New Study: Vapes and Heated Tobacco Cut Toxin Exposure by Over 90%

A groundbreaking new analysis out of Lithuania has delivered one of the clearest messages yet: for adult smokers who can’t quit, switching to vapes or heated tobacco products (HTPs) can slash toxic chemical exposure by more than 90%. 

Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the peer-reviewed review crunched real-world data from 15 independent studies — and the results are hard to ignore. 

 

📊 The Big Numbers 

 

The research found: 

Vapes → Cut harmful chemicals by up to 98% per puff 

Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) → Cut harmful chemicals by up to 91% per puff 

Some toxic compounds were so low they couldn’t even be detected in emissions from these products 

These aren’t numbers from industry-sponsored studies — the review excluded any research with tobacco company funding and only looked at validated testing methods. 

 

🔥 Why Cigarettes Are So Deadly 

 

Cigarettes burn at over 500°C, releasing more than 7,000 chemicals — at least 100 of them officially classified as harmful or potentially harmful. 

That chemical cocktail includes: 

PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) → Major carcinogens 

TSNAs (tobacco-specific nitrosamines) → Linked to multiple cancers 

VOCs (volatile organic compounds) → Damage lungs and other organs 

Carbonyls (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde) → Irritants and carcinogens 

Carbon monoxide → Cuts oxygen supply in the body 

The study was clear: combustion is the problem. 

 

💨 Why Vapes & HTPs Are Different 

 

Heated tobacco products warm real tobacco to under 400°C — enough to release nicotine and flavor but without burning. 
 Vapes skip tobacco entirely, heating a nicotine-containing liquid instead. 

No combustion = drastically fewer toxic chemicals. 

The analysis found: 

PAHs → Down 96% (HTPs), 99% (vapes) 

VOCs → Down 99% (HTPs), 100% (vapes) 

TSNAs → Down 89–94% (HTPs), 99% (vapes) 

Carbon monoxide → Down 98% (HTPs), 99% (vapes) 

Toxic metals → Significantly lower in both compared to cigarettes 

 

⚠ Not Risk Free — But Far Less Harmful 

 

The authors stressed: these products aren’t risk-free and shouldn’t be used by non-smokers. But for adult smokers who can’t quit, switching could dramatically reduce exposure to the chemicals that cause cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illness. 

“Such a significant reduction in harmful substances results in fewer adverse health effects for smokers,” the study concluded. 

 

🗝 The Harm Reduction Takeaway 

 

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can ever do for your health. But for millions of smokers who aren’t ready or able to do that, vapes and HTPs offer a far less harmful path forward. 

This study adds to a growing body of independent research showing that smoke-free alternatives can be a powerful tool in cutting tobacco-related disease — if governments and public health agencies are willing to embrace the evidence. 

 

🔗 Read the full study here: MDPI Journal — HTPs and E-Cigarettes Reduce Harmful Chemicals