E-cigarettes may act as ‘gateway’ to illicit drugs

E-cigarettes designed to help people quit smoking may act as a "gateway" to harmful illicit drugs, researchers have said.

Like conventional cigarettes, the devices are said to raise the risk of addiction to banned substances such as cannabis and cocaine.

Scientists pointed out that while eliminating many of the toxic compounds found in tobacco, e-cigarettes delivered highly addictive “pure nicotine”.