Vaping shift may lower future cancer rates

In the United States, the growing shift from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes and other nicotine products could potentially lead to a decline in cancer rates in the future. A new study published in JNCI Cancer Spectrum analyzed data from US federal health surveys collected between 2015 and 2023.

According to the study, traditional cigarette smoking declined significantly across almost all age groups during this period with the decline being particularly noticeable among people aged 18 to 34. In contrast, the number of people using only alternative nicotine products particularly e-cigarettes, increased.

The study’s lead researcher, Professor Kenneth Michael Cummings of the Medical University of South Carolina said the trend suggests that many smokers are completely switching to vaping rather than using both products simultaneously.

The study found that the proportion of people who used both cigarettes and e-cigarettes remained around 2% to 3% throughout the study period. Scientists also developed a Population Harm Reduction Index to compare traditional cigarette smoking with the use of non-combustible nicotine products.

According to the researchers, an increase in the index indicates that more people are using alternatives to traditional cigarettes that may expose them to lower levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals.

The study found that people aged 55 and above were much less likely than younger people to quit smoking and switch to alternative products even though older adults could gain significant immediate health benefits from quitting smoking.

According to the study, vaping has now become more common than cigarette smoking among young people aged 18 to 24.

Professor Cummings said the greatest concern is that older people who have smoked for many years are not switching to lower-risk, non-combustible nicotine products as quickly. This is the group that could potentially gain the greatest immediate health benefits from quitting smoking.

According to the report, the study was funded by the US National Cancer Institute and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while the vaping industry provided no financial support.