Sun Yat-sen University research team’s paper published in international Journal of Molecular Science：

The researchers analyzed 108 articles published in the field of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes from 2010 to now, and compared the differences between e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes from two aspects of main ingredients and toxicity mechanism.

In terms of main components, e-cigarettes are simpler than traditional cigarettes because they only add nicotine and cosolvent and do not contain tobacco. After atomization, the harmful substances in electronic flue gas sol are far less than traditional cigarette.

Specifically, e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes contain nicotine in their smoke, but the levels of metal carbonyl compounds, nitrosamines, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other toxic compounds are much lower than cigarettes.

In terms of toxicity mechanism, the effects of e-cigarettes on major tissues and organs and intracellular signaling pathways are similar to those of cigarettes. But numerous studies have shown that e-cigarettes cause relatively low levels of damage compared to cigarettes.

In a comprehensive scientific analysis of e-cigarettes and traditional cigarettes, the paper concludes that e-cigarettes, while not completely harmless, are significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes and have the potential to be a harm reduction alternative to reducing the risk of smoking-related diseases.

In addition, the paper also stressed the need for further research on the impact of e-cigarettes on traditional cigarette users, and to collect more data to obtain evidence-based toxicological information to help people view e-cigarettes objectively and rationally, while not ignoring their potential risks.