5X More Formaldehyde Than Cigarettes.
Formaldehyde (present in both cigarette smoke, and e-cig vapour) is considered a Group 1 compound, carcinogenic to humans, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. While smoking a pack of cigarettes a day (20) delivers around 3mg of formaldehyde to the smoker, vaping 3ml per day (average) delivers 14.4mg of formaldehyde. Consequently, there is at least a 500% greater risk of of developing cancer through exposure to formaldehyde from vaping, than from smoking.
Liquid Nicotine Can Be Lethal In Small Doses.
The nicotine contained in e-cigs is different to that contained in regular cigarettes, and if ingested, can be lethal in relatively small doses. Ingesting just half a teaspoon could be enough to kill a child. Even more worryingly, mere skin contact with liquid nicotine can cause symptoms of poisoning, such as dizziness, elevated blood pressure and seizures.
Sweet Poison?
The chemicals which are used to flavour e-cigarettes are often the same as those used in food and confectionary. Consequently they have been passed as safe for human consumption, but this safety corresponds to eating, not inhalation, and research suggests that exposure to high temperatures may cause many of these same chemicals to become toxic to humans.
More Children & Teens Are Becoming Addicted To Nicotine.
E-cigarette use among high school students tripled between 2013 and 2014 (to 13%), and combined with an increase in other nicotine containing products, meant that for the first time in years the number of high school age students using nicotine increased (by 400,000).
Risk To Children & Pregnant Women.
There is evidence that vapour from e-cigs can be harmful to children and pregnant women. Indeed the World Health Organisation have called for a complete ban on public vaping. Despite these calls many restaurants and bars still allow vaping on their premises – effectively increasing levels of toxic chemicals in the air.
Frankly, We Just Don’t Know How Dangerous E-Cigs Are To Health.
Just 60 years ago, doctors would tell us that certain brands of cigarette were ‘healthier’ than others. The truth is we honestly don’t know at this stage just how harmful vaping may be to the human body, but we do know for certain that vapour includes chemicals known to be carcinogenic. When research is still in its infancy, are you willing to take the risk?
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Sources / Further Reading
- http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/dangers-e-cigarette-vapors-updated-research/
- http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Classification/ClassificationsAlphaOrder.pdf
- http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1413069
- http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/science/e-cigarette-health-scare-erupts-officials-5065797
- http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/e-cigarettes-should-banned-indoors-may-4111736
- http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/vaping-health-risks-ecigarettes-could-be-more-dangerous-than-we-think-scientists-warn-10180878.html
- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002510.htm
- http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/19/nicotine-poison-e-cigarettes-evidence