E-cigarettes 'contain 10 times more cancer-causing chemicals than regular cigarettes'

November 28, 2014  23:42

Health experts in Japan discovered high levels of chemicals including formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in the vapour produced by several types of e-cigarette liquid.

The latest findings will come as a blow to those in favour of the electronic devices, heralded as safer than regular cigarettes. 

The devices, which are becoming increasingly popular around the world, particularly among young people, function by heating flavoured liquid, which often contains nicotine, into a vapour that is inhaled, much like traditional cigarettes but without the smoke, The Daily Mail reports.

Researchers commissioned by Japan's health ministry found carcinogens such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in their vapour.

Formaldehyde - a substance found in building materials and embalming fluids - was present at much higher levels than carcinogens found in the smoke from regular cigarettes, a health official said.

Acetaldehyde, which occurs naturally in small quantities but is mainly used in industrial plants to make acids and other chemicals, was also found in higher levels than in normal tobacco.

In one brand of e-cigarette the team found more than 10 times the level of carcinogens contained in one regular cigarette,' said Dr Naoki Kunugita, of the National Institute of Public Health, Japan.

When the wire which vaporises the liquid gets overheated, higher amounts of those harmful substances seem to be produced, he added.

However, the amount of formaldehyde detected did vary through the course of analysis, he said.

In August, the World Health Organisation (WHO) called on governments to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, warning they pose a 'serious threat' to unborn babies and young people.

Despite scant research on their effects, the WHO said there was enough evidence 'to caution children and adolescents, pregnant women, and women of reproductive age' about e-cigarette use.

This was due to the 'potential for foetal and adolescent nicotine exposure (having) long-term consequences for brain development'.

The WHO also said they should be banned from indoor public spaces.

Supporters of e-cigarettes say the devices are a safer alternative to traditional tobacco, whose bouquet of toxic chemicals and gases can cause cancer, heart disease and strokes.

These are known to be among the leading causes of death in many countries.

But opponents say the devices have only been around for a few years, and the long-term health impact from inhaling their vapour is unclear.

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