Kuala Lampur, March 7 -- As Malaysia moves towards banning vaping products this year, it may be worth paying attention to what researchers in France have just concluded.

Last month, France's national health authority released a major review on vaping. The agency, known as ANSES, studied hundreds of scientific papers on electronic cigarettes, including research involving thousands of users over many years. Its experts examined the chemicals produced by vaping, the health effects observed in users, and how these compare with traditional cigarettes.

Their conclusion was straightforward. Vaping sharply reduces exposure to many of the toxic and cancer-causing substances found in cigarette smoke. The reason is simple: without combustion, the ...