The French agency Anses has recently published a new study dedicated to vaping products. A highly anticipated report that quickly generated numerous media reactions. Yet when you take the time to actually read its conclusions, the main message is clear and largely reassuring.
To date, electronic cigarettes remain a significantly less harmful alternative to smoked tobacco. They are primarily used by smokers seeking to quit or reduce their tobacco consumption, and the Anses report does not challenge this reality.
What the Anses report says, in summary
- Electronic cigarettes are far from reaching the levels of harm associated with smoked tobacco.
- No major health signal comparable to cigarettes has been identified.
- No cancers linked to vaping have been identified to date.
- Exposure to toxic substances is significantly reduced compared to cigarette smoke.
- Vaping remains primarily a tool used by smokers to move away from tobacco.
A scientific assessment based on thousands of studies
Anses is the French equivalent of the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP). For this assessment on vaping, the agency analysed 2,500 international studies, with data updated through to 2024.
The aim of the report is neither to dramatise nor to trivialise electronic cigarettes, but to provide the most rigorous overview of current knowledge possible. What this analysis shows above all is a simple reality: vaping exposes users to far fewer toxic substances than traditional cigarettes.
Vaping and tobacco: a very clear risk hierarchy
The central point of the report, sometimes misunderstood, is the hierarchy of risk between electronic cigarettes and tobacco.
Cigarettes are dangerous primarily because of combustion. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of substances produced by this process, responsible for cancers, cardiovascular disease and severe respiratory conditions.
Vaping works without combustion. It vaporises a liquid, which significantly reduces the formation of toxic substances. This fundamental difference explains why, in all available assessments, electronic cigarettes appear as a far less harmful alternative for adult smokers.
More than 15 years of use without a major health signal
Electronic cigarettes have been used for over fifteen years in many countries. This time frame now allows for a far more informed perspective on the health effects of vaping than in its early days.
The Anses report highlights that no major health signal comparable to tobacco has emerged to date. With conventional cigarettes, the first serious public health warnings appeared very quickly: a sharp rise in cancers, cardiovascular disease and severe respiratory illnesses.
Nothing similar has been observed with vaping. This does not mean research stops here, nor that everything is fully understood, but it confirms that the levels of risk are not comparable to those linked to tobacco combustion.
This finding helps place electronic cigarettes within a more realistic risk hierarchy, far from the simplistic comparisons often seen in public debate.
Cardiovascular effects: known and limited
Like other health agencies, Anses notes certain short-term cardiovascular effects, such as a slight increase in heart rate or blood pressure.
These effects are mainly linked to nicotine, a substance that has been extensively documented. However, the report does not identify chronic cardiovascular diseases associated with exclusive vaping. Once again, no level of risk comparable to tobacco is observed.
Respiratory health: no alarming signal identified
Some studies mention irritation or coughing in certain users, particularly at the beginning of use. However, Anses stresses that the available data remain far removed from the serious diseases caused by smoking.
No clear link has been established between electronic cigarette use and chronic respiratory diseases comparable to those caused by tobacco, such as asthma, COPD or lung cancer.
Cancer: vaping is not the real enemy
On the question of cancer, often a source of concern, the Anses report is clear. To date, no human study has identified the occurrence of cancers caused by electronic cigarette use.
Importantly, Anses emphasises that no signal comparable to that of smoked tobacco has been identified. In the case of cigarettes, the link between combustion, exposure to carcinogenic substances and cancer has been firmly established for decades. With vaping, despite more than fifteen years of use, nothing similar has been observed.
Based on current knowledge, available data therefore place electronic cigarettes far below the carcinogenic risk levels associated with tobacco.
Vaping and pregnancy: a targeted precaution
Anses dedicates part of its analysis to exposure during pregnancy. The studies reviewed mainly point to nicotine, known for its effects on foetal development. To date, no solid data establish a clear link between electronic cigarette use and pregnancy complications in humans.
As a precaution, Anses recommends avoiding exposure to vaping during pregnancy. For pregnant women who smoke, the primary objective remains quitting tobacco, with appropriate medical support.
Aldehydes: what are we really talking about?
Aldehydes are often highlighted in the most alarming headlines. These are chemical compounds that can appear when liquids are heated.
Anses clearly states that the quantities measured in electronic cigarette vapour are not comparable to those found in cigarette smoke. Observed concentrations are generally reduced by 80% to more than 90%.
Discussing these substances without mentioning exposure levels or comparison with tobacco gives a misleading picture of the issue.
Vaping remains a relevant smoking cessation tool
The Anses report does not trivialise electronic cigarettes and calls for caution for certain specific groups, such as young people and pregnant women. It reminds readers that vaping is not a harmless product and should remain regulated.
But it also highlights an essential point often lost in public debate: no major health signal comparable to tobacco has been identified to date, and exposure to toxic substances remains significantly lower than with cigarettes.
By noting that nearly 98% of adult vapers have a history of smoking, Anses places vaping back into its real context: a tool intended for smokers.
In this context, electronic cigarettes appear as a pragmatic option for smokers who struggle to quit through other means. Above all, this study helps refocus attention on the real public health issue: the fight against tobacco.
Source: Anses – Risk assessment related to vaping products. Read the full report (French).