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E-cigarettes contain up to 10 times carcinogens: Japan researchers

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This report flies in the face of just about every other report which comes up with the complete opposite results. I see the hand of the big tobacco companies at play here.

8 ( +11 / -5 )

That may well be the case, SimondB. But it's worth keeping an eye on this. We don't really need tight regulation on the e-fluid, but there have to be some rules about what goes in it. I hope they achieve some kind of happy medium that keeps e-cigs available, and relatively safe. (Full disclosure: I'm a former smoker who quit by using an e-cig for 5 months.)

12 ( +13 / -2 )

Japan tobacco has to hand in e-cig pie. A shaker of salt with this report.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

I call absolute bullshit on this as I am growing increasingly less trusting of anything to come out of Japan Inc.'s mouth, in particular regarding the well-known power that Japan Tobacco (and groups in other industries) wields over thee government.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Jt WOULD say that, any way the report was specific to some makers, not a blanket cover, of the e-ciggie.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The eliquid tested was probably cheap and made in China. Good premium liquids made elsewhere are much safer.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

Sarukaze, you have it spot on there. another article I read on this stated that they only tested products that are readily available in Japan.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

They need to publish the names of those whose e-cigs they found to be that poisonous.. The only way for these to improve is to flush out the crap

4 ( +4 / -0 )

If you take a look at Kunugata's published paper, the highest level of formaldehyde registered out of 13 brands is at 34 while formaldehyde produced from cigarettes are believed to be around 200. So this must be some new test result on a single brand, which does make me want to know which one.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

All this highlights is the need to have some sort of quality control in E-cig liquids.

I am all for a central testing agency with 'approved' liquids being available for a bit higher cost.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

How about just not smoking?

16 ( +22 / -8 )

Progress!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Sorry. I don't belive any of it. Not because I am an avid vaper who likes vapor. But EVERY SINGLE other scientific report 100% directly contradicts this report. Do one second of research yourself. E-juice the stuff in e-cig is made up of ONLY 3 things. glycol, glycerin, nicotine. glycol and glycerin is in basically every single thing you eat that comes in a package or box. Everything. They are probably testing Japan only e-cig. Who knows. I import mine, just like anyone who knows two things about e-cigs.

What a joke. Just trying to keep Japan Tabaco from loosing anymore money.

All someone needs to is say they e-cig are "eco" and then Japan will be 100% for e-cig and buy them in droves.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

"Up to" = we have included a statistical outlier from a ridicously small and biased data set in order to shock the public into reading our awfully researched paper.

Anyone who seriously regards this as "research" needs a refresher course in basic statistics.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Carcinogens or no, who cares? You still look like a complete douchebag sucking on an e-cigarette. Why anyone would want to do it aside from as a means to quit tobacco is beyond me.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

As a vaper, there are risks - anything you inhale is not considered "safe" - but it got me off cigs and haven't looked back. I do believe some regulation is needed -- to prevent impure mixtures and liquids - but primarily, education is needed for both the vapers and non-vapers so that the risks are able to be further reduced and conscious decisions are able to be made. There are no long term studies because they don't exist, it's a new trend - but Japan's "tests" are contradictory to many of the tests being done now as @simonb mentioned. This is a big topic... but one I felt I needed to jump in on. Hopefully japan doesn't take a barbaric stance on this... like dancing....

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Start selling Hash Oil cartridges, and watch how everyone's STRESS LEVEL disappears.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

How about just not smoking?

How about just not drinking? Perhaps we should ban both alcohol and smoking while we're at it. I'm sure that nothing could go wrong. :^)

-3 ( +7 / -9 )

Well, e-cigs are not "safe", just far safer than cigs. Of course the only report contradicting this is from Japan, where the Health Ministry owns a major share in JT, which is well behind the game with e-cig development.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Bottom line is, scientists are people, too, and like people they can be bought and for your money you'll get whatever result your side wants to prove.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

SimondBNOV. 28, 2014 - 07:16AM JST This report flies in the face of just about every other report which comes up with the complete opposite results. I see the hand of the big tobacco companies at play here.

