Lung risk from vaping and e-cigarettes almost on par with smoking: University of Alberta study
Posted June 9, 2026 5:19 pm.
Last Updated June 9, 2026 9:59 pm.
Vapes and e-cigarettes are often promoted as an alternative to cigarettes, but new research out of the University of Alberta has one professor saying those alternatives are just as dangerous for your lungs.
“Simple fact that tobacco has more than 5,000 chemicals, and these I could list three,” said Rayden, who uses cigarettes and vapes.
The U of A student says they smoked cigarettes for over five years before switching to vapes.
“With your cravings, I don’t think it’s as bad as normal cigarettes, but it’s a fine alternative,” said John Kuz, an Edmontonian.
But Professor Mike Stickland is pushing back against the commonly shared idea that vaping is a safer alternative. His team studied 20 individuals that been vaping for more than three years, looking for changes in physical and lung activity.
“Firstly, they had impaired exercise tolerance. They also are much more breathless than you would expect. They essentially were out of breath at the equivalent of like a moderate walking pace, and 23-year-olds shouldn’t be out of breath at that kind of an exercise intensity,” Stickland explained.
Stickland pointed to data that shows e-cigarette use continues to grow.
“The nicotine addiction particularly amongst young adults and teens. They’re as bad as if you’ve ever seen with smoking,” said Stickland.
And that’s a worrying trend for one student.
“Because they’re flavoured and they’re much more interesting and easier to market as well because there hasn’t been as much of a negative stigma,” said Arjun Chand, an Edmontonian.
For Rayden, he wouldn’t recommend vaping to anyone, particularly teens and young adults, as he is now trying to move away from vaping.
“I don’t condone this whatsoever. I’m just so hard attached to nicotine, correct? But as I said, it’s a war, and I still try to fight it every day, and I’m trying to quit,” said Rayden.
