E-cigarette vapour contains free radicals, study warns

[drug_mentor]

We acknowledge the slight detriment that vaping might cause us, and we're familiar with the ways this can be achieved (unregulated liquid market/manufacturing processes, chronic use of high-temperatures with buttery, savory flavorings, 'cloud-chasing' and power hitting beyond what one could call reasonable amounts, improper appreciation for battery safety/purchase of counterfeit batteries prone to failure).

Is it fair to just assume that the detriment is "slight" though? As far as I am aware the scientific literature on this subject is minimal, unless I am mistaken (please correct me if I am) the claim that vaping is only slightly detrimental to ones health is an assumption. In the interest of harm reduction, I don't think such an assumption is warranted.

Vaping isn't without risk but in a world of harm reduction - as opposed to elimination - I've been nothing but ecstatic about my decision to switch to vaping for years now. The cost-benefit ratio is quite in my favor, and yet I'm always willing to learn more about the ways in which I can continue to improve it.

I agree that until there is information which suggests otherwise, it is completely fair to assume that vaping causes less harm than smoking does. However, I don't think it is reasonable to assume this reduction in harm necessarily equates to e-cigs causing minimal harm. This may well be the case, I am personally quite sceptical, but I think it is clear that we are a long way away from knowing definitively either way.

This isn't the first time I have seen posters blindly criticising an article like this simply because they don't want to believe that e-cigarettes may cause harm. To my mind this is a counterproductive attitude. We should be in support of studies which seek to shed light on the potential harms associated with e-cigarettes, as well as news articles which report on the results of these studies accurately. One of the key aspects of harm reduction is the availability of accurate information on the harms which are associated with specific substances and different ways of consuming them. Without this information it is impossible to determine to what extent, if at all, harm is being reduced.

This may also be of some interest. I find it interesting you identified savoury flavours as a particular risk, as the article I linked seems to indicate that sweet flavours may pose a risk as well.