A new study, commissioned by Japan’s Health Ministry, has found that electronic cigarettes are more harmful than regular tobacco.  Agence France-Presse reports that electronic cigarettes contain carcinogens at a level 10 times higher than their regular tobacco counterparts.  This study is a major blow to invention that was lauded as being less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

Reuters reported earlier this year that another study showed electronic cigarettes made it easier to quit smoking.  The study showed that 20 percent of people who tried to quit with the help of electronic cigarettes were successful.  This was an important victory for electronic cigarette manufacturers, who have been touting the therapeutic benefits of their products because of their ability to assist in smoking cessation.  At that time, there was an assertion that electronic cigarettes were beneficial to public health because of the promise for reducing overall smoking levels in the population.

However, according to WebMD, electronic cigarettes are purported to be safer because they do not contain the tar of traditional cigarettes.  Still, health professionals are still concerned.  Electronic cigarettes may still contain carcinogens and, previously, it was not clear how nicotine without tar impacts health.  Now, the new study seems to provide more evidence on this issue and it is not the promising result that electronic cigarette manufacturers were hoping for.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that electronic cigarettes, otherwise known as e-cigarettes, are battery-powered replacements for traditional cigarettes.  In general, e-cigarette cartridges typically contain nicotine, ingredients necessary to produce aerosol, and flavorings such as fruit or chocolate.  Until recently, the electronic cigarette could be marketed for therapeutic purposes because it was unregulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but it is likely that this study will trigger others and potentially more regulation by the FDA.