Another study revealed that e-cigarettes are not safe, as it found that vaping may damage a person's DNA and result in the development of cancer.
There have been numerous research on vaping as an alternative to cigarettes. While e-cigarettes are generally considered safer than traditional cigarettes, are they really safe enough?
E-Cigarettes May Damage DNA: Vaping Leads To Cancer
E-cigarettes continue to gain popularity worldwide, because vaping is seen as a safer alternative to smoking. However, a new study joins the long list of research on whether or not vaping is safe.
The new study saw scientists from the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Center recruit five e-cigarette users. The researchers collected samples of saliva from the participants before and after vaping for 15 minutes.
After vaping, the scientists found higher levels of formaldehyde, acrolein and methylglyoxal in the saliva of the e-cigarette users. The compounds are known to damage DNA.
Compared to the saliva of non-vapers, the saliva of four out of the five e-cigarette users contained increased levels of DNA adduct, which is a type of damage when toxic chemicals interact with a person's DNA. If cells are unable to fix the damage to allow the DNA to replicate normally, there is a chance that cancer will develop.
Senior investigator Silvia Balbo said that she agrees to e-cigarettes being safer than traditional cigarettes, due to the lower levels of carcinogens.
"However, I think just considering these devices as safe by this comparison is not good enough," said Balbo. "It's not good enough to say something is safe because it isn't as bad."
Balbo clarified that the study does not confirm that vaping causes cancer, but only that smoking e-cigarettes produces chemicals that damages DNA. The team is planning to follow up the study with a larger one involving more participants to gain a better understanding on the effects of vaping on a person's health.
E-Cigarettes Are Still Bad For You
Smokers are moving away from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes to help them in quitting the habit, but research published last month revealed that vaping is actually not helping. In fact, there have been studies linking it with other health issues, such as flavored e-cigarettes being found to increase the risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Making matters worse is that vaping has grown in popularity among teenagers, particularly due to the brand Juul. The rising fad has become a major problem in schools, as more teens are joining the vape movement.
