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BOB HIRSHON (host):
Toxic vaping. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Many people use E-cigarettes because they think they’re fairly harmless — certainly compared to smoking. That’s because some of cigarettes’ most harmful compounds come from burning tobacco. But in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, New York University researcher Moon-shong Tang and his colleagues report that vaping E-cigarettes caused both DNA damage and damage to cellular repair systems in lab mice, and in human organ cells.
MOON-SHONG TANG (New York University):
Right now, the common wisdom is e-cigarette is harmless; it’s not carcinogenic. And our evidence really point out e-cigarette very likely will be carcinogenic.
HIRSHON:
While vaping is likely to be less carcinogenic than smoking, Tang says it’s important for people to know that e-cigarettes are not harmless, and it’s best to avoid any nicotine delivery system. I’m Bob Hirshon, for AAAS, the science society.
Story by Bob Hirshon