E-cigarettes contain nicotine, the addictive stimulant in tobacco, and some flavorings, but because the liquid is heated rather than burned, the aerosol carries far fewer harmful chemicals than the smoke from combustible tobacco products. As a result, authorized e-cigarettes are a significantly less risky form of consuming nicotine than combustible cigarettes.
While some global health authorities, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have concluded that some e-cigarettes are appropriate for the protection of public health, in most countries e-cigarettes are not authorized as smoking cessation devices. This means that while health authorities have not sanctioned the use of these products to help people quit, some health authorities have recognized that for certain e-cigarettes, the potential benefits for adults who smoke combustible cigarettes and switch entirely to e-cigarettes outweigh the potential risks to youth or those who have never smoked. If a person who smokes cannot or will not quit using traditional cessation methods, switching entirely to an authorized e-cigarette can lower their long-term risks.
It’s important to note that even if e-cigarettes are less harmful, it doesn’t mean that they’re completely safe. Nicotine should not be used by anyone who has never used it before, especially youth. Additionally, e-cigarettes contain other chemical components, including flavoring agents, some of which have unknown health effects. Long-term studies are still underway.
In sum, e-cigarettes are relatively less harmful than cigarettes and can offer adults who smoke an alternative to cigarettes that decreases their risk of tobacco-related disease and death. But they are still riskier than not using any form of nicotine at all.
Didn’t nicotine e-cigarettes cause EVALI and popcorn lung?
In a word, no. There have been a number of health conditions that have been purported to be related to e-cigarette use, but follow-up studies have failed to confirm these links.
One example is EVALI, which stands for E-cigarette and Vaping Acute Lung Injury, the name given by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to a series of serious and sometimes fatal lung injuries that occurred in 2019 in the United States. An epidemiological investigation found that EVALI was strongly associated with an ingredient found in illegally produced (not authorized) e-cigarette products containing THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, along with a highly dangerous substance called vitamin E acetate. The products most strongly linked to EVALI did not contain nicotine. Once the dangerous ingredients were identified and those illicit sales were stopped, EVALI ended.
The use of authorized nicotine e-cigarettes has never been associated with other lung injuries, including popcorn lung, which is associated with the inhalation of diacetyl, a butter-flavoring chemical used in manufacturing microwave popcorn. No confirmed cases of popcorn lung have been tied to the use of authorized nicotine e-cigarettes, and authorized products are reviewed for their ingredients.
That said, nicotine e-cigarettes are not risk-free. Nicotine is a stimulant and can raise blood pressure and elevate heart rate. Inhaling heated aerosols of an e-cigarette can also lead to coughing due to airway irritation. Though e-cigarettes pose fewer health risks than combustible tobacco, researchers are still studying the long-term impacts of them on health.
Are e-cigarettes a good way to quit smoking?
E-cigarettes are not approved as smoking cessation devices in all parts of the world. However, many health authorities agree that for a person who smokes, switching entirely to an e-cigarette can reduce their long-term health risks.
There is ample evidence that e-cigarettes can be more effective than a single traditional nicotine replacement therapy. In 2026, the latest Cochrane review of existing scientific studies found high-certainty evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes are better able to help people who smoke to quit than other tools like nicotine patches or gum. This review is updated regularly as new evidence emerges, so it will continue to be updated as more studies are completed.
However, e-cigarettes may not work for everyone. Other methods of smoking cessation, including nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges, counseling, medication, or combinations of these tools, may also help a person who smokes to quit.
I’m a person who smokes and hasn’t been able to quit. I want to try an e-cigarette to improve my long-term health. How do I know which one to buy?
E-cigarettes are a relatively new product compared to other forms of nicotine. Their availability varies country by country. Our grantee, Knowledge Action Change, tracks which countries allow the sale of e-cigarettes and other reduced-risk nicotine products. You can access their regularly-updated content here.
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the sale of nicotine and tobacco products. As of August 2026, the FDA has authorized 48 different e-cigarette products, including the devices themselves and pods containing nicotine, flavor, and a carrier liquid.
With the authorization of these products, the FDA has deemed them appropriate for the protection of public health—meaning that the potential benefits to adults who smoke and switch outweigh the potential risk of youth becoming addicted.
It is important that whatever e-cigarette you choose is one that has been authorized for legal sale. These products have undergone thorough review and have known, consistent ingredients and compositions. While other e-cigarettes may be available on the market, it is impossible to verify their contents and therefore their risks.
If you have additional questions about nicotine, please see our Get The Facts page.
If you are a reporter with the media with additional questions about the global public health burden of smoking, please contact Katherine Ellen Foley, Senior Director, Communications.
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