E-cigarettes 'are addictive and cause serious risk of cancer', report finds

A health report in California has concluded that e-cigarettes pose 'serious risks' of cancer - and should be kept away from children.

The devices expose users to 10 known carcinogens, and e-cigarettes are strongly addictive, Dr Ron Chapman said.

The report, from California's top public health official, also said that 'vaping' is highly addictive, and can harm the developing brains of teenages.

Dr Ron Chapman said that e-cigarettes pose a 'community health threat' and said that they represented a step backwards in the battle against tobacco.

Dr Chapman said, 'E-cigarettes contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals, and the nicotine in them is as addictive as the nicotine in cigarettes.'

'There is a lot of misinformation about e-cigarettes. That is why, as the state’s health officer, I am advising Californians to avoid the use of e-cigarettes and keep them away from children of all ages.'

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Chapman said electronic cigarettes are addictive, leading to nicotine poisoning among children and threatening to unravel the state's decades-long effort to reduce tobacco use.

The report by California Department of Public Health Director Ron Chapman comes as the state legislature is debating whether to regulate e-cigarettes under the state's tobacco regulations.

California would ban the use of electronic cigarettes in public places and ramp up enforcement against selling them to minors under a bill introduced in the legislature on Monday.

There is growing concern about the health risks from e-cigarettes, also known as vapor cigarettes or vapes, which are not lit or smoked like their old-fashioned counterparts, but do generally release nicotine in a heated liquid.