Vaping may cause DNA changes that increase cancer risk, new research suggests

Vaping could cause the same cancer-causing changes in DNA as tobacco, new research suggests.

In the most comprehensive study of its kind, experts at the Keck School of Medicine in Southern California found that young adults who vaped had the same genetic mutations in the cells in their mouths found in many cigarette smokers.

If they go wrong, these cellular changes can lead to cancer and other diseases.

The findings add urgency to the government’s plans to tackle the rise of young people becoming addicted to vaping – after the Royal College of Paediatrics called vaping among young people an ‘epidemic’.

Research shows that a record one in ten adults vape – around 5.6 million people – while almost a million under-18s have tried it.

In the most comprehensive study of its kind, experts found that young adults who vape had the same genetic mutations in the cells in their mouths found in many cigarette smokers.

As Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak planned to ban single-use vapes

Shockingly, children as young as four have been admitted to hospital due to vaping, and NHS England said doctors have seen a 276 per cent increase in the number of patients of all ages admitted for vaping-related conditions since 2020.

While in opposition, Sir Keir Starmer pledged to support former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s ban on single-use vapes, and Labor ministers were said to be drawing up plans to curb sales to children earlier this month.

The new study, supported by the US National Institutes of Health, is the latest in a growing number of studies showing the health risks of vaping.

By dividing a group of thirty young people into vapers, smokers and non-nicotine users, researchers looked at DNA methylation in the oral cells of each group.

DNA methylation is a normal cellular process that is essential for growth and repair. But it can occur in an abnormal way, causing damage to the cell.

This can increase the risk of several diseases depending on where the cells are located – including cancer, heart disease and reduced immune function. It has long been known that smoking damages DNA through this methylation process.

And now scientists have discovered that vaping can have a similar effect. In the cheek cells of the vaping group, researchers found extensive overlap in the type of DNA methylation with that of the smoking group.

Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party backed Tory plans to tackle vaping while in opposition, and ministers were expected to draw up plans to curb sales to children earlier this month.

“Our findings indicate that the changes in DNA methylation observed in vapers may contribute to the development of diseases, including cancer,” said Dr. Stella Tommasi, associate professor of population research and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine.

‘Electronic cigarettes are not as safe as some people claim, even though the levels of most toxic and carcinogenic substances in e-liquid and vapor are generally much lower than those in cigarette smoke.

“These findings have significant implications for public health and tobacco regulation, which aim to keep vaping products away from young people, who are a particularly vulnerable population.”

The study, published in the American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, also found a number of genetic changes in vapers that were not found in smokers – likely due to the wide range of potentially harmful chemicals in e-cigarettes.