E-cigarette sales have increased drastically in the United States since it started to be sold in the market. According to Forbes, the e-cigarette industry is expected to double its revenue this year to about $ 1 billion up to $1.7 billion. Many are resorting to "vaping" to be able to quit smoking and prevent its bad effects to the health.
However, a new study published on Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine says that e-cigarettes actually contain high concentration of formaldehyde and can be five to 15 times higher than cigarette smoking.
The National Cancer Institute says Formaldehyde can be classified as a human carcinogen. It can cause nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia.
Formaldehyde has been classified as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Research studies of workers exposed to formaldehyde have suggested an association between formaldehyde exposure and several cancers, including nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia.
According to James F. Pankow, professor of chemistry and engineering at Portland State University in Oregon and co-author of the study, "It's way too early now from an epidemiological point of view to say how bad they are. But the bottom line is, there are toxins and some are more than in regular cigarettes. And if you are vaping, you probably shouldn't be using it at a high-voltage setting."
The researchers studied the liquid used in e-cigarettes to detect the levels of formaldehyde they release. They discovered that vaping about 3 mm of e-cigarette at a high voltage can release about 14 of formaldehyde. Meanwhile, a person who smokes tobacco can get around 15 mm of formaldehyde per stick.
"We are not saying e-cigarettes are more hazardous than cigarettes. We are only looking at one chemical. ... The jury is really out on how safe these drugs are," he added.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released its statement that it will start to regulate the sales of e-cigarettes both in the market and online especially for teens who are now fond of the said trend.
Formaldehyde is a common chemical used in the industry. It is used from manufacturing to embalming. Actually, it has been used in laboratories to preserve frogs during Biology classes. This chemical is toxic and can cause a wide variety of health problems including cancer.
