French Study: E-Cigarettes Not That Healthy After All

So it turns out the hot new thing in "healthy" smoking really isn't that much better for you than regular old tobacco cigarettes, according to a new study from the smoking capital of the world: France. Their National Consumer Institute found that many of the little electronic nicotine vaporizers actually kick out a fairly significant amount of nasty toxic chemicals, just like their plant-based cousins.

About a third of the e-cigs tested contained high levels of formaldehyde and acrolein, almost as much as those found in regular cigarettes. Both of those chemicals are well known carcinogens and lung damagers. According to Thomas Laurenceau from the National Consumer Institute:

"Electronic cigarettes are far from the harmless gadgets that they are presented as... This is not a reason to ban them, but to place them under better control."

This and other new studies showing the potential health risks of e-cigarettes aren't likely to go over well with the companies and stores that sell them. Even some of the smoking industry "giants" are now pushing the products as safe smoking alternatives and/or "quit smoking" tools. Still, the good news is that it appears several brands/models -- 7 out of 10 of the ones tested -- don't contain high levels of bad chemicals.

We say: Since e-smoking is expected to become a $10 billion industry in the next few years, we don't expect this study or any other to really affect it that much. Here in Vegas you can see people smoking these weird little things (not to mention "e-hookahs") all over the place now. It will be interesting to see how anti-smoking establishments change their laws/rules to handle all the e-smoke!

Learn some mo': Study says e-cigarettes may contain carcinogens similar to regular cigarettes



Photo credit: chiropractic