People who use this e-cigarettes as alternative to the conventional cigarettes may be exposed to irritation in their airways, a study pointed out. Many e-cigarettes come with flavors, from the 145 flavored cigarettes analyzed, 108 tested positive for benzaldehyde, the irritating chemical.
Benzaldehyde tastes like cherries or almonds and is commonly used as a flavoring agent in food and medicines. It is safe to use it that way, but inhaling a is completely different mode of exposure, said senior author Maciej Goniewicz, an assistant professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, N.Y. The use of an electronic cigarette can cause some side effects, like coughing, this might be attributed to the flavors, added Goniewicz.
Although, the team of researchers also noted that the estimated daily inhaled dose of the chemical – even the flavour that has the most benzaldehyde presence, the cherry one – was more than 1,000 times lower than the maximum workplace exposure levels set by federal laws, as reported by U.S News.
This means that even though the e-cigarette has some side effects, these do not compare to the effects that causes smoking traditional cigarettes, where the user is exposed to over 7,000 chemicals including more than 60 known or suspected carcinogens.
The research also showed that the e-cigarette user have to be exposed to three years of vaping to reach the 8-hour work shift permissible occupational exposure limits. So, it continues to be a safer alternative than tobacco cigarettes.
Goniewicz also added that e-cigarette users, also known as vapers, should know that if they start to cough they should change the flavour. The ideal thing will be to leave it, but for those who will lean to the traditional ones, changing flavors is a better option.
Source: U.S News Health
Thanks for writing an honest account. That’s rare.
In the long run most vapers will mix at home. Some who do it now use no flavoring. I used a slight amount, about 1%.
Vaping is lower risk and lower cost than smoking. In the past 15 months I feel a lot better since switching. I also save money and that’s important too. Smoking a carton a week cost me $3,000 a year. My cost of ingredients for a year supply of e liquid is $30.