Dampfen statt qualmen: Gesundheitsrisiken: Ist Vapen das bessere Rauchen?

When it comes to sweet watermelon vapor versus the hissing smoke of a cigarette, vapes are marketed as a harmless lifestyle product. However, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) makes it clear that they are not harmless. Those who vaporize should be aware that they are also taking on health risks. But they might face somewhat fewer than with the traditional burning stick.

According to the authority's estimates, the vapor from e-cigarettes contains "significantly lower amounts of carcinogenic and other health-damaging substances" compared to tobacco cigarettes. Nicotine can affect brain development, and like the traditional cigarette, e-cigarettes also contain nicotine, which not only causes addiction but also raises blood pressure, the tendency to form blood clots, and the release of stress hormones.

Vaporizing nicotine-containing e-cigarettes during childhood and adolescence can disrupt the development of the brain and may lead to increased anxiety. When it comes to the health risks, it's also about the liquids, the substances that are heated in the devices. The BfR cites data suggesting that carcinogenic substances such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde can be produced during this process.

People with sensitive respiratory systems can react to the vaporizing agent propylene glycol, which can cause irritation in the airways and eyes. Some of the flavors in the liquids can also trigger allergies. Long-term studies on the cancer risk are still lacking. What is clear is that "the safest way to reduce your risk of cancer is to quit smoking altogether," write cancer experts.

Vapor or smoke - neither is a good idea. If someone wants to quit smoking or is a smoker and wants to get away from the end of tobacco, switching to e-cigarettes may seem like a helpful interim step. However, the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG) does not recommend this strategy as a whole, as it keeps smoking rituals and habits, and one might quickly return to the traditional stick.

It's best to avoid lighting a cigarette and turning on the e-variant. Turning to the so-called "dual use" is seen as critical by experts because it adds risks. Plus, even if someone smokes only a few tobacco cigarettes, they are increasing their risk of heart and circulatory diseases, according to the BIÖG.