New research reveals electronic cigarettes could be hazardous.
The Oakland-based Center for Environmental Health tested 97 different e-cigarettes and other vaping products. It was looking for evidence of two carcinogens: formaldehyde or acetaldehyde.
Caroline Cox, the Center’s research director, said more than half of the devices emitted amounts of one or both gases that exceed California’s safety levels.
“Many of them produced 10 times that much of one or the other gases, and some produced more than 100 times as much as that safety level," Cox explained.
Most e-cigarettes also contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can lead to serious health problems.
E-cigarette companies market their products as a safe alternative to smoking. Cox said there's nothing safe about them.
"Maybe e-cigarettes are less toxic than regular cigarettes. I don’t really want to weigh in on that," she said. "But what we can say for sure, is that they are toxic.”
Vaping products, including e-cigarettes, are not regulated by the federal government.