Indeed. I also see the government and pliant media willing to peddle these findings on behalf of the tobacco industry. In Japan the authorities just make up their own reality.

However it would not surprise me to find on some level, e-cigs are harmful. These new fads often turn out to have hidden side-effects.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I knew this modern s*** can't be trusted!

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Do one second of research yourself. E-juice the stuff in e-cig is made up of ONLY 3 things. glycol, glycerin, nicotine. glycol and glycerin is in basically every single thing you eat that comes in a package or box.

Well, we already know about nicotine. Glycol and glycerin are considered safe for food use, but there is very little data on the effects of inhaling it into your lungs. Many things are fine in our digestive systems but not so good in our lungs - water, for instance.

It's just good sense to avoid sucking anything except air into your lungs. Many people thought smoking was great until a few decades of research showed otherwise. Vaping is brand new, so why risk it? It's a silly habit anyway.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Nothing like a good old fashioned gasper. Personally I miss the filterless ones (Lucky Strike Plains were the best).

1 ( +2 / -1 )

are e-cigs harmful, probably. as are alcohol, cigs, marijuana, sugar, fat, etc. are they more harmful than regular cigs, probably not. notice they only play up the one brand as being consistently higher and another as inconsistent. so what about the other 11? where were they made and by whom? and where is data on regular cigs? obviously there is an agenda and a goal, the government wants to regulate for the "public good" and take there cut of the profits they lose from cig sales.

as for glycol and glycerin, i'm guessing the purity is the key. the thing is i understand that they use the stuff for movie smoke so if they ban it, they're going to have to ban that too.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Even though there are only supposed to be 2-3 ingredients, there is often flavouring or sweeteners involved, and who knows what might be contained in those. Some flavourings common in food were determined to be carcinogenic years after they were put into use. Maybe some of the flavourings which are totally fine to eat turn completely nasty with a bit of heat applied.

But really, if you're going to post findings like this, it is proper to name the exact brands you used, not only so that people know which ones to avoid, but also so that others can verify or dispute the claims. The fact that they didn't name names just makes the whole study seem completely bogus (and if it seems bogus, it probably is.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How about just not drinking?

If you're drinking is causing you health problems, then not drinking is a good idea.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am really surprised that at least they consider the e-cigarette as harmful to health and not fire like regular stinking tobacco cigarettes. Second-hand smoke has been proven around the world but until the first official big yen payout is awarded the ignorance of how dangerous second hand smoke is to humans will not cease. As I have posted in the past, what's the point of having no-smoking areas e-cigarettes or regular tobacco if the smoker is right outside the front door and the second hand smoke is all inside, what's the point. Just quit is best.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

UN Health body says they should be banned from indoor spaces. Especially the streetcar I'm on. I remember in the late sixties hearing about American cigarette manufacturers purchasing copyrights of all the names marijuana had back then. Just waiting. Celebrating dependency is like walking around with your shoes untied and your pants hung below your rear and bing held there by one hand.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Actually the Study it self said something different: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/11/11192/htm

The Article is biased but the Study is neutral, ergo: go with Science instead of the Journalism of today!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"Formaldehyde—a substance found in ... embalming fluids—was present at much higher levels than carcinogens found in the smoke from regular cigarettes, the official said."

This is pretty efficient. Pre-embalming while imbibing carcinogens will make the whole funeral process go more smoothly.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Pollution from factories, chemicals in cleaning products etc Vaping is bad?????? Maybe look at the BIG picture, why are there things happening....................

0 ( +0 / -0 )

yawn

Vape on, brothers and sisters.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"e-cigarettes are not the harmless products"

The levels of poison are not important, the fact these dangerous drug delivery systems are marketed to children is.

