This is probably the most politicised topic in tobacco. On one side, the British NHS recommends vaping as a first-line tool to quit smoking. On the other, the WHO calls for caution. France oscillates.

Aria's position is clear and nuanced: for an adult smoker, vaping is a useful harm-reduction tool. For a non-smoker, a teenager or a pregnant woman, it is not. We explain why.

How it works, briefly

An e-cigarette heats an e-liquid (made of propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, flavourings and sometimes nicotine) to about 200 °C. No combustion, no smoke — an aerosol vapour you inhale.

What the evidence says: it is solid

The Cochrane meta-analysis (the global benchmark in evidence-based medicine) published in October 2025 its 10th update on the subject. Conclusion: high-certainty evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes increase smoking cessation rates compared with traditional substitutes.

The ESTxENDS trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2024, confirmed on nearly 1,250 smokers in Switzerland: vaping, added to behavioural support, almost doubles the abstinence rate at 6 months compared with support alone.

The France/UK debate: why so much divergence

This divergence is not scientific but political: everyone reads the same studies but weighs the known risks of cigarettes against the unknown risks of vaping differently.

Vaping risks: what we know, what we do not

For whom vaping is a good idea — and for whom not

For whom it can be a good idea:

• You smoke tobacco and have tried classic substitutes without success.

• You are still smoking after several quit attempts.

• You want to reduce risks without managing full cessation right away.

For whom it is not a good idea:

• You have never smoked. Do not start.

• You are a teenager (nicotine affects brain development until around age 25).

• You are pregnant or breastfeeding (advised against by WHO and most obstetric societies).

• You are just looking for 'less risky' with no intention of quitting (dual use = trap).

Trap number one: dual use

This is the most frequent pitfall. 45% of vapers in France combine vape and cigarette (SPLF, 2025). They think they are reducing risk but in practice:

• They keep inhaling all the toxics of combustion.

• They maintain their nicotine dependence level.

• They never really quit.

How to use it correctly

This is the topic of a dedicated article (see links below), but a few principles:

1. 1

   Choose a suitable e-cigarette (medium power, not a low-end disposable puff).

2. 2

   Choose the right nicotine dose based on your current consumption (a one-pack-a-day smoker often starts at 10-16 mg/ml in nicotine salts or 6-12 mg/ml classic).

3. 3

   Vape often, in small puffs. The mistake is to draw like on a cigarette.

4. 4

   Quit tobacco fully within the first weeks. No long dual use.

5. 5

   Reduce gradually the nicotine over 6 to 12 months if you also want to wean off the vape.

The 2025-2026 legislation

1. United Kingdom (2025) ban on disposable puffs; smokefree generation law banning tobacco purchase for people born after 2009.
2. France (2025) ban on disposable puffs (law of 13 February 2025).
3. European Union TPD directive frames flavours and nicotine. Discussions ongoing on flavours attractive to young people.
4. WHO (COP 11, 2025) international pressure for stricter restrictions, contested by harm-reduction-leaning countries.

Your questions