E cigarettes can help people quit smoking but may be gateway for non smokers, studies suggest ABC News Since their introduction in Europe in 2006 and the U.S. in 2007, the use of e cigarettes a.k.a., vapes has skyrocketed. A recent review from researchers in Australia found the results NIH funded studies show damaging effects of vaping, smoking on blood vessels National Institutes of Health (NIH) E cigarettes: Facts, stats and regulations