BY MICHAEL ROIZEN, M.D., AND MEHMET OZ, M.D.
When Woodie Guthrie sang, “Let me go here one more time/And one more time,” he was hoping to recapture a past that had faded away. When we ask you to let us revisit, one more time, the subject of e-cigarettes, we’re hoping to help you capture a better future.
Seems every time we turn around, there’s more bad news about these not-exactly-cigarettes. Now it turns out that the heating coil in your e-cig can covert solvents that carry flavorings and nicotine through the device into very toxic vapes. The hotter the device — and the more you use it — the more toxins it produces.
An international group of researchers found propylene glycol, glycerin, nicotine, ethanol, acetol and propylene oxide were in three refill e-liquids they tested. Propylene oxide is a possible carcinogen and respiratory irritant, and the aerosols that the device generates from these ingredients include a previously unidentified carcinogen and many powerful irritants.
This toxic plume is most present in single coil devices. It seems they overheat more than double coils and produce more toxins. In any case, reusing the device without cleaning it also ramps up toxin emissions more than 60 percent!
If you’ve been smoking tobacco for 20 years and you think that moving to an e-cig is going to spare you from exposure to carcinogens, think again. We suggest finding a quit-smoking buddy or a support group online or in your locale, and trying a nicotine patch and an anti-craving pill. And clearly, if you have never smoked, don’t try these vaporizers!
Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit www.sharecare.com.