Over 100 million people around the world now use e-cigarettes, including at least 15 million children, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns. A report released on October 6 also shows that children are about nine times more likely than adults to vape.
Dr. Etienne Krug from WHO says that while e-cigarettes are marketed as harm-reduction tools, in practice they’re fueling early nicotine addiction among young people and threatening to undo decades of progress in public health.
The rise of e-cigarettes began in 2003 with an innovative product that promised a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes and a potential way to quit smoking. However, despite claims of safety, several Americans were confirmed dead earlier this year due to "e-cigarette illness," with more than 1,000 similar cases existing. Now reports of "popcorn lung" have arisen, also due to smoking e-cigs. This begs the question: how safe is vaping, really?
Click through the following gallery and see what we know about vaping, so far.