Believing that exposure to e-cigarette vape i.e, vapour, is safe for children, parents are increasingly vaping at home and in the car, reveals a study published in Pediatrics (March). The study conducted by the Massachusetts General Hospital, USA which surveyed 750 parents, found that 56 percent of both e-cigarette and dual users reported using e-cigarettes in their cars with children around.

“The finding that a large majority of parents are vaping e-cigarettes inside homes and cars is an alarming trend. Our results suggest parents believe it’s safe to use electronic cigarettes and are not taking the same precautions they do to protect their children from exposure to traditional cigarettes,” says lead author Jeremy Drehmer, senior clinical research project manager at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Although e-cigarettes are believed to be safer than traditional cigarettes, new research shows that their ‘vapour’ is also harmful to children. Carcinogenetic volatile organic compounds have been detected in the urine of e-cigarette users, and e-cigarettes leave deposits of nicotine on surfaces. “Parents have been misled by the marketing of vaping products to believe that the aerosol produced by them is harmless for children. Paediatric healthcare providers need to set the record straight and inform parents that e-cigarette vapour is not safe for children either,” says Drehmer.