More panic, more nonsense.
Here’s a counter-report by Thomas (Steamshots) responding to the recent article in BILD newspaper.
BILD Fearmongering: “E-cigarettes cause irreversible illness” – really?
By Steamshots, September 3, 2025
When BILD writes about e-cigarettes, you already know what’s coming: fear, panic, and sensational headlines. The latest article titled “Vaping can cause irreversible damage” sounds dramatic — but it’s just as baseless as the countless horror stories we’ve been hearing about vaping for more than a decade.
Time to set the record straight.
1. “Irreversible damage” – where’s the evidence?
For over 15 years, millions of people around the world have been vaping. If e-cigarettes really caused irreversible damage, we would already see clear patterns: clusters of COPD cases, surges in heart attacks among vapers, or cancer rates similar to smokers.
Reality check: none of that exists.
On the contrary, studies show that smokers who switch to vaping experience better lung function, less coughing, and significantly lower cardiovascular risk.
2. Nicotine isn’t the problem
BILD claims nicotine harms brain development, narrows blood vessels, and raises blood pressure. That’s not new — but it has nothing to do with e-cigarettes themselves, only with nicotine in general.
The same substance is found in nicotine patches, gums, and sprays — products praised by the very people who demonize vaping.
A classic double standard, showing this debate isn’t really about health, but about control and market interests.
3. Metals, chemicals, and panic – heard it all before
Yes, traces of metals or aldehydes can be measured in vapor. But in quantities far below critical levels — and many times lower than in cigarette smoke.
Science has known this for years. Yet the “metal scare” headlines keep coming, designed to shock rather than inform.
4. EVALI – the great framing fraud
The “mysterious lung injuries” story? That’s EVALI, from the U.S. in 2019. The cause wasn’t normal e-liquids, but vitamin E acetate in illegal THC cartridges.
It had nothing to do with regular nicotine vaping — yet the label stuck. Coincidence? Hardly.
5. What they don’t say
BILD’s article ignores the fact that e-cigarettes are at least 95% less harmful than tobacco, according to Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians.
No mention that hundreds of thousands of smokers have quit thanks to vaping.
And still not a single scientifically verified case of irreversible harm from normal vaping.
Conclusion: Panic isn’t evidence
The BILD article is a textbook example of fear-based journalism built on half-truths and omissions.
Anyone serious about public health should see e-cigarettes for what they are: the most effective and safest way to quit smoking.
Everything else is distraction — serving only those who profit from tobacco and the pharmaceutical industry.
👉 My advice: Don’t fall for clickbait headlines. If you care about real facts, check the science. The message is clear: vaping saves lives.
By Steamshots (Thomas Frohnert)
Thomas Frohnert, aka Steamshots, is a passionate vaper, tech enthusiast, and founder of steamshots.de.
For over ten years, he has been dedicated to vaping and harm reduction, sharing informed insights, honest reviews, and practical advice on flavors, hardware, and industry trends — always with a clear goal: education without hype.
