Researchers say the University of Technology Sydney study suggests newer electronic nicotine delivery devices may not be a safer substitute for cigarette smoking.
New Zealand experts have criticised the study, saying its methods are flawed and contradicts other studies showing vaping is 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
Action on Smoking and Health policy analyst Ben Youdan said there were many limitations to this research, one being that it was conducted in a lab rather than looking at the ‘‘real world impacts’’.