SMOKERS who are considering making the switch from tobacco to electronic cigarettes are being asked to help compare their effects.

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular, despite the dearth of hard scientific evidence that they have any beneficial effects.

Now academics at the University of Dundee want to remedy that and are carrying out a health study called Vesuvius which aims to compare the health effects of e-cigarettes with those of tobacco products.

The team are looking for 80 people aged 18 years and over who have been smoking for at least two years and currently smoke at least 15 tobacco cigarettes (or a similar amount of roll-ups) per day.

As part of the study volunteers will have to make two visits to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee.

The visits – which will be four weeks apart – will take around two hours.

Participants will be divided into groups using e-cigarettes, some with nicotine and some without, and a comparison group who will continue smoking their tobacco cigarettes.

Those in the e-cigarette groups would have to stop using tobacco for the four weeks of the study.

Those who complete the study will receive up to £40 in shopping vouchers as an added incentive to finish the programme.

“We know any change to habit can be difficult for smokers but we really do need their help with this important study,” said Dr Jacob George, who is leading the study.

“There is surprisingly little scientific evidence which really shows the benefits or otherwise of using e-cigarettes as opposed to tobacco.

“We want to test the effects of e-cigarettes, with and without nicotine, on the blood vessels, a key health indicator, and compare them to tobacco cigarettes.

“If we can get more information relating to the comparative effects of e-cigarettes and tobacco then people may in future be able to help to make much more informed decisions.”

Pregnant women, those who are planning to become pregnant, or women breastfeeding, along with people with heart or blood vessel problems cannot be included in the study.

To find out more – or if you want to take part in the study – contact vesuvius@dundee.ac.uk