I recently read an article on NPR, entitled "E-Cigarettes Can Churn Out High Levels Of Formaldehyde". In chemistry class, we have recently discussed reactions to great lengths. Certain chemical compounds react with other chemical compounds in unusual and interesting ways. For instance, sodium will react with water and create a great deal of heat. In our own bodies, formaldehyde bonds with amino acids, but not in an immediately noticeable way. In fact, such small amounts of substances are hard to observe, but bonding takes place nonetheless. Formaldehyde bonds with amino acids, the building blocks of our body, to form a harmful toxin. This illustrates a way matter can react to form something totally new.
The NPR article warns E-Cigarette users of unforeseeable and unknown danger in the vapour they are breathing in. Up until this point, E-Cigarettes have been viewed as infinitely healthier than cigarettes, simply because the number of toxins in the vapour is less than the number found in cigarette smoke. Researchers say that the amount of formaldehyde found in E-Cigarette vapour is ten to fifteen times as much as the amount found in cigarette smoke. The article aims to inform the readers of a potential threat, and to warn that E-Cigarettes are not miraculous, carcinogen-free alternatives to cigarettes.
I found this article to be very thought-provoking. Like most other people, I previously believed that E-Cigarettes were a perfectly healthy alternative to cigarettes, but I am now reconsidering. The biggest question raised here is the legal implication of these new findings. Can E-Cigarettes even be sold if their vapour is filled with a known carcinogen, the same one we use to preserve corpses? I'm not sure. But something's going to happen sooner or later, and I'd rather have more research done sooner.
So: should E-Cigarettes be tested more before they continue their wide release? Or are their benefits over cigarettes too much to throw aside?
Link to article:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2015/01/21/378663944/e-cigarettes-can-churn-out-high-levels-of-formaldehyde
That was a really interesting article, I also thought they were healthier compared to regular cigarettes, but after reading this I'm not quite sure anymore. I find the biggest issue regarding the e-cigarettes would be the second hand smoke if it's releasing a carcinogen in such vast quantities. I think something should be done about the e-cigarettes however you it will be hard to as they're currently being marketed as a safer alternative, but they really need to be tested further before widespread use.
ReplyDeleteWow james! I too was unaware of the consequences of smoking e-cigarettes, however I do not find it surprising that such a product would have harmful effects. I think the testing on products such as e-cigarettes ought to be stricter, because this kind of information could have been discovered, without endangering people, through extensive testing.
ReplyDeleteHello, James!
ReplyDeleteI've always been skeptical about the idea of E-Cigarettes being a safe alternative for traditional cigarettes, because cigarettes used to be considered "good" or even "healthy" in the 30s and 40s as less was understood about it, but not today. The same deal goes for what was discussed in your article, where now, as more research has been done, there appears to be more evidence of E-Cigarettes having the potential to be just as harmful as traditional cigarettes. It's just that E-Cigarettes are fairly new, so long term studies can't be conducted to fully understand all their harmful effects yet. E-Cigs will probably end up having the same regulations as traditional cigarettes soon, based on its harmful findings so far.
To answer your question, we can't be so sure about their benefits over traditional cigarettes, because not enough time has passed to study their long-term effects. Who knows? It could prove to be even worse. Therefore, I think that E-Cigarettes should continue to be tested before they continue their wide release, as not enough is understood to assert that this is a much safer alternative to regular cigarettes.