Howard Greller, the director of medical toxicology and research at St. Barnabas Hospital, says vaping is no safer than lighting up a cigarette.

“[Vaping] doesn’t appear to be any safer,” he says. “It’s promoting nicotine and that's addictive.”

Vaping, which has been trendy among young adults and middle age people trying to ween off cigarettes, has been at the forefront of growing health concerns. It has been linked to six deaths in the U.S. with hundreds more possible cases of lung problems tied to the use of e-cigarette products, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The concern prompted the federal government to act. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced that the government would ban thousands of flavors used in e-cigarettes. 

The surprise White House announcement could remake the multibillion-dollar vaping industry, which has been driven by sales of flavored nicotine formulas such as "grape slushie" and "strawberry cotton candy."