Floating around the interwebs is a video of a man (former smoker) that had chest x-rays taken a year or two apart. One of them shortly before he started vaping or shortly after. The difference was huge a year or two later.
The way I see it is, if our bodies can metabolize and get rid of years and years of tar and crap from inhaling burning plant matter and chemicals into our lungs after a relatively short time, I pretty much have no doubts at all that the very few ingredients in e-liquids are light years safer. Particularly if I make it myself and know exactly what goes into it.
I have almost zero faith in the FDA and little faith in long term studies, many of which (no matter the area) are found to be flawed or skewed. Just show me that guy and his x-rays, tell me about you (collectively), and I know what vaping has done for me, and well...that's where my opinions are formed. I don't need a study or a government body telling me how to think.
Oh absolutely! The FDA is in bed with big tobacco and big pharma, so of course they stand to lose out big if e-cigs goes mainstream (as if it hasn't already). We've gotta watch out for these sneaky rat lobbyists trying to get e-cigs banned. Thank goodness for groups like CASAA squashing vermin for us. Without them, no doubt e-cigs would probably be banned by the bureaucrats by now.