Almost 20 years have passed: a view of heated tobacco and vape

E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products have been marketed as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes, leading consumers to believe that they will reduce health risks. However, the scientific evidence collected so far calls this hypothesis into question. Their use as a means of smoking cessation has not only not led to unequivocal results on their effectiveness, but some studies even suggest that they could increase the risk of initiation to smoking or relapse into nicotine addiction. Furthermore, research indicates that both e-cigs and heated tobacco products contain toxic substances and can consequently cause health risks, such as lung, cardiovascular, and oncological diseases. The combination, or the so-called dual consumption, of these products with traditional cigarettes, seems to even further amplify the risks of cancer and other smoking-related diseases. It is important to underline that the long-term effects of these new forms of nicotine consumption are still being studied. However, the information available so far suggests that these are not harmless products at all. The lack of regulation and the variety of products on the market also make it difficult to assess the specific risks associated with each device.