Calls to ban menthol vapes grow as study finds mint flavors are far more toxic to the lungs

Experts are calling for menthol vapes to be banned after a study showed mint flavors make e-cigarettes far more toxic to the lungs.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, compared the vapor released by popular menthol and non-menthol vapes in a lab.

They found that e-cigarettes containing menthol generated far more toxic microparticles compared to the menthol-free varieties.

An analysis of nearly two-dozen vapers also found that users of menthol e-cigarettes had worse breathing and unhealthier lungs compared to those who vaped other flavors.

Lead author of the study Dr Kambez Benam said: ‘Many people, especially youth, erroneously assume that vaping is safe.

‘But even nicotine-free vaping mixtures contain many compounds that can potentially damage the lungs.’

The above map shows the states where menthol e-cigarettes have been banned. So far, this only applies to California and Massachusetts

E-cigarettes were once held up as a healthy way to quit smoking and even as a relatively safe alternative.

But a slew of studies has now begun to show they carry many of the same health risks as traditional cigarettes.

In their study, scientists used a specially designed ‘vaping robot’ that mimicked the mechanics of someone huffing on a vape.

In their previous research, Dr Benam and his team found that vitamin E acetate, a common additive in cannabis vapes generates more toxic small particles that can travel deep inside the lung and wedge themselves into the narrowest airways and lining of the walls of the trachea and bronchus.

The new study found that menthol additives could be just as dangerous as vitamin E acetate, which was strongly linked to lung injury in users of e-cigarettes and vapes.

The team then carried out an analysis involving 94 people, of which 25 used menthol e-cigarettes and another 69 said they used vapes with other flavors.

The participants were already enrolled in a separate study focusing on lung disease that involved surveys, physical checks and scans.

The researchers found that the lungs of menthol users were not able to expel as much air as those who used other vapes.

‘The main message that we want to put out there is for people, especially young adults, who haven’t smoked before,’ said Dr Benam. 

‘Switching to e-cigarettes may be a better, safer alternative for someone who is trying to quit smoking regular tobacco products. 

‘But it’s important to have full knowledge of e-cigarettes’ risks and benefits before trying them.’

The study was published in the journal Respiratory Research.