E-cigarette vapor contains more carcinogenic formaldehyde than regular cigarettes

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

E-cigarette vapor may contain cancer-causing formaldehyde at a level 15 times higher than normal cigarettes, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

“We’ve found that there is a hidden form of formaldehyde in e-cigarette vapor that has not typically been measured,” said James Pankow, PhD, co-author of the study along with fellow researchers at Portland State University in Oregon. “People shouldn’t assume these e-cigarettes are completely safe.”

While once believed to be a less harmful alternative to the formaldehyde and toxic chemicals found in the smoke of normal cigarettes, newer e-cigarettes operate at high temperatures that dramatically boost the creation of formaldehyde-containing compounds.

The researchers found that, at high voltage, formaldehyde-releasing agents in e-cigarettes increased a person’s lifetime risk of cancer by five-to-15 times greater than the risk of long-term smoking with regular cigarettes. However, the compounds were not found when they were operated at a lower voltage.

The American Vaping Association, an advocacy group for e-cigarette makers, criticized the study, stating that users wouldn’t normally operate devices at such a high voltage.

E-cigarettes remain unregulated, and representatives from the American Cancer Society stated that the findings from the study stress the importance of FDA oversight.