Australian researchers warn of toxic chemicals in e-cigarettes

2021-10-11 11:35:18 GMT2021-10-11 19:35:18(Beijing Time) Xinhua English

SYDNEY, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Australia's Curtin University have found that many of Australia's over-the-counter liquids used in electronic cigarettes contained substances that could cause lasting damage.

The research, published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) and released to the public on Monday, featured a study of 60 of Australia's most popular e-cigarette liquids.

It found the majority contained chemicals that are known to cause respiratory issues and lung damage when inhaled.

"The amount of nasty chemicals found in these e-liquids is concerning. Many of the flavoring ingredients we found are known toxins and irritants, which when inhaled can damage our airways and lungs," said associate Professor Alexander Larcombe of Curtin University.

As of Oct. 1, Australia banned both the domestic sale and import of all nicotine-based vaping products. However, nicotine-free vaping liquids and devices remain readily available and continue to be sold in every Australian state.

E-cigarettes, or "vaping" has exploded in popularity in recent years in Australia, especially among young people.

As reported by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), in 2019, 26 percent of people aged 18-24 had used an e-cigarette at least once, up from 19.2 percent in 2016.

The tobacco industry in Australia has fallen under criticism of marketing e-cigarettes to young Australians using catchy taglines, glamorous social media imagery, sweet flavors and alluding that the product is safer than the alternative.

CEO of the Minderoo Foundation's Collaborate Against Cancer Initiative, one of the studies' funding organisations, Dr. Steve Burnell said that while the liquids do not contain nicotine, other chemicals found in the substances can cause the user to become addicted.

Larcombe said among these harmful substances was benzaldehyde, which was found at dangerously high levels in almost all of the liquids analysed.

"Benzaldehyde can increase exposure to nicotine and the concentration of nicotine in the blood… [it] is known to be an irritant to people's airways, and it also reduces the body's ability to remove inhaled pathogens," he said.

CEO of the Lung Foundation Australia, the other funding organisation, Mark Brooke said the research shows that a nationwide ban on the use of e-cigarettes was vital to protect Australians, especially young people, from the known and unknown risks of vaping. Enditem

| PRINT | RSS