More than three million French people vape, according to the 2024 Public Health France Barometer. However, the practice is not without health risks.

The use of e-cigarettes continues to grow. More than three million people vape, according to the 2024 Public Health France Barometer. Among them are many former smokers or people trying to quit, but also young people who have never even touched a cigarette. However, this practice is not harmless and raises health concerns, according to a study published this Wednesday by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES). 20 Minutes provides a summary.

What risks have been identified?

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has identified "possible medium- and long-term health effects" for vapers, even in products that do not contain nicotine. When nicotine is present, ANSES highlights cardiovascular effects, including increased heart rate and blood pressure, and impaired blood vessel function. In the long term, the body is at risk of developing heart attacks, strokes, or coronary artery disease. Coughing, wheezing, lung irritation, and even a possible association with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) may also occur.

Even without nicotine, vaping has effects on the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, and contributes to carcinogenesis (the process of cancer formation). Finally, for pregnant women, there are risks to the cardiovascular and respiratory development of the fetus, regardless of whether the mother vapes with or without nicotine.

How can these risks be explained?

These risks are linked to the repeated inhalation of toxic substances present in the liquid or formed during vaping. Several aldehydes—synthetic molecules known for their toxic effects, including carcinogenicity—are consistently present in the emissions of vaping products. The ANSES assessment shows that inhaling these substances poses a health risk.

So what should we do?

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) recommends avoiding any action that could encourage non-smokers and young people to vape. "Consumption among teenagers is largely driven by a fad and the appeal of certain fruit-flavored vaping products," the agency states, adding that it is essential to "avoid any form of normalization of e-cigarettes." According to ANSES, it is urgent to enforce the ban on the sale of these products to minors and to stop advertising them.

Regarding smokers, ANSES (the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) considers vaping to be only "a temporary option for people experiencing difficulties quitting smoking." According to the agency, its use must be part of a smoking cessation program and complement existing support services.