Health experts are sounding the alarm over the rapid rise of vaping, warning that e-cigarettes risk creating a new generation of nicotine addicts and exposing millions of young people to long-term, irreversible harm.
Although marketed as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, mounting research indicates that vapes are far from harmless. Studies increasingly link e-cigarette use to cardiovascular strain, lung injury and higher cancer risks.
“E-cigarettes have only been around for about 15 years, but already more than 15,000 studies exist — with at least 1,000 on health impacts. We know enough to conclude these are not harmless products,” said Professor Maja-Lisa Løchen, a senior cardiologist at the University Hospital of North Norway, speaking this week at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Madrid.
Teenagers at Growing Risk
The surge in youth vaping is particularly concerning. A survey covering 37 European countries found that 22% of 15- and 16-year-olds now vape regularly, up from 14% just five years ago. In Norway, usage among young people has climbed from almost zero to around 11% in just four years, despite a domestic sales ban. Cigarette smoking, which had been in steady decline for decades, is also showing signs of a rebound.
“We know starting to vape is a gateway to smoking real cigarettes,” Løchen warned. “The tobacco industry is driving this epidemic — targeting children with sweet flavours and flashy designs. It’s no coincidence.”
A 2023 study in the New England Journal of Medicine further reinforced concerns, suggesting that vaping increases the risk of stroke by nearly a third.
Emerging Health Dangers
Researchers caution that the full long-term effects of vaping may take decades to uncover, but early findings are troubling. Heating e-liquids can release harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde — both carcinogens — that inflame blood vessels and damage the cardiovascular system.
According to Løchen, vaping produces effects on the heart and arteries strikingly similar to smoking, including raised blood pressure, faster heart rates and stiffer arteries, all of which heighten the risk of heart disease later in life.
Nicotine itself is especially harmful for teenagers. The US Surgeon General has warned that it can alter brain development, impairing memory, learning and attention.
Calls for Stronger Regulation
Responses vary across regions. The European Union has restricted nicotine concentrations and banned youth-oriented advertising, but enforcement remains uneven. Norway prohibits domestic sales, yet teenagers still access products online. In the US, flavoured e-cigarettes continue to be widely available despite repeated calls for tighter curbs.
The World Health Organization has urged governments to treat e-cigarettes as harmful, stressing in a 2023 report that they are not an effective quitting tool compared with established nicotine replacement therapies.
Experts argue that regulation must be paired with education. “It has to be banned, but people also need to understand the risks,” Løchen said. “Teachers should include it in school curricula, parents must be involved, and health workers need proper training. Right now, too many still believe vaping is safe — and that’s simply not true.”