If you are an adult and wish high levels of deadly addictive chemicals delivered in an unregulated package formulated to increase dependency, your wish has been answered. And they're not cheap, double bonus!

For sane people, your children are being fed a string of lies wrapped in false sex appeal and fruit flavors. The goal? A steady stream of victims paying billions for their own deaths.

Cheer for Vape! It's going to kill millions. Another strange hero for the mentally ill, this one in tube form that heats up your delicious carcinogen. Don't regulate, eliminate.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

There is so little information available no one really knows what the problems may or may not be with vaping. The evidence from this report doesn't look good. It does look like much more testing is required and that it would be sensible to impose some standards on manufacturers of both the vaporisers and the liquids. Most importantly it should be obvious that marketing e-cigarettes to kids should be stopped.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"There is so little information available no one really knows what the problems may or may not be with vaping." - SwissToni

Sorry Mate, The Brits have extensive studies and there is no indication that heating carcinogens to bathe your lungs with unknown chemicals is a wise idea.

Worst, these merchants of death are selling to children with sex and candy flavors. That's not an informed decision, that's a cheap snake oil sales pitch made to kill children.

Get over it, death for dollars is the business model. Wise up. Dump the Vape and get on with your life.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

kcjapan, im confused by your post, do have the idea that I promoted the use of e-cigarettes? If that's the case you're mistaken.

I advocate more study, as the info generally available is that they may be a good tool to help give up smoking. I had a good look and can't these extensive studies you mention. I did look at the UK NHS website an their advice is that they may be a useful addition to giving up the weed. The UK NHS believes further study over the long term is required. That seems like a sensible approach to me, as does the Ministry of Health's commissioning of further studies.

I firmly believe that anyone who markets to children a tool used for delivering nicotine to the system needs a serious shoeing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The writing adviser for the paper ,Naoki Kunugita, as is referenced in the paper, he is credit for "providing writing assistance and technical advice on the regulatory aspects of the paper". Didn't notice anything about testing (Author contributions section). . . hmmm.

The other point is the actual study didn't contain this data about 10 fold more than cigarettes , 13 products were tested but 4 of them had/contained nothing harmful at all. That was forgotten in the article. Another strange component was the testing were done using disposable non regulated devices like the one commonly used by people who vape. It was clear that "10 fold more levels" was an equipment malfunction which is possible with inexperienced users.

In the study, which I have found no account of in any media report, is the conclusion:

Second sentence " These substances can have adverse health effects: however, in most cases, the levels are lower than those in tobacco cigarettes smoke."

That's the bottom line the study does what they say it is better than smoking.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"I firmly believe that anyone who markets to children a tool used for delivering nicotine to the system needs a serious shoeing." - SwissToni

Quite right.

"Electronic cigarettes are to be licensed and regulated as an aid to quit smoking from 2016, it has been announced. E-cigarettes – battery-operated devices that mimic cigarettes – are to be classed as 'medicines', which means they will face stringent checks by medicine regulator the MHRA and doctors will be able to prescribe them to smokers to help them cut down or quit."

"Will they help me quit smoking? We don’t yet know. The evidence so far is promising, but not strong enough to draw any firm conclusions."

"Also, some argue that e-cigarettes (with their flavourings and clever marketing) are a ‘gateway to smoking’ for children and teenagers, encouraging them to smoke when they wouldn’t otherwise take up the habit.

If they're not a gateway to smoking, they are at least a gateway to nicotine addiction. Cancer Research UK asks whether smokers who may have otherwise successfully conquered their nicotine addiction may be more likely to stay on e-cigarettes (and thus be addicted to nicotine) long term, if they start using them."

source: http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/06June/Pages/e-cigarettes-and-vaping.aspx

Basically, nicotine is used as a pesticide and these devices are designed to give that chemical immediate access to your brain. But, it is truly the children who will pay the price for this devise that makes a whole new generation of addicts.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't know many 'children' who have access to credit cards to purchase them. Nearly all of these products are purchased online from specialist shops.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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