Vaping could be changing your genes, new study finds

Updated June 9, 2026, 8:49 a.m. | By Skyye Ndlovu

Think vaping is harmless? A new study found that regular e-cigarette users showed changes in more than 3,100 genes.

Vaping has often been marketed as the “safer” alternative to smoking.

However a new study suggests there may be more happening beneath the surface than many users realise.

Researchers have discovered that regular vaping may alter the activity of thousands of genes in the human body, raising fresh concerns about the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes.

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The findings, published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Oncology, revealed that people who vape regularly show changes in more than 3,100 genes when compared to people who neither smoke nor vape.

Scientists from the Keck School of Medicine analysed gene expression in 83 participants.

The group included regular vapers, traditional cigarette smokers, and people who used neither product.

What they found was surprising.

While previous studies have already linked vaping to lung damage, heart disease, nicotine addiction, and exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, this latest research suggests vaping could be influencing the body at a genetic level.

Not all vaping appeared to carry the same risk.

Researchers found that people who used flavored e-cigarettes and advanced refillable vaping devices, often called “mods”, showed the most significant changes in gene activity.

According to the study, around 28% of the observed genetic changes were linked to how often a person vaped.

However, an even larger factor was the type of device and flavour being used, which accounted for nearly 67% of the changes.

The findings don’t mean vaping directly changes a person’s DNA. Instead, they show that vaping may affect how certain genes are switched on or off, potentially influencing how the body functions over time.

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Scientists say more research is needed to determine exactly which chemicals found in vaping liquids are responsible for these effects. Follow-up studies are already underway.

As vaping continues to grow in popularity, particularly among younger users, studies like this are helping researchers better understand what happens inside the body long after the vapour disappears.

While vaping may not involve lighting up a cigarette, scientists are increasingly finding evidence that it may not be as harmless as many people once believed.