, funded by British American Tobacco, has found that vaping is not as damaging to your genes as smoking cigarettes.

Testing their first e-cig brand, Vype, the company’s team of scientists compared the effects of vaping on a person’s DNA, with the effects of smoking.

They found that inhaling the same or more nicotine from an e-cigarette causes “very little” changes to our genes compared to regular smoking.

Using a 3D model of a human airway, the scientists exposed the tissue to e-cigarette vapor and cigarette smoke, continuously for an hour in each test.

They tested two different doses of vapor, with one level matching the nicotine in cigarette smoke and the second dose containing double the amount of nicotine, reaching cells in the airway.

The scientists mapped those that were “switched on and off” at 24 hours and 48 hours, after the one-hour exposure to measure the effect on genes.

They found 873 and 205 genes were affected after 24 and 48 hours respectively in the tissue exposed to cigarette smoke, and just three and one in the tissue exposed to e-cig vapor.

The cigarette smoke caused changes to genes involved in the development of lung cancer, inflammation and fibrosis, while e-cig vapor only caused minor changes to genes involved in cell metabolism and oxidative stress processes.

“Our results clearly show that cigarette smoke has an adverse effect on cells, triggering a robust gene expression response,” said Dr James Murphy, head of reduced risk substantiation at British American Tobacco.

“However, even at equivalent or higher dose of nicotine, acute exposure to the test e-cigarette vapor has very limited impact on gene expression compared to cigarette smoke exposure – it’s a striking difference.”

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New Zealand Government Legalizes E-cigs In Bid To Make Country Smoke-free By 2025

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The New Zealand Government plans to make e-cigs legal in order to reach their target of becoming smoke-free by 2025.

“Scientific evidence on the safety of e-cigarettes is still developing but there’s a general consensus that vaping is much less harmful than smoking,” said Associate Health Minister, Nick Wagner.

“This is an opportunity to see if restricted access to e-cigarettes and e-liquid can help lower our smoking rates, reduce harm and save lives.” she said.

There will be new rules put in place for all e-cigarettes, regardless of whether or not they contain nicotine. The rules include restricting sales to those 18 years and over and prohibiting vaping in indoor workplaces and other areas where smoking is banned under the Smoke-free Environments Act.

The tax that applies to cigarettes would not be added on to e-cigarettes, and strict advertising rules will limit the exposure of the products to children and young people who are unlikely to smoke otherwise.

The Ministry of Health says there is “emerging evidence that e‑cigarette use may substantially reduce the burden of disease caused by smoking”.

What is your opinion on the New Zealand Government’s decision? Share your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @ILoveEcigs

 

Gottlieb Will Not Commit To Banning Flavored E-cigs

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Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who has been chosen to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by President Trump, has refused to commit to banning flavored e-cigs when confronted with the argument that potential flavors that could lure young people into experimentation.

During Gottlieb’s confirmation hearing, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash named e-cigarette flavors when questioning him: “Gummy bears? Cookies and cream?”

Although Gottlieb admitted that Sen. Patty Murray was raising some imperative questions about whether flavored e-cigs could be a gateway to adolescent smoking, he said:

“I think a properly constructed and overseen regulatory process should have the capacity, under the authorities Congress gave the agency, to make these determinations.”

“I recognize there is a line here somewhere, and I don’t know where that line gets drawn. I think that line needs to get drawn by people who are experts in evaluating that science, and I want to support that,” he said.

As FDA commissioner, Gottlieb would oversee the regulation of pharmaceuticals, tobacco, medical devices, food safety, cosmetics and other areas of human and animal health.

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UK Statistics Show One Person Switching To Vaping Every Four Minutes

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According to a recent report from the Office of National Statistics, 56.7% of smokers across the UK decided to quit smoking traditional cigarettes in 2015, which is the highest proportion since 1974.

There is evidence to suggest that the reason for this cigarette decline is due to a recent vaping boom, with UK residents switching to vaping faster than any other country in Europe.

Approximately one UK resident makes the switch from traditional cigarettes to e-cigs every four minutes.

British online retailer, Vapourlites, conducted some research on the UK cities with the most e-cig outlets, finding the Scottish capital of Edinburgh had the most with a total of 17 vape stores. Large cities, London and Birmingham each had 10 stores, and out of 68 cities analysed, only 13 didn’t have e-cig stores within a 2-mile radius.

Charles Bloom, director of Vapourlites, said: “The emergence of vaping outlets in major cities is highly beneficial – not just to those in the business, but to everyone who is struggling with addiction. It is highly important to maintain choice: people should not feel confined in how they choose to cope with their addiction. Hopefully, the example set by leading cities like Edinburgh, London and Birmingham will encourage cities across the globe to follow suit.” 

If you want to quit smoking with vaping too, don’t forget to check out our ultimate guide to lower your nicotine levels!

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How do you think the number of e-cig stores in the UK compares to where you live? We’d love to hear your thoughts