Vaping can cause cancer, say researchers but still isn't as damaging as smoking cigarettes. More than 5.5 million Britons currently use e cigarettes, which have long been viewed as a safer alternative Unraveling the Truth: Is Nicotine Truly a Depressant? Vaping and the use of e cigarettes are likely to cause cancer, according to a new study published by the University of New South Wales on 30 March. The study, which brought together Unraveling the Truth: Is Nicotine Truly a Depressant?