Danish health authorities warn against the use of e-cigarettes

Health authorites: the long-term health effects of vaping are still unknown

The board of health, the Danish cancer society, the Danish lung association and the heart foundation warn against the use of e-cigarettes, reports the scientific magazine Videnskab.

Although the exact health consequences of smoking electronic cigarettes are still unknown, the health authorities recommend that the 150,000 Danes who are using e-cigarettes today consider carefully using them further.

The researchers fear that e-cigarettes containing nicotine can lead to addiction and be a step to smoking conventional cigarettes. They worry that vaping (smoking e-cigarettes), in addition to presenting a health hazard, may lead to an increased number of smokers.  

Despite their increasing popularity, the health consequences of vaping are properly known. Some studies suggest that e-cigarettes affect lung function less than normal cigarettes and that they do not contain as many carcinogenes. On the other hand, they contain substances such as propylengglykol and glycerin, the long-term effects of which are unknown.