The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety on Thursday reiterated its advisory against the use of e-cigarettes, citing recent evidence of carcinogenic ingredients.
After reviewing 137 liquid e-cigarettes, authorities concluded that some of the products contained flavorings that cause cancer. Several contained vitamin E acetate, which impairs lung functioning when inhaled.
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(Yonhap) |
None of the products, however, contained THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, which also has harmful effects. THC was not found in any of the e-cigarette products sold in South Korea as cannabis is illegal here, the ministry said.
The exact compounds within the e-cigarette flavorings responsible for their carcinogenic properties have yet to be narrowed down, said the ministry representative in charge of the matter, urging consumers to suspend the use of e-cigarettes altogether until the authorities can be sure which substances to exclude from commercial products.
By Lim Jeong-yeo (
kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)
