E-cigarettes can damage lungs -study

Electronic cigarettes used by smokers trying to quit the lethal habit of smoking can actually cause lung damage, a new study has claimed.


Scientists have warned that the devices can trigger changes to the lungs, despite the fact that they are being marketed as a potentially safer alternative to normal cigarettes, according to Business Standard.


The study also reportedly added new evidence to the debate over the safety of alternative nicotine-delivery products.

Electronic cigarettes are devices that deliver nicotine through a vapour, rather than smoke. There is no combustion involved but the nicotine in the device is still derived from tobacco.


There has been much debate over the safety and efficiency of the products, but little scientific evidence to support either claim.
Researchers from the University of Athens in Greece aimed to investigate the short-term effects of using e-cigarettes on different people, including people without any known health problems and smokers with and without existing lung conditions.


The study included 8 people who had never smoked and 24 smokers, 11 with normal lung function and 13 people with either chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma.