Why it’s wrong to say vaping is as bad for you as smoking
From More or Less by BBC Radio 4
May 9, 2026 · 9 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the health risks of vaping compared to smoking, addressing recent claims about their equivalence in danger.
According to the World Health organisation, smoking kills some 7 million people every year. It is one of the world’s leading causes of preventable death. Because smoking causes lung cancer and other awful health conditions, many smokers switch to vaping - using nicotine-based e-cigarettes. But the World Health organisation is also concerned about vaping. Last year they said 100 million people around the world are now using e-cigarettes, including millions of children, and warned that they were fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction. But how do the health risks of these two means of getting nicotine into your bloodstream compare? According to a recent headline in the Daily Mail, they’re basically the same. Here’s the headline: “Vaping is linked to lung and mouth cancer in major study, as experts warn: 'It is NOT safer than smoking’” But is vaping really just as bad for you as smoking? CONTRIBUTOR: Professor Lion Shahab, Co-Director of the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group CREDITS: Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Reporter/producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: Dave O’Neil Editor: Richard Vadon
People in this episode
Host: Charlotte McDonald
Guest: Professor Lion Shahab
Topics covered
- vaping
- smoking
- health risks
- nicotine addiction
- public health
- cancer
Keywords
- vaping
- smoking
- health risks
- nicotine
- World Health Organisation
- lung cancer
- e-cigarettes
- addiction
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: World Health Organisation, Daily Mail
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