(NaturalNews) Electronic cigarettes, nicknamed "e-cigs," are devices that are available in over 3,000 American retail outlets and all over the internet. They cost anywhere between $10 and $75, depending on the type and brand, and sales have skyrocketed in the past year, exceeding $100 million. Smokers all over the world have new "bragging rights" when they switch over from regular cigarettes to e-cigs, claiming that they're ingesting far less chemicals and polluting the environment much less all the while. While this is true, they may all be surprised to find out, from new research, that they've actually increased their "consumption" of some heavy metal toxins, like lead -- at up to four times the amount, plus add in some nickel, zinc and chromium, thanks to the cartridge. On top of that, chromium doesn't even exist in secondhand cigarette smoke, so there's a new toxic factor to consider with e-cigs.

So now, if you are not a smoker and you are sitting in a room with an e-cig smoker, wondering if the exhale "vapor" still contains carcinogens that are harmful to you and maybe your baby (or babies), you can stop wondering. It's not unusual either to see e-cig smokers indoors at stores, offices and even places that post "no smoking" signs, just puffing away and blowing out some heavy metal toxins, and maybe some leftover nicotine for the non-smokers to inhale. Should you be concerned? A new study from the University of Southern California (USC) is telling us that maybe we should.

Secondhand toxic "vapor?" - Yes, e-cigs still release toxins into the air

The best "feature" of e-cigs is that people are not smoking ammonia, pesticide, bleach, formaldehyde, plastic and fiberglass, like folks who are addicted to commercial cigarettes. There is much to be said for that! Plus, many people who go from cigarettes to e-cigs end up going to "no cigs" -- meaning they quit smoking altogether eventually. But put on the brakes for a minute, because nicotine is the third most addictive drug in the world, and there are still repercussions to that. Could the exhaled nicotine also be affecting the non-smokers in the room? The jury is still out on that one.

Though exhaled e-cig vapor contains little to no PAH's (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) which are cancer-causing organic compounds, other toxic elements are invading the air, and even some that are not present in cigarettes. E-cigs have added new toxic elements to the equation, because the metal cartridges are manufactured with them. Nickel levels were recorded at four times higher in e-cig vapor than normal cigarette smoke. This raises valid concerns. The research was conducted recently at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and published in the journal Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts (Formerly the Journal of Environmental Monitoring).

The study was collaborated with colleagues from the National Institute of Cancer Research in Milan, Italy, who quantified the level of exposure to harmful metals in secondhand smoke to provide insight for regulatory authorities. The research was conducted in offices and rooms to simulate real-life situations, instead of running the tests in laboratories in isolation. Particles were collected from indoor air, and the chemical content of the samples was examined. The researchers used vapor from an Elips Serie C e-cigarette, one of the most popular European brands. Results could vary depending on brands and the metals used to manufacture the cartridges.

The problem with nicotine remains critical

Nicotine causes increased heart rate, heightened blood pressure, narrowing of blood vessels (leading to heart attacks and strokes), gastrointestinal problems, depression, hypothyroidism, mood swings, sleep disturbances, headaches, loss of sex drive, insulin resistance and vision problems. So the question remains; do secondhand smokers get any leftover, exhaled and processed nicotine? If so, how much? Maybe "we" should all stop smoking -- meaning the smokers and the "non-smokers" who are inhaling the secondhand "vapors." Have you ever heard of 14AndOut? It's the natural method that helps people escape the nicotine prison for good. The Health Ranger recommends it. Get off heavy metal toxins altogether and help your friends, relatives, neighbors and coworkers do the same!

Sources for this article include:

http://pressroom.usc.edu

http://pubs.rsc.org

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://labs.naturalnews.com

http://www.14andout.com

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