CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – If you thought using e-cigarettes was safer than smoking tobacco products, you may want to think twice.
The Wall Street Journal reports that a new Harvard University study shows that the majority of flavored e-cigarette brands contain diacetyl, a chemical that has been linked to respiratory diseases such as bronchiolitis obliterans, commonly known as "Popcorn Lung."
Recommended Videos
According to the WSJ article, "Popcorn Lung" causes small airways to become inflamed and scarred, which leads to thickening of the airways.
Diacetyl is the chemical the e-cigarette brands use to flavor their products. The Harvard study found 39 of the 51 flavors they used in their research contained diacetyl.
"Popcorn Lung" received its name when it was connected to lung disease in microwave-popcorn workers that were exposed to butter-flavoring chemicals.
The WSJ says that the study noted that the conditions of inhaling e-cigarette chemicals is the same as the workers in the microwave-popcorn industry.
The study also showed that diacetyl was found in the products of two companies that had previously stated they did not use the chemical.
The Food and Drug Administration is attempting to gain more control of the largely unregulated e-cigarette business and hopes to include e-cigarettes among tobacco products.