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title: Study Shows E-Cigs Still Produce Carcinogens
description: New research suggests that some e-cigarettes get hot enough to produce cancer-causing compounds
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author: Alexandra Sifferlin
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article:published_time: 2014-05-07T16:46:01.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T07:41:58.140Z
article:section: Health
og:title: Study Shows E-Cigs Still Produce Carcinogens
og:description: New research suggests that some e-cigarettes get hot enough to produce cancer-causing compounds
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twitter:title: Study Shows E-Cigs Still Produce Carcinogens
twitter:description: New research suggests that some e-cigarettes get hot enough to produce cancer-causing compounds
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# E-Cigs Still Produce Carcinogens, Study Shows

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by 

[Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/)


## Alexandra Sifferlin


May 7, 2014 4:46 PM UTC

by 

[Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/)


## Alexandra Sifferlin


May 7, 2014 4:46 PM UTC

Vaping may not be the benign drug-delivery system some have thought. E-cigarettes are touted by some to help people curb smokers’ conventional cigarette habit, but new research suggests e-cigs can still produce carcinogens.

E-cigarettes are considered healthier than conventional cigarettes, since smokers are inhaling vaporized nicotine instead of carcinogen-filled smoke. But soon to be published research shows that some popular e-cigarettes can get so hot that they produce some of the same carcinogens as traditional cigarettes. The study looked at higher-voltage e-cigarettes—referred to as “tank-style”—which are heated with larger batteries compared to smaller disposable brands. The new study, which will be published in the journal _Nicotine and Tobacco Research,_ found that tank e-cigarettes can produce the carcinogen formaldehyde when the liquid nicotine is heated at high temperatures, which users can inhale. “This finding suggests that in certain conditions, \[e-cigarettes\] might expose their users to the same or even higher levels of carcinogenic formaldehyde as tobacco smoke,” the Roswell study says, [according to the New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/04/business/some-e-cigarettes-deliver-a-puff-of-carcinogens.html).

In April, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [announced](http://time.com/75508/sketchy-things-we-dont-know-about-e-cigarettes/) that it extended its regulatory jurisdiction over more tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes. The agency said it plans to crack down on e-cigarettes by proposing a ban of their sale to people under 18 and by requiring health warnings on packaging.

The trouble with e-cigarettes is that their risks and benefits are still unknown. It remains uncertain whether they help people quit, or if they’re servings as a gateway to regular cigarettes for young people. According to [data](http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/05/e-cigarettes-finding-new-users-in-teens/) from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, the percentage of middle school and high school students who have tried e-cigarettes doubled from 3.3% in 2011 to 6.8% in 2012\. There are also questions over whether liquid nicotine is dangerous when put in the wrong hands, given that some tobacco control agencies have seen an [uptick in poisonings](http://time.com/47754/in-the-hands-of-babes-e-cigarettes-can-be-deadly/).

There’s an overall lack of [research](http://time.com/47754/in-the-hands-of-babes-e-cigarettes-can-be-deadly/) on e-cigs, but researchers are beginning to fill that hole, and lately, the findings haven’t looked good for e-cigarettes.


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