Touted as the best thing to help people quit smoking, electronic cigarettes, or e-cigs, have become all the rage in the nicotine world. The trend has gotten so popular that the big tobacco companies are buying in.
But are e-cigarettes a safe alternative? As reported in news.yahoo.com.
The hopes for a healthy cigarette may be nothing more than a pipe dream. A new study suggests that the popular e-cigarettes may contain a comparable level of carcinogens to regular cigarettes.
In recent years, e-cigarettes have become a popular alternative for smokers. The device uses heat to vaporize nicotine but does not actually contain tobacco.
For smokers trying to kick their habit, or at least reduce health risks, the e-cigarettes appeared to provide a desirable third way, allowing smokers to get their nicotine fixes while avoiding most of the health risks commonly associated with smoking, including cancer.
However, a report released in France’s National Consumer Institute claims that many e-cigarettes actually contain a significant quantity of carcinogenic molecules.
According to the study, researchers found that 3 in 10 e-cigarettes contain levels of formaldehyde and acrolein that are nearly equal to levels found in standard cigarettes.
There is no doubt that there is a great need to regulate this new nicotine product. After all, nicotine is still a class 1 addictive substance.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is already considering new potential regulations for the e-cigarettes , including a ban on online sales. Because the e-cigarettes do not actually emit tobacco smoke, users have largely been able to avoid restrictions applied to traditional smokers.
It is true that more research is needed on the health effects of e-cigarettes. However, we do not need more research on whether e-cigarettes should or should not be included in proposed FDA regulations. The time has come to regulate these bad boys and find out what is really in them besides nictone.