Vaping, once marketed as a safer alternative to smoking, is now under fresh global scrutiny. New research from the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego), the University of Auckland, and the University of Sydney challenges the claim that e-cigarettes help smokers quit. Instead, these studies suggest that vaping not only fails to support smoking cessation but may entrench nicotine addiction and reverse progress in tobacco control, particularly among youth.

The UC San Diego study, published in JAMA on March 5, 2025, examined data from over 6,000 U.S. smokers. Researchers found that daily vapers had a 4.1% lower chance of quitting smoking, and non-daily vapers fared even worse, with a 5.3% lower cessation rate compared to non-vapers. Contrary to popular belief, e-cigarette use did not increase the likelihood of quitting. The authors concluded that vaping perpetuates nicotine dependency rather than curbing it.

Dr Rajesh Gupta, Director of Pulmonology & Critical Care at Fortis Healthcare Noida and a member of Mothers Against Vaping, explained the biological mechanism: “These devices deliver nicotine in high quantities, triggering dopamine release in the brain. This reinforces addiction. Worse, it opens the door to experimenting with more harmful substances—especially among adolescents.”

Findings from a parallel study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific on March 21, 2025, show that daily vaping among 14-15-year-olds in New Zealand surged from 1.1% in 2015 to 10% in 2023. The study analysed data from nearly 700,000 students and found that youth smoking rates dropped sharply before vaping became prevalent but have since stagnated. Regular smoking among Year 10 students in 2023 rose to 3%, significantly higher than the 1.8% predicted without vaping’s influence.

Dr Bhawna Barmi, psychologist and founder of Happiness Studio, highlighted the role of peer pressure and social media. “Adolescents are vulnerable. Vaping brands exploit this by using influencers, trendy packaging, and appealing flavours to make vaping seem cool and harmless,” she said.

India is not immune to these trends. Despite a nationwide ban on e-cigarettes in 2019, enforcement remains patchy. Flavoured vapes are still widely available online and in urban markets. Mothers Against Vaping, a network of parents and professionals, has warned that these global findings should serve as a wake-up call for India.

The long-term consequences of vaping are still unknown. However, recent incidents, including the case of a 12-year-old British girl who was hospitalised with a collapsed lung after years of vaping, show that health damage can occur rapidly. In the U.S., the 2019 outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI) hospitalised thousands, prompting regulatory crackdowns, including FDA bans on flavoured cartridges.

India's youth are caught at a crossroads between public health and profit-driven narratives. These global studies discredit the myth that vaping is a safe exit ramp from smoking. Policymakers must intensify regulatory vigilance, schools must foster awareness, and families must have difficult conversations. The public health costs of inaction are simply too high.