Vaping likely causes cancer, landmark Australian study finds

Nicotine vapes and e-cigarettes have been linked to deadly cancers, according to a groundbreaking new Australian study.

The study from the University of New South Wales, published today in the journal Carcinogenesis, found after a global analysis that nicotine-based vapes are likely to cause lung and oral cancers.

The review says that while researchers have long focused on vaping as a gateway to smoking, less attention has been paid to whether the devices might cause cancer on their own.

LIVE UPDATES: Trump threatens to wipe out critical Iranian island if deal isn't reached 'shortly'

"Considering all the findings – from clinical monitoring, animal studies and mechanistic data – e-cigarettes are likely to cause lung cancer and oral cancer," lead researcher Adjunct Professor Bernard Stewart said.

He said the consistency of findings across those disciplines was striking, but the exact number of attributable cancer cases remained unclear.

"Our assessment is qualitative and does not involve a numerical estimate of cancer risk or burden," he said.

READ MORE: Inside the police operation that killed Dezi Freeman

"We'll only be able to determine the precise risk once longer-term studies are available."

Laws to regulate vapes were introduced in Australia in 2023, including a ban on disposable and non-therapeutic devices.

Therapeutic vapes are only legally sold in pharmacies, and only to help people quit smoking - though Stewart said vapes also served as a gateway to smoking tobacco.

ENERGY CRISIS: When will fuel prices in Australia go down?

A thriving black market has also seen vapes sold to buyers throughout the country, including to young people.

Study co-author Associate Professor Freddy Sitas also said there was growing evidence that "therapeutic" users were not necessarily successful in quitting cigarettes.

"Most of those who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking end up in 'dual-use-limbo', unable to shake off either habit," he said.

"What we do know from recent epidemiological evidence from the USA is that those who both vape and smoke are at an additional four-fold increased risk of developing lung cancer."

Sitas and Stewart warned against delaying action on vapes, saying early warning signs of lethal health risks were similarly ignored over smoking for nearly a century.

"Early reports linked smoking to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, followed by cardiovascular disease, stroke and lung cancer," Sitas said.

"E-cigarettes were introduced about 20 years ago. We should not wait another 80 years to decide what to do."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here