Fruity Vape Flavors Pose Highest Gene Risk, Study Finds

A new study published in Frontiers in Oncology reveals that fruity vape flavors like mango and watermelon trigger far more changes in gene expression than sweet, mint, or menthol options. While vaping remains a significantly less harmful alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes, the research indicates that regulators should focus on product specific risks rather than imposing blunt prohibitions that push consumers toward black markets.

Why do fruity vape flavors change more gene activity?

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC found that regular vapers who use fruity flavors showed altered activity in 3,124 genes across the genome compared to people who neither smoke nor vape. Fruit flavors specifically accounted for changes in 970 of those affected genes, representing 31 percent of the total variation. This dwarfs the impact of sweet flavors, which altered 92 genes (2.9 percent), and mint or menthol options, which affected only 27 genes (0.9 percent). Vapers who used multiple flavors saw changes in 2,009 genes, or 64.3 percent.

These changes occur in gene expression rather than the underlying DNA sequence. Changing gene expression means altering how much protein a cell makes from a specific gene, which changes cell behavior without mutating the DNA code. If your DNA is a cookbook, the recipes remain intact, but the cell is forced to cook a bad recipe too often or ignore a good one. These expression changes serve as early biological signals linked to disease pathways, including cancer, heart conditions, and respiratory issues.

Should regulators ban flavored vapes?

The study's senior author, Ahmad Besaratinia, PhD, professor of research population and public health sciences at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, noted that each flavor has unique attributes producing different biological effects. He suggested regulators should carefully evaluate the health risks of each flavored product individually.

The implication is that each flavour has unique attributes that produce different biological effects. This is something regulators should carefully consider when evaluating the health risks or potential benefits of each flavoured e-cigarette product.

From a public policy standpoint, sweeping flavor bans often backfire. When governments restrict legal, regulated products, adult smokers looking to quit cigarettes frequently turn to unregulated imports with unclear ingredients. Shane Margereson, who works with adult vape customers at Ecigone, emphasized that compliance and ingredient transparency must come first. He stated that adult smokers should stick to reputable retailers and avoid unregulated imports, noting that vapes are meant for adult smokers, not children or non-smokers.

Is vaping still safer than smoking?

The NHS position remains clear. Vaping exposes users to fewer toxins and at lower levels than smoking combustible tobacco. Because vapes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, they pose only a small fraction of the risks associated with traditional cigarettes. For adult smokers, nicotine vaping remains one of the most effective tools for quitting tobacco.

However, less harmful does not mean harmless. A separate 2026 systematic review in Frontiers in Public Health warned that fruity, menthol, and sweet flavors have been linked to increased nicotine preference, inflammation, cellular damage, and respiratory symptoms. Much of this evidence is still early or based on laboratory models, but it underscores the need for market transparency over heavy handed interventionism.

Do fruity vapes cause cancer?

The researchers did not claim that fruity vapes directly cause cancer or other diseases. The study found that fruity flavors alter gene expression, which are early biological signals linked to disease pathways. Changing gene expression affects how genes are activated or deactivated, but it does not mutate the DNA sequence itself.

Are unregulated vapes more dangerous?

Yes. Unregulated vape imports often lack ingredient transparency and may carry suspiciously high nicotine claims or non-compliant packaging. Health professionals and industry experts agree that adult smokers seeking harm reduction tools should only use legal, regulated products to avoid unknown chemical exposures.

Should non-smokers start vaping?

No. Health bodies stress that vaping is not risk-free. Children, individuals under 18, and people who do not smoke should never start vaping. The long-term effects of vaping are not yet fully known, and the products are intended strictly as a less harmful alternative for adult tobacco smokers.