Dangerous Molecules Detected In E-Cigarettes Which May Make Them More Harmful Than The Real Thing

The use of e-cigarettes is on the rise but research into the effects of e-cigarettes lags behind their popularity. The number of teens and tweens using these products doubled between 2011 and 2012. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20 percent of young adults have tried e-cigarettes, and current smokers and recent former smokers are most likely to have used them.

E-cigarettes deliver nicotine in water vapor instead of by burning tobacco. The battery-operated devices have been marketed as an alternative to traditional cigarettes. They look like the real thing. The end glows as you inhale. As you exhale, you puff out a cloud of what looks like smoke.

But we know very little about the toxic substances produced by e-cigarettes and their health effects. More evidence coming forward may ultimately validate that e-cigarettes may be more dangerous than regular cigarettes, potentially causing cancer at comparable and possible faster rates depending on the chemicals used.

E-cigarettes have triggered a fierce debate among health experts who share the same goal — reducing the disease and death caused by tobacco. However, many now claim they are not so safe after all.

“There’s a perception that e-cigarettes are healthier than regular cigarettes, or at least not as harmful as regular cigarettes,” said John P. Richie Jr., professor of public health sciences and pharmacology. “While e-cigarette vapor does not contain many of the toxic substances that are known to be present in cigarette smoke,  it’s still important for us to figure out and to minimize the potential dangers that are associated with e-cigarettes.”

Previous studies have found low levels of aldehydes, chemical compounds that can cause oxidative stress and cell damage, in e-cigarette “smoke.” But until now, no one has looked for free radicals, the main source of oxidative stress from cigarette smoke. Highly reactive free radicals are a leading culprit in smoking-related cancer, cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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